Can we insist on more than 15 hours per week?

[AnonyMouse_51737]

'Here Here' BobAdams free at point of delivery should mean just that for everyone. Our LA are very strong on this and very robust.

[AnonyMouse_7120]

We don't insist on more than 15 hrs a week, but are not flexible to the point of offering exactly 15 hrs either, most do 2.5days or 15.5hrs, if they don't accept it they have to pay for .5 hrs a week they have the option to split their hours Between settings to get the straight 15 hrs...no one has, if it became a problem we'd go down the 'charge for lunch' route and it would cost them an extra hr on 2.5 days

[AnonyMouse_33238]

It seems to hinge around what finleysmaid pointed out above, i.e. that the wording of the guidance says that the LA "SHOULD ensure that if providers charge for any goods or services, for example meals, optional extras or additional hours of provision outside of the place, this is not a condition of children accessing their place."

Whereas for other points covered, the guidance says that the LA "Is required by law to ....."

As they are not legally required to enforce this point of guidance, the 'should' seems to suggest that they are not required to enforce it. And this is apparently the way that our LA sees it.

I think you are absolutely right that this shouldn't vary between LAs but there seems no doubt that it does.