Lockdown Jan 2020 funding

[nomski100]

Latest news: Funding will not be paid if a parent decides to keep their child at home.

we all need to fight for this. If we are told to stay open then the LA needs to pay us or we will close!!!!! 
 

[sunnyday]

45 minutes ago, nomski100 said:

Latest news: Funding will not be paid if a parent decides to keep their child at home.

we all need to fight for this. If we are told to stay open then the LA needs to pay us or we will close!!!!! 
 

Thank you nomski

That is quite dreadful news, indefensible.....

[Mouseketeer]

59 minutes ago, nomski100 said:

Latest news: Funding will not be paid if a parent decides to keep their child at home.

we all need to fight for this. If we are told to stay open then the LA needs to pay us or we will close!!!!! 
 

Hi, which county are you? I’ve seen a number already saying theirs will cover it (Cornwall, Southampton, northumberland)

[louby loo]

6 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

Hi, which county are you? I’ve seen a number already saying theirs will cover it (Cornwall, Southampton, northumberland)

Yes! I have literally just had confirmation that ours will pay!  They say they are going against the gov guidance on this one, although they are still fighting for a change in the guidance.

This is a huge weight of my mind.

Edited January 6, 2021 by louby loo

[sunnyday]

12 minutes ago, louby loo said:

Yes! I have literally just had confirmation that ours will pay!  They say they are going against the gov guidance on this one, although they are still fighting for a change in the guidance.

This is a huge weight of my mind.

So pleased for you

[zigzag]

Cornwall are paying also.

[louby loo]

I do hope all LA do see sense and pay. It's really not the setting's fault and we need to respect parental wishes. PLUS in many areas it is safer to stay at home if have that option.

[Mouseketeer]

17 minutes ago, louby loo said:

I do hope all LA do see sense and pay. It's really not the setting's fault and we need to respect parental wishes. PLUS in many areas it is safer to stay at home if have that option.

 last time round it ‘keep them at home if you can’, this time it’s ‘send them in or we’re withholding your funding’ ....I feel like the bad guy telling parent’s we can’t claim their funding if they don’t send ....it’s little short of blackmail 🤬

[sunnyday]

46 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

 last time round it ‘keep them at home if you can’, this time it’s ‘send them in or we’re withholding your funding’ ....I feel like the bad guy telling parent’s we can’t claim their funding if they don’t send ....it’s little short of blackmail 🤬

That is so wrong

That money does not BELONG to the LAs anyway - they are just provided with it to pass onto settings

[finleysmaid]

If the Lea is retaining funding but you are open are they prepared to pay your litigation costs when a member of staff or a member of one of your families contract covid on the premises and passes away? may be this is a question that you could ask them?!?!

[nomski100]

If we are staying open and risking our life's then pay us our funding!

Check with your LA if you are still going to receive funding if children choose not to attend.  Send an email to your Funding team.

Look up your local MP and message them. 

We must all stick together!!!!

Use of free early education entitlements funding during coronavirus (COVID-19) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

This is the information around funding during Covid-19. 

Funding for local authorities to early years providers in the spring term 2021.

Local authorities should return to the normal funding approach (that is, ‘funding following the child’) for all providers from 1 January 2021. This is in line with the approach announced in July 2020.

Providers should note that the guidance on Early Years providers’ access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has been updated to reflect this approach to funding in the spring term, to take account of the position of any providers who see reductions in entitlements funding as a result.

Local authorities must take account of the provisions within the Early education and childcare statutory guidance for local authorities in making decisions on funding for providers which have restricted attendance, or are closed or temporarily closed for reasons connected to coronavirus (COVID-19). Local authorities should ensure that providers are:

• not penalised for short term absences of children, for example sickness, arriving late or leaving early, or a family emergency through withdrawing funding, but use their discretion where absence is recurring or for extended periods taking into account the reason for the absence and the impact on the provider
• aware of the local authority policy in the area in which they practice on reclaiming funding when a child is absent from a setting
• not penalised through withdrawal of funding for short term closures of a setting, for example, as a result of local or national elections or damage to the premises

[Dennie]

18 hours ago, nomski100 said:

Latest news: Funding will not be paid if a parent decides to keep their child at home.

we all need to fight for this. If we are told to stay open then the LA needs to pay us or we will close!!!!! 
 

So if a setting only has funded children and doesn't qualify for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as a result, presumably they will have no choice but to make staff redundant to avoid closure.

[finleysmaid]

Each LEa seems to be dealing with this in a different way. In reality i think we all need to be bombarding the LEA with questions (don't get me wrong its not their fault....but they are their rules)

[NBBubbles]

Surrey have said that we cannot claim funding for children that have chosen to remain at home from the start of the spring term, until such time that they return. 
In our area the infection rates are extremely high, and we believe the families that have chosen to keep their pre-school age child at home (rather than the family leaving home to come into the community with older school age children in tow to come to Pre-school) are making an informed, balanced decision. 
Yet we are being penalised as we cannot claim funding for the child as expected, leaving us with a huge shortfall in income. 
If other local authorities can continue to fund their settings, why can’t Surrey?
We just feel very anxious and unsupported at the moment and morale is at an all time low. 
 

[Mouseketeer]

This is crazy that some will and some won’t 😡 Dorset as always are late to the party so still no idea, we are now run by 2 councils, I council covers Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole who have said they will and the rest of Dorset are still waiting on decision...I haven’t a clue if we will have loss of earnings to furlough anyone or if I’m really going to have to ask those parents keeping children home to cover the loss or force them to send a child when they don’t want to ....it’s going to be worse financially when we just say we’re closed and furlough everyone ...such idiots!

