Noticeboard - Early Years Specific 8 September 2022

The information contained in this noticeboard is specific to Early Years and contains information on Early Education Entitlement; EYSFF Returns for Autumn Term; EYSSFF Indicative Allocations 2022-2023 and news about Tax Free Childcare.

 

Early Education Entitlement

30 Hours Places for Autumn Term 2022

For children to access a 30 hour funded place in Autumn 2022 parents must have received an eligible code on or before 31st August 2022. The local authority cannot fund codes that have a validity start date of on or after the 1st September 2022. It is the childcare providers responsibility to check the date on the code before offering a 30 hour place or part of a 30 hour place. This can be done by entering the code on ECS and then checking the validity start date to ensure it is eligible for the current term.

Please check the date before allowing the child to access a 30 hour place this term. Further information about 30 hours and validating codes can be found on EYMIS.

Username: PVI2 (please note this is a capital i not the number one)

Password: PVI2year (please note this is a capital i not the number one)

If you have any queries regarding 30 hours extended entitlement please email NEF@birmingham.gov.uk 

30 Hours Places for Foster Children

Foster parents can apply for 30 hours extended entitlement for their 3 and 4 year old foster children, if they are in paid employment outside of their foster care role. 

These applications cannot be made via the usual route of the Childcare Choices website and have to come directly to the local authority. The foster carer or social worker should email for an application form. The Social Worker and Birmingham Virtual School Advisor have to be in agreement that the application is in the best interests of the child. 

The same deadlines apply - they must have a code by 31st August 2022 in order to access 30 hours from September 2022 for Autumn term. If you are aware of any looked after children that might be eligible for 30 hours extended entitlement please signpost them to NEF@birmingham.gov.uk. As with all 30 hours codes providers will still need to validate the code on ECS before agreeing the 30 hours start date. Providers must do this by entering the code on ECS and then checking the validity start date of it to make sure it is eligible for the current term. 

Further information about 30 hours and validating codes can be found on EYMIS.

Username: PVI2 (please note this is a capital i not the number one)

Password: PVI2year (please note this is a capital i not the number one)

Any queries regarding 30 hours extended entitlement should be directed to: NEF@birmingham.gov.uk 

Two Year Funded Places

Providers can promote two-year funding to parents using this video.

Before offering a two-year Early Education Entitlement (EEE) place, please ensure that the two-year old child is eligible. A parent (or provider on the parents behalf with permission) must complete an eligibility application to confirm eligibility by using this link.

Every application generates a code or reference number - please keep a note of this code for audit. If the code is eligible a place can be offered, however the eligibility checker does not always confirm eligibility so if it doesn't providers will need to view evidence of eligibility, then email NEF@birmingham.gov.uk with the child's name, DOB and the eligibility application code / reference and confirm specifically what evidence there is confirming the child's eligibility.  For example; you may have seen a confirmation letter that the child receives DLA. 

On receipt of this information the NEF team will override the application to eligible and send an email confirming a place can be offered. 

Two-year olds can get an EEE funded place if they live in England and meet the two-year eligibility criteria which can be found here.

Parental Declarations

For Autumn 22 term children need to be in attendance with you for headcount day as per the terms and conditions of funding detailed in the EEE Provider Agreement in order for you to receive funding.

The Provider Agreement states:
2.32. The Provider must ensure that a parental declaration is completed in English for each child entitled to an early education entitlement place.  If a parent is unable to understand what they are declaring or agreeing to, the provider should provide the appropriate translation support.  If this support is not available the provider must contact NEF@Birmingham.gov.uk requesting the appropriate support .  A parental declaration must be signed, fully completed or updated for each term the child is in attendance at a provider, even if there is no change. The parental declaration form will confirm when a parent is using multiple providers to access their entitlement.  Providing the parental declarations confirm that the parent is receiving their eligible entitlement, funding will be split and paid in accordance with the signed parental declaration forms.

Parental declarations must be signed at the start of every term by both parent and provider. Please note that children must be in attendance on or before headcount date in order to claim a funded place for Autumn term. If children don't start with you until very close to headcount date, please ask whether they have visited / attended / signed up to another setting before coming to you.  If they have, check  - have they told the other setting that they are not going back? Do they know they might have to pay fees to the setting they are leaving? Duplicate claims will be investigated and may mean that the funding is split between providers. 

Please ensure any eligibility codes are included and complete the schedule of planned attendance, this provides a clear picture of what hours and days the child is attending, the start date for each term, and if they attend more than one provider.  This also shows if children stretch their provision over more than 38 weeks of the year.  For 30 hour parents who use two providers, it is also really important to state who the Universal provider is, this must be the parent's decision.  

Please complete the parental declaration form with parents – it is an opportunity to get to know parents and an opportunity to have conversations with them about whether they have registered at another provider; the implication of funding can then be discussed and the potential costs for parents and the provider involved in duplicate claims. Remember to keep parental declarations as they may be required for audit purposes. Providers can use their own parental declaration, but it must include at a minimum all the information in the BCC parental declaration.  A blank parental declaration and an example of a completed one can be found on EYMIS.

Username: PVI2 Password: PVI2year

If you have any queries please email NEF@birmingham.gov.uk 

EYSFF Returns for Autumn Term 2022

For schools with Early Years provision for 2, 3 and 4 year olds.
 
Each term providers are required to submit and return an on-line EYSFF submission to provide us with numbers of eligible 2 year olds, EYPP and FSM take up so that we can reconcile early years funding. It is the schools responsibility to ensure that the form is completed within the time frame - failure to do so will result in incorrect budget allocations. The link to the form will be emailed to schools during Census week and they will be required to complete the form between 6th and 13th October 2022. The email is sent to the enquiry@ email address so please ensure that the person responsible for this mailbox knows who to forward the link to within the school. We do not have the facility to use individual email addresses. 
 
Please remember that all 2 year olds that are claim for, and all 3 and 4 year olds that you are claiming EYPP and FSM for must have an eligible code that you must keep a note of on the children's records for the purpose of EEE audit. If the system does not confirm eligibility you can contact NEF@birmingham.gov.uk for support. Please note there is no facility to receive a copy of your on-line submission -  however you should have the details of numbers of eligible children on your records in line with the terms and conditions of EEE funding. The EEE Provider Agreement detailing the terms and conditions of delivering early education entitlement can be found on EYMIS.

To access EYMIS please use Username: PVI2 Password PVI2year
 
If you have any queries regarding the on-line form or the eligibility of children please email NEF@birmingham.gov.uk
 
If you have any queries regarding your funding allocation please email NEF@birmingham.gov.uk

EYSFF Indicative Allocations 2022 - 2023

Notification of the Indicative Allocations of the Early Years Single Funding Formula 2022-23 has been published and schools can see how their allocation has been calculated here.

Any queries need to be addressed to fairfunding@birmingham.gov.uk

Have You Shared the News About Tax Free Childcare? 

Are your Parents eligible for Tax Free Childcare?

As a childcare provider you can help to be more affordable for parents by checking if your parents have signed up to Tax Free Childcare and ensuring that you are signed up for Tax Free Childcare. Working parents or carers can get up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year per child) or if their child has a disability, they can get up to £1,000 every three months (up to £4,000 a year per child) to help with the costs of childcare. Parents can use Tax-Free Childcare to pay for childcare including before and after school clubs, holiday clubs and playschemes as well as their Nursery, Childminder or Nanny fees. 

Most schools in Birmingham are already signed up to be a Tax Free Childcare provider but you can check here: Sign up to Tax-Free Childcare if you’re a childcare provider

It will take approximately 10 minutes to complete your registration. 

What you can do to encourage take up of Tax-Free Childcare

  • Find out the families in your area who are not using Tax Free Childcare and support them to understand its benefits and how to apply for it
  • Update your website with information about Tax Free Childcare. 

Include links to useful sources of information such as:

Parents who have signed up for Tax Free Childcare would be able to find their childcare provider on the system in approximately 2 working days and can then pay the provider direct from their tax free childcare account. If you want to know more about Tax Free childcare and how you can support parents we are running some short information sessions – please use the following link to sign up to a session: tax-free-childcare-awareness-session-tickets. 

This entry was posted by on 08/09/2022.