VERY IMPORTANT FUNDING INFORMATION BELOW - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

Thank you for returning your headcount data to us.

If you have delivered more funded hours to eligible 2, 3 and 4 year olds than you have already received payment for, you will receive an additional 'adjustment payment' at the end of this term.

If you need to make any changes to the data submitted on your headcount, please contact eyfunding@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to request an amendment task. This will be issued via the Provider Portal and be available from 23 November 2020 and the submission date will be no later than 27 November 2020. Any new funded children wanting to start at your setting after 27 November 2020 will need to wait until the start of the spring funding period (January 2021).

The current Department for Education guidance (updated 20 July 2020) states that, 'we expect to return to the normal early years funding process and use the January 2021 census count to drive funding allocations for the 2021 spring term. We also expect local authorities’ funding to providers to return to the normal approach (that is, ‘funding following the child’) for all providers from 1 January 2021. However, we will keep this under review and confirm the approach in further guidance in the autumn'. We are still awaiting confirmation from the DfE regarding spring term payments and the census collection. As soon as we receive this we will update you and confirm the process for payments.

However, we have considered two options to ensure you will receive a payment for early education funded hours, as normal, during the first week of the spring term funding period.

We will issue the spring term forecast task to all providers between 9 and 13 November 2020 as previously published.

Payment process option 1: If the guidance from the DfE confirms that we should return to 'business as usual' and payments to follow the child, then spring term payments could be based on this data for all providers, with an end of term adjustment payment if applicable.

Payment process option 2: We also have contingency plans in place that will enable us to follow the same processes as autumn term if the DfE decide to take the same approach, that is to 'fund as if autumn term 2020 were happening normally. In order to do this, local authorities might, for example, use the numbers of children in places in the previous autumn to inform funding levels this autumn'.

Group based providers could receive a spring term payment based on their indicative budgets with an end of term adjustment payment if applicable.

Childminders could receive a spring term payment based on their forecast task submissions, and receive adjustments to their payments according to their actual headcount submissions.

However, as we have said we are unable to confirm which payment process we will use until we have the final confirmation from the DfE on spring 2021 payments, so this may be subject to change.

During the autumn term, in order to support parents to return to work and support the sustainably of the childcare market, the LA used our discretion to relax the validity dates on 30 hours codes, (where parents had missed the reconfirmation or application deadline). There was also flexibility for children to move setting or start a new setting whilst in their grace period. From the spring term onwards we will be unable to apply this flexibility.

We expect that those who became eligible for 30 hours/Tax Free Childcare during the autumn term to have applied by the 31 December 2020 deadline, in order to be able to access their entitlement from 1 January 2021.

Please remind your parents to apply in time and re-confirm every three months by visiting the Childcare Choices website

In addition, children should not start a new 30 hours place at a provider during the grace period. This includes in the following scenarios:

• where a parent falls into their grace period before the child has started a 30 hours place;
• where a parent falls into their grace period whilst their child is in a 30 hours place, and the parent seeks to move the child to a different provider.

In exceptional circumstances a child may change providers during the grace period, please contact eyfunding@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to discuss individual cases.

You will still need to run a check on their code via the Provider Portal as usual. The HMRC helpline number is: 0300 123 9232

During the autumn term we asked providers to waive the notice periods for funded only places to support parents who needed to move between settings however, from the spring term onwards we will be unable to apply this flexibility.

Parents will be required to give four weeks' written notice to the provider when they no longer require early education funding. During this four week period parents may continue to use their funded hours with their current provider and may not access early education funding at another setting. In exceptional circumstances the notice period may be waived, please contact eyfunding@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to discuss individual cases.

If you have any questions relating to the funding then please contact eyfunding@portsmouthcc.gov.uk