Early Education Funding - Spring Term 2018

Early Education Funding Spring Term 2018

Important headcount information for the Spring Term 2018

Please note there has been a change to the Headcount and EY Census dates for the Spring Term.

Headcount task available via the Provider Portal: Friday 12 January 2018
Headcount date: Thursday 18 January 2018
Headcount task submission date: Friday 19 January 2018 by 4.00pm

These are different to the dates previously published and are due to a system upgrade which is beyond our control. The Provider Portal will be unavailable from 4.00pm on Friday 19 January 2018 until Monday 22 January 2018.

Early Years Census 2018 - Information for all providers

This year we have simplified the way we gather key data for the annual census and sufficiency audit. We hope that this will make it much simpler and quicker for you to send us the required information. The data collected is used to inform the Department for Education, which secures your early education funding and helps us analyse the childcare provision across the city. It will also provide better quality information to parents looking for childcare and enable us to share valuable information to you to assist with your business development planning.

There are two distinct parts of the census to be completed. Please read the information that is sent out carefully and ensure you submit the parts appropriate for your provision.

All providers (including those who do not have any funded children) will need to complete and submit part 2.

Only providers with funded children will need to complete and submit both parts 1 and 2.

PART 1: Collected through the Provider Portal.

Only providers who accept children with 2, 3 or 4 Year Funding entitlements need to do this.

Submit a Headcount Task through the Provider Portal for funded children attending their setting during the week of 15 - 19 January, to include the total hours they will attend.

The task will be available from Friday 12 January and you will receive an email from eyfunding@portsmouthcc.gov.uk alerting you when it is available.

PART 2: Collected via the Early Years Census 2018 online survey.

All providers need to do this.

Complete the online Early Years Census 2018 survey.

All providers will receive an email with a link to the survey once it is available on Friday 12 January.

Guidance notes will be available to download from the survey. If you have any problems completing the survey, please email eydelivery@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or telephone us on 023 9284 1974

Provider Portal Drop-in Session

You can access additional support at the 'Using the Provider Portal to submit your funding claims and receive payments' drop-in session. You must bring your Provider Portal log in details and information to enter into the portal (i.e. child details, hours accessed, parent declaration forms) so that you can work on actual tasks during the session. There are pre-bookable one hour appointments where members of the Early Years Team will be available to provide support and advice.

Wednesday 17 January 2018

1.00pm - 8.00pm

Landport Family Hub, Arundel Street.

Book your place here!

Provider Portal

In order to avoid late submissions please make sure that your current log in details are working, and contact us as soon as possible if you have password issues that need resolving. Also, please update us when there is a new member of staff submitting funding claims so that we can be sure that they have the necessary access to the portal in good time.

Access Provider Portal User Guide here!

Parent Declaration Forms

As you are aware you must have a signed Parent Declaration Form before entering the parents' 30 hour code on the Provider Portal. These forms must be completed by all parents accessing early education funding and signed termly. If nothing has changed the parent will not need to complete a new form, they can just sign and identify which term they are signing for. The forms can be accessed here.

30 Hours Funding

New starters for 30 hours funding from January 2018

In order to take up a new 30 hours funded place from January 2018, a parent must have applied for and been issued with a valid code before 31 December 2017. As you know, some parents have struggled with the application process and there have been a number of technical difficulties with the HMRC website. If you have a new parent who has a 30 hour code dated 11 January 2018 or earlier who wishes to take up their 30 hour funding this term please contact us for further advice.

‘Sorry Not Eligible' or 'Not Found’ response?

When running a new check on the Provider Portal, some people have been unable to verify a 30 hour code. Often the reason a check is 'Not Eligible' or 'Not Found' is that one or more of the data items used on the check is incorrect.

Some analysis of the reasons why newly issued codes get 'Not Found' responses have found that:

The eligibility code itself is being input incorrectly.
An incorrect date of birth is being used.
The National Insurance number is incorrect.
It is a temporary code (starting with "11").

So, if you get a 'Not Eligible' or 'Not Found' result, please check the National Insurance number and the date of birth directly with the parent or against the signed Parent Declaration Form. If it is a temporary code, please try again after a day or two as there is sometimes a small delay in the HMRC system being updated with temporary codes.

If all of the above is checked and the code is still not accepted, the parent should log in to their Childcare Choices account and check the validity dates and code again.

Two Year Old Funding - Codes issued outside of Portsmouth

If a parent presents a two year old code that does not start with TYF851, it will have been issued outside of Portsmouth. Please take a copy, check the start date as usual, and email eyfunding@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to inform us prior to submitting a funding claim.

Childcare Vouchers reconfirmation error on childcare service

On reconfirmation, some parents are seeing a message which tells them ‘You won’t be eligible if you’re still using childcare vouchers. You can reconfirm your eligibility when you’ve stopped your childcare vouchers’. This is due to a technical error as parents can of course claim both 30 hours and childcare vouchers. HMRC are working to fix this issue but in the meantime parents who receive this message should call the HMRC helpline on 0300 123 4097 straightaway so that they can be supported to successfully reconfirm.

Contact us:

The Early Years and Childcare Service now have a dedicated telephone number to be used if you need to speak to a member of the team.

The number is 023 9284 1974, for funding queries please email eyfunding@portsmouthcc.gov.uk