[DaisyDevon]

Finally heard yesterday that Middlesbrough will continue to pay, such a relief! Hopefully all other LEA's will follow suit.

[nomski100]

3 hours ago, Sarah Fletcher said:

Finally heard yesterday that Middlesbrough will continue to pay, such a relief! Hopefully all other LEA's will follow suit.

We are in a meeting with our LA and are telling them that some LA are still paying.......We need evidence of this. Can i ask how were you informed and is their any document you could kindly share please?

[sunnyday]

1 hour ago, nomski100 said:

We are in a meeting with our LA and are telling them that some LA are still paying.......We need evidence of this. Can i ask how were you informed and is their any document you could kindly share please?

I can't help you I am afraid - I had one piece of info (phone call) that made me think Kent had decided to pay for only those children attending (this wouldn't work for me) but then this morning the latest news was that they have not yet decided

Good luck with everything nomski

[louby loo]

3 hours ago, nomski100 said:

We are in a meeting with our LA and are telling them that some LA are still paying.......We need evidence of this. Can i ask how were you informed and is their any document you could kindly share please?

 

This is the reply I got when a asked - (I'm not gonna lie- I'm still taking this with a pinch of salt until it actually happens, I can't forget the whole furlough fiasco )

Hi  xxxxxxx

Although this is not strictly in line with the current guidance from the DfE on how the FEEE funding should be administered for the Spring 2021 term, in Essex we are going to take the approach that if parents decide to delay sending their child to their setting, so long as the setting is open and a funded place is available we will continue to make the FEEE payments. 

 

We are also asking the DfE to revisit and amend how the funding should be paid to allow FEEE funding to be paid to providers that are needing to close / partially close due to Covid19. As soon as we have any further information comms will be sent out.

 

Regards

 

Sandie

[louby loo]

3 hours ago, nomski100 said:

We are in a meeting with our LA and are telling them that some LA are still paying.......We need evidence of this. Can i ask how were you informed and is their any document you could kindly share please?

Not mine, but I just found this on a Facebook page - might be helpful to you?    Just noticed is says Essex is awaiting- hope that's not a bad sign for us.

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by louby loo

[zigzag]

I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that it isn’t a national requirement, the government need to step in and act now to change this.  Let’s hope these campaigns start to get momentum behind them.

[nomski100]

I’ve made a petition – will you sign it?

Click this link to sign the petition:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/568744/sponsors/new?token=2Jq4pVhld5syt1GfiDZs

My petition:

Funding for all nurseries and childminders whilst open

If Nurseries and childminders have to stay open then they should all get their funding, even if the parent keeps the child at home to protect them from Covid-19

Some Local authorities are paying the settings and some are not. This is not fair it should be same for all settings that have to remain open.

[sunnyday]

Signed

[Mouseketeer]

I tried but it says it’s being checked, try again in a few days.

[sunnyday]

2 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

I tried but it says it’s being checked, try again in a few days.

You weren't quick enough Mousie - needed to be in the first five - lets hope it is soon checked and up and running again

[nomski100]

15 minutes ago, sunnyday said:

You weren't quick enough Mousie - needed to be in the first five - lets hope it is soon checked and up and running again

Thank you for trying. I need to wait a few days before it is ‘live’ I have tried to delete till then but I can’t. Please wait a few days to sign

[twinthinguk]

19 hours ago, louby loo said:

Not mine, but I just found this on a Facebook page - might be helpful to you?    Just noticed is says Essex is awaiting- hope that's not a bad sign for us.

 

West Sussex dragging their feet as per usual, I really hope they do a U turn!

[Alison Jones_592243066]

Swindon are funding if parents choose to keep their children home. If settings are closed Swindon will not fund

[Mouseketeer]

27 minutes ago, Alison Jones_592243066 said:

Swindon are funding if parents choose to keep their children home. If settings are closed Swindon will not fund

That’s good news for you and welcome to the forum 🙂 

[lynned55]

I have been in contact with my LA a lot this week over funding, or lack of. Anyway they have finally come back to me in response to mt ' I fail to understand why some LA's are willing to pay and you are not'  with this comment ' There are lots of rumours abounding at the moment, one of certain LA's are paying full funding- this is completely untrue' 

To say I was fuming is an understatement! Anyway, a friend with two private nurseries is currently collecting evidence from those groups who have written confirmation from their LA's and will be stuffing it under their noses on Monday- I cant think it will do any good to be honest. Unless the gov do a U turn then we aren't going get the money. We had to close last week, as even with our mobile radiators we couldn't get it past 3 degrees in there. I have 1 staff member ill, 2 'dont want to work' and 13 out of 26 turned up on our first day. I've delayed our 6 new starters until - well not sure when now. I cant help thinking now we would be better off financially closed. As fees from 13 children wont pay for 9 staff and the rest of our outgoings. We could stay open and have enough money to carry on for the next four months- if nothing else comes in. If you include the funding from the few that will be in then we could probably manage until the end of the academic year. Not sure what to do- I hate the thought of closing but our area is getting worse. London is in a dreadful mess and as much as I am against closing I cannot for the life of me understand why it is ok for us to open and not primary schools. Chris Whitty is now all over TV telling people to stay home- Monday I will be telling parents if you dont bring your child you will forfeit your place. 

What a messI am going to put a proposal to my LA on Monday asking if we can claim funding for the children that are in our 'virtual' classroom. See if that works- last resort really.