Agenda item

To consider a report outlining the 2018/19 Early Years Budget.

The Forum considered the 2018/19 Early Years Budget report that was set out in agenda pages 25-30.

Coral Miller explained that Schools Forum was being asked to agree to the proposal to retain 4% centrally, equating to £421k for 2018/19.  This reflected the same % as retained for the current financial year, ensuring that 96% would be available to fund Early Years’ providers.

Coral Miller stated that work was still ongoing to finalise the January census, and the hourly rate for providers could not be confirmed until all information was received and verified. 

Emma Slaughter, Early Years Consultant stated that a 5% central retention was the maximum allowed by the government, but Wokingham was proposing 4%.

During the discussion of the item the following comments were made:

·           Ian Morgan stated that Jane Winterbone used to be the senior leader for Early Years, and that there was a vacancy in the Early Years senior leadership team.  He was interested to know who would be taking up this position now that Jane had left the Local Authority and what the structure was within Early Years;

·           Patricia Davies, Interim Assistant Director for Education stated that she was now in post and would take over all the responsibilities that used to be Jane’s;

·           Emma Slaughter confirmed that she was the interim senior leader for Early Years;

·           Members discussed the number of staff in Early Years at the Local Authority, and were interested to know how much of the Early Years budget was taken by the five members of staff, taking into account the vacancy in the team;

·           Mary Parker stated that the new system that was brought in by the Local Authority did not give providers access to training, apart from statutory training;

·           Emma Slaughter stated that mandatory training was still being provided;

·           Kerry Clifford stated that the hourly rate was going up and the lump sum was going down and she worried that this was unsustainable;

·           Members asked that a full breakdown of the £421k be submitted for consideration;

·           Gail Prewett pointed out that providers did not receive £4.61 per hour as stated in the report and asked that this be changed;

·           Coral Miller stated that once the January census was completed and the work was finalised, any money left would be given back to providers;

·           Derren Gray questioned the figure of £370k for Early Years centrally retained for statutory Local Authority duties listed on page 23 of the agenda, and in particular why this had increased.  Emma Slaughter explained that this related to contingencies, and it was to cover the likely increase in the uptake of the 30 hours free childcare;

·           Kerry Clifford was concerned that providers would not have the capacity to meet extra uptake of the 30 hours;

·           Mary Parker stated that her setting lost money for every child that took up the 30 hours;

·           Ian Morgan stated that the Local Authority had enforced the graded support package to providers without consultation.  Emma Slaughter stated that the Local Authority was fulfilling its obligations.  She explained that because there had been no options available, it had made no sense to consult with providers;

·           Members noted that providers were being penalised for performing well, and that perversely help would only be available to those dropping standards;

·           Emma Slaughter affirmed that the Local Authority was delivering over and above its statutory duties, and asked Members to consider that funding was very limited;

·           Kerry Clifford pointed out that given the current financial situation, providers would have to work together to achieved the desired outcomes;

·           Ian Morgan stated that it was important to improve communication and re-instate the Early Years Forum.

RESOLVED That:

1)    Schools Forum approves the Early Years centrally retained proposal of 4% for 2018/19, provided that the following clarifications are presented to the next meeting of the Forum:

                I.   Financial information on how the £421k is planned to be spent, with a breakdown of the figure;

               II.    Financial information and breakdown of the 2017/18 Budget allocation;

             III.   Clarification of the £4.61 hourly rate and the figure (£4.15) that actually arrives at school level;

          IV.      A review of the use of the Top Slice once salaries and overhead recovery have been accounted for.

2)    Schools Forum encourages the re-instatement of the Early Years Forum.