FAQ from DfE

[Wildflowers]

I got answers to my questions here:

DfE Frequently Asked Questions.pdf

[BroadOaks]

Do providers need to sign up to an agreement with their LA to be funded for delivering the free entitlements?

The Department’s statutory guidance on early education and childcare is intended to set out what local authorities are required to do by legislation and what local authorities should do to meet their statutory responsibilities.

Local authorities must enter into arrangements with childcare providers for the delivery of free early education to ensure the providers comply with legislative requirements (except that there is there is no requirement to enter into arrangements with the governing body of a maintained school). Additionally, they must ensure that the arrangements may be terminated if the provider fails to meet the Ofsted quality standards set out in legislation (except for the governing body of a maintained school). These are often referred to as provider agreements. The local authority is not required to fund a provider that is unwilling to accept these requirements.

 

In March 2017, the Department published a Model Agreement for early years provision to bring greater consistency to provider agreements across all local authorities and all types of provider. This is clear that the expected headings and wordings provided should be used in every provider agreement unless there is good reason not to.

The statutory guidance is clear that, unless they have good reason not to, local authorities should use the model agreement as a tool for developing their agreements with providers.

 

 

This is the most interesting part for me. The DfE state that, a LA can refuse to fund a provider who does not accept these requirements. It is fair enough that a provider who fails to meet the level of care expected should lose the funding (although how Ofsted make some of their judgements is questionable) and this should be a condition but what else are the LA going to expect from providers and add into these agreements?

[FSFRebecca]

This is a useful document! The other documents released yesterday are on this thread

[sunnyday]

 

This is the most interesting part for me. The DfE state that, a LA can refuse to fund a provider who does not accept these requirements. It is fair enough that a provider who fails to meet the level of care expected should lose the funding (although how Ofsted make some of their judgements is questionable) and this should be a condition but what else are the LA going to expect from providers and add into these agreements?

I think it was ever thus BroadOaks.........