Agenda item

Avril Allenby introduced the report to Members of the Forum, which set out the changes to the early years funding in 2017/18 and proposed formula. On the 1^st December 2016 the Government had announced that the proposed new early year’s national funding formula would commence for April 2017.

Avril Allenby reported that the pass through rate had been confirmed as 93 percent for 2017/18 and 95 percent thereafter. As proposed in the consultation there would be a universal base rate required for all types of providers.

The consultation had proposed removing the ability to use quality supplements, which for West Berkshire Council providers was the main differentiation in rates used and would have the largest impact. The use of a quality supplement would now be allowed to recognise workforce qualifications.

There was already a model for consultation and section four of the report detailed the background on what could be included. Avril Allenby highlighted that it was not a public consultation and was only open to providers of the free entitlement.

Keith Harvey noted that supplements would be capped at 10 percent and therefore was concerned that providers would be out of pocket. Avril Allenby commented that this was difficult to predict and vulnerability of providers was an area that needed to be monitored closely. Avril Allenby stated that they were lucky in West Berkshire in that they had a good relationship with providers, who were happy to approach the Local Authority if they needed to.

The Chairman concurred with Avril Allenby’s point that the level of vulnerability to difficult to predict. He then invited Forum Members to vote on whether they were happy to agree that the proposal could go out for consultation with providers.

RESOLVED that the proposal could go out for consultation with providers.