Agenda item

During the discussion on the Early Years Single Funding Formula at the last Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee, it was requested that a verbal update on this issue be provided, along with a copy of the report which went to the Executive on the 15^th February 2010.

Following a request at the last Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Mustafa Salih (Assistant Director of Finance and Resources, Children and Families) provided the committee with an update on the introduction of the Early Years Single Funding Formula and changes to the allocation and funding of early years full time places.  He drew the committee’s attention to the report which went to the Executive on the 15February 2010.

Mustafa Salih explained that the Government had initially wanted all local authorities to introduce the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) from April 2010, but in December 2009 decided that it would be delayed until April 2011 as a number of councils were not ready to introduce it.  He added that the Government had, however, encouraged those councils which were ready to implement from April 2010 to do so by applying to become a path finder authority.  He advised that the Executive had agreed to implement the formula in Brent from April 2010 and that this was also the recommendation of the Schools Forum which met in January 2010.

Mustafa Salih informed the committee that the introduction of the EYSFF had provided the Council with an opportunity to review the criteria for the allocation and funding of full time early years places.  He explained that the objective was to devise a transparent and common process across the whole sector that would allocate a full time place based on the need and vulnerability of the child.  Mustafa Salih explained that the schools forum had raised a concern that if the changes were implemented for 2010, there would not be sufficient time for consultation with parents. Furthermore, Mustafa Salih stated that there was some uncertainty that the DCSF would have the regulations in place to allow schools to charge parents in readiness for September 2010. For these reasons, he stated that it had been decided to delay the implementation of the proposals, with regards to full time places, until September 2011. This, he stated, would allow enough time for thorough consultation to take place with parents.

In the discussion which followed, a request was made that information on the sufficiency of early years places in the borough be included in the report which was coming to the next Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny committee on school places.  In response to a concern raised regarding the impact it would have on those mainstream nurseries, which would see their number of full time places decrease, Mustafa Salih explained that some of the mainstream nurseries, which he had spoken to regarding this issue, had told him that they would consider increasing the number of part time places available.  He added that he had also discussed with them that they would have an option of charging for a full time place if parents were willing to pay.  In answering a question regarding the consultation on the changes to the allocation and funding of early years full time places, Mustafa Salih explained that the council would most likely be consulting both parents that had children who were due to go to nursery and parents whose children were already in nursery. He advised that the changes would, however, only affect those children who were going to be starting nursery.

A representative from the Teachers’ Panel raised a concern that if a parent was unable to afford to pay for a part time place to be topped up to a full time place, a child in need could miss out on a full time place.  In response, Mustafa Salih explained that the changes would ensure that it would be the most deprived children who would receive the full time places.  The representative also raised a concern that if there was a children’s centre attached to a nursery, a teacher could end up having two different employers over the day. 

The Chair stated that the committee would revisit this issue later on in the year.

RESOLVED:-

(i)         that the update and Executive report, dated 15 February 2010, be noted;

(ii)        that information on the sufficiency of early years places in the borough be included in the report on school places, which was coming to the next Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 25 March 2010.