AnonyMouse_11962

https://www.workingmums.co.uk/childcare-providers-concerned-about-furlough-guidance-changes/

Yes I think the same as you Dennie. Like someone else said, normally the summer term funding (which is the highest term funding) helps to plug the deficit which is always there in the autumn term. But it won’t be available for this purpose this year. Pretty depressing.

Apart from the fact it is really late in the day to be ‘clarifying’ this (having previously strongly implied the opposite), it doesn’t seem to take into account costs other than staffing (rent for example) or the fact that many settings can’t claim a £10000 grant as they are not eligible.

Have you all seen the latest guidance? Now looks like getting the Early Years Free Entitlement Funding probably means not being eligible for the JRS unless a lot of your income comes from private fees. Unless I've misunderstood. Which is possible!! I've only skim read it as it's Friday night. "The early years section of the new guidance confirms that a private provider should only furlough employees, and therefore seek support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), if they meet the following conditions: the employee works in an area of business where services are temporarily not required and where their salary is not covered by public funding; the employee would otherwise be made redundant or laid off; the employee is not involved in delivering provision that has already been funded (free entitlement funding); (where appropriate) the employee is not required to deliver provision for a child of a critical worker and/or vulnerable child; and the grant from the CJRS would not be duplicative to other public grants received and would not lead to financial reserves being created. If it is difficult to distinguish whether staff are funded through free entitlement or private income for the purposes of meeting the first three conditions as listed above, then an early years provider can access the CJRS to cover up to the proportion of its paybill which could be considered to have been paid for from that provider’s private income.This would typically be income received from ‘parent-paid’ hours, and excludes all income from the government’s free entitlements (or ‘DSG income’) for all age groups. The guidance includes an illustration of how this would work in practice" Here is the actual guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care?utm_source=Foundation+Years&utm_campaign=d97a9fa42e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_03_21_05_01_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8f9a6de061-d97a9fa42e-321568377&mc_cid=d97a9fa42e&mc_eid=1c2323b3c8 scroll down for the sector specific guidance for Early Years.

Scroll down and week one and two are there https://tapestry.info/coronavirus-info.html

IKR!!

This from the NDNA sounds like it's less clear... Concerns exists about how any childcare funding from government sources might impact on eligibility for the scheme and NDNA is raising this urgently with the UK and devolved governments.Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of NDNA, said: “We have seen the new guidance from the Government in relation to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. This will at least give businesses some more clarity about how the scheme will work although questions still remain about annual leave and the flexibility nurseries will need to be able to stay open. “We are very concerned about references to those that receive public funding to provide services necessary in the response to COVID-19 been expected not to furlough staff. I have requested urgent clarification from the Treasury, Department for Education and devolved governments in relation to income providers may receive from funded childcare schemes. This does not cover providers’ costs but may compromise their eligibility for accessing the job retention support for their staff. https://www.ndna.org.uk/NDNA/News/Latest_news/2020/New_information_published_on_Coronavirus_Job_Retention_Scheme.aspx

I saw this and wondered about this but don’t have any answers I’m afraid. It’s worrying isn’t it?

I also stopped charging fees but luckily there were no arrears. Haven’t heard about any withdrawal of hours/places from parents thank god

Does anyone know if we will get supplements (i.e. deprivation supplements and EYPP) as well as the base rate of EYFE funding for the period we are closed? This makes a difference to whether I will be able to top up the 20%. Would it vary by local authority?

Thank you for this

Hi EDIT just reread your post and we are not committee run so apologies if this isn’t relevant I’m going to write to my staff today to officially furlough them; my accountant has just sent me a template which I’ll edit as necessary. I’m thinking I will furlough myself as well although we are a limited company and my income is mostly dividend (when we have enough income to pay it!) so that 80% won’t go far in my case but it’s better than the proverbial eye-poke. I’m also going to work out before I send the letters, whether the income is going to be enough to make up the other 20% - if it is then I will pay that so staff will get their full wages. My staff work varying hours and I think the 80% is meant to be based on the average pay between December and February so I will need to work that out too.

You definitely shouldn’t feel guilty. Hope you are right and it’s not so bad or the LA intervenes. Think about contacting the LA and asking for someone to call the manager maybe if it’s as you originally feared.

Also, parents should only be using the childcare which is absolutely necessary, even key worker parents. So if they only work 3 days a week but the child normally attends 5 days, they should only attend the 3 days. Everyone should be travelling less and mixing less. Staff shouldn’t have to travel any more than necessary and neither should children or parents. That’s how I understand it anyway.

This is awful and definitely not what was intended. The headline messages are stay at home and socially distance, not have even larger groupings. So sorry to hear this - is there anyone you can speak to? Would your LA give ‘advice’ to your management?

I know! Didn’t read the government guidance then!

Definitely EHCP and not funded 2s or other SEND. hopefully we will qualify for the 80% wage refunds for staff who are ‘laid off’ which would help with loss of fees. Guidance for settings including the list of key workers. They want children to stay at home where possible though, which makes sense as it obviously limits the virus more than sending them to school or nursery https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision guidance for parents https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

Yes that’s what I heard. Wonder if it will apply as well as keeping the EYFE? Guidance for settings including the list of key workers. They want children to stay at home where possible though, which makes sense as it obviously limits the virus more than sending them to school or nursery https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision guidance for parents https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

Well said @finleysmaid I decided not to stay open for one or two children and risk my staff getting infected or spreading infection especially on public transport on the way to work. The bigger message is stay home and the more people adhere to this, the quicker we can return to normal. Keep safe everyone.

Thought this might be more useful in a new topic guidance for schools etc https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision guidance for parents https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

Guidance for settings including the list of key workers. They want children to stay at home where possible though, which makes sense as it obviously limits the virus more than sending them to school or nursery https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision guidance for parents https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers