Early learning and childcare providers - local authority funding and support: overview

Annex D: Summary of support for providers by local authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Table D1 summarises the information provided by local authorities on the work undertaken to understand the impact of the pandemic on funded providers, and any additional support measures provided by local authorities.
  • This is specific support offered by the local authorities, in line with the Interim Guidance on Funding Follows the Child, initially published in July 2020 and updated in March 2021. This highlights that local authorities, in line with the principles for setting sustainable rates, will work with their funded providers to understand the extent to which the costs of delivering funded ELC have changed due to COVID-19.
  • Table D1 captures both financial and non-financial support measures provided by each local authority.

Table D1: Summary of Actions by Local Authorities to Support Funded Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aberdeen City

• Funded ELC entitlement introduced from August 2020. During the lockdowns the Council supported providers by continuing to pay them the sustainable rate; and from March 2020-August 2020 by placing children with providers.
• Providers assistance offered in procuring PPE to mitigate against increased PPE costs from autumn 2020.
• A suite of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) has been developed and delivered to support providers meet the needs of children and families. Officers from the Early Years team have been regularly meeting and supporting providers within their own Associated School Group network.
• Administrated COVID-19 business support grants to providers and supporting communications to ensure that providers were aware of the funds available to them: the Transitional Support Fund for Childcare Providers and the Temporary Restrictions Fund (Round 1, 2 and 3).

Aberdeenshire

• Childminder start up grants put in place to support new childminders to come on board as funded providers during the pandemic.
• Fast tracking of applications for childcare providers to become funded providers in order to support financial sustainability of the sector and to support families with accessing emergency childcare. A total of 42 additional providers taken on during the lockdown periods.
• Administrated COVID-19 business support grants to providers and supporting communications to ensure that providers were aware of the funds available to them: the Transitional Support Fund for Childcare Providers and the Temporary Restrictions Fund (Round 1, 2 and 3).
• ELC assessment developed by Aberdeenshire Council and approved by Care Inspectorate, so that childcare providers could become funded providers before they receive their first inspection from the Care Inspectorate.
• Regular meetings with partner providers – weekly between April 2020 to August 2020. Now regular separate meetings for private nurseries, childminders and playgroups given diversity of support requirements. Area based meetings for childminders due to number of childminders in partnership with the Council.
• Additional funding to Early Years Scotland to support Playgroups throughout the summer in 2020, in preparation for August 2020.
• Additional funding allocated to support funded partners during the first lockdown. Increase in rate from £5.30 per child to £7.14 per child and block funding to ensure financial sustainability during the pandemic. Families (keyworkers and vulnerable) were able to access beyond the statutory ELC funded hours.
• Additional childcare funding allocated to funded partners during the second lockdown period. During both lockdown periods, if a key worker/ vulnerable child temporarily transferred to another provider due to their own nursery closing, the Council funded these children during their temporary transfer in addition to paying their main provider, as well as funded their meal payment.
• Volunteer support scheme developed by Early Years in order to support staff of PVI settings whom are furloughed, to be able to keep in contact and support their families during the lockdown.
• Working with funded partners to ensure that those families who may be vulnerable are identified and supported by the Council.
• Providing information and advice to support the PVI sector through the many transitions presented during the lockdown.
• Pop up provision set up and funded by Aberdeenshire Council in areas across rural areas in Aberdeenshire in order to support third sector sustainability and to improve access to emergency childcare for families.
• Sustainability grants set up by Aberdeenshire Council to support Funded Providers with rising rental costs.
• Distribution of PPE by Aberdeenshire Council to Funded Providers during the first lockdown due to problems with accessing stock.
• Providers were all paid in full in Term 4 2019-20, despite many of them closing.
• Providers were all paid in full in Term 3 2020-21, despite several of them closing.
• Delivery of core training i.e. First Aid, food hygiene etc in funded provider settings, which was funded and coordinated by Aberdeenshire Council, to ensure that providers could continue to access essential training and development.
• All funded providers given access to Aberdeenshire Council's online training portal (ALDO). This includes GIRFEC courses that were developed via multi agency collaboration. This was to ensure that there were other avenues open to funded providers to be able to continue CPD and core training.
• Provided Risk Assessment template to all providers.

Angus

• Administered the Transitional Support Fund for services in Angus. The Fund opened for applications from providers of child day care services on 3 September 2020 with grants calculated on the basis of registered capacity. The maximum grant available was £8,000.
• Angus also set up a Childminder Grant Scheme in September 2020 benefiting 28 local childminders. Total Childminder Grants amounted to £29,000.
• Providers were asked to submit details of their actual additional costs incurred during August and September 2020. 14 local providers responded. The results showed no discernible pattern which led to the conclusion that a blanket increase to the sustainable hourly rate would not be appropriate.
• A Quarterly Grants Scheme was set up instead that invited providers to submit details and evidence of actual additional costs incurred due to COVID-19. The Quarterly Grant Scheme has approval for one year (to 31 July 2021). Thanks to the Scheme the Council now have more costs data and a better understanding of the impact of the pandemic, particularly on the costs of consumable items such as PPE and cleaning materials.
• The Council acknowledge that more work needs to be done on understanding the additional demands on ELC staff time due to Covid and the associated increased costs to some partner providers.
• In light of new guidance published in June 2021, on 12 August 2021 the Children and Learning Committee will consider continuation of the Quarterly Grants Scheme, subject to ongoing review in line with changing COVID-19 guidance from Scottish Government.
• To support the recovery and to enable some enhanced measures to continue even after restrictions are lifted, Committee will also consider forgoing a small reduction to the planned rates for 2021-22 resulting from lower than estimated inflation.

Argyll and Bute

• Regular contact with all settings and childminders.
• Continued high quality learning online and issued regular updated guidance. In settings of concern have offered support and advice.
• The Council have placed Early Years team members in settings that have struggled with staffing.
• Financial support – during periods of lockdown when settings had to close, Argyll and Bute continued to pay partners their full funded ELC payments, based on children registered. This also included payment for provisional enrolments (children who were not able to start their funded ELC due to closures).
• Partners that operated hubs for families requiring critical childcare also received payment for the childcare provided.

Clackmannanshire

• In the first week of lock down the Council bought all capacity of their funded providers.
• Created an online classroom with training for staff furloughed or working from home to access.

Dumfries and Galloway

• Roll out of 1140 hours of funded ELC completed in August 2020 for all, so that families and providers benefitted from their full offer.
• Providers were all paid in full in Term 4 2019-20, despite many of them closing.
• Providers were all paid in full in Term 3 2020-21, despite several of them closing.
• Providers who remained open during lockdown periods have been supported through an allocation of PPE and cleaning materials.
• Where positive cases have been identified during lockdown, DGC have offered to carry out the deep cleaning required before re-opening.
• Transition Support Fund and Temporary Restrictions Fund payments were made timeously, which was well received by providers.
• Since a number of partner providers had closed, some childminders and a provider not already on the framework were supported to deliver emergency childcare.
• PVI providers and childminders were supported with a payment in March/April 2020 to support implementation of 1140 hours.
• All providers have been contacted regularly by their link officer in the central Early Years Team to offer advice and support.
• Termly meetings are in place for providers to support quality of provision and share practice.
• Professional training has continued to be offered virtually throughout the pandemic.
• SWAYs have been produced to support Covid guidance/practice, Play and Learning at home, Communication and Language, Self-evaluation and Improvement Planning, Outdoor Learning and Transitions.

Dundee City

Financial support

• Continued to fully fund all eligible children during both lockdowns including those settings that chose to close.
• During the first lockdown period, if a key worker / vulnerable child temporarily transferred to another provider due to their own nursery closing, the Council funded these children during their temporary transfer (in addition to paying their main provider).
• The Council funded an externally commissioned leadership programme for managers in funded providers.
• Tayside Regional Collaborative funded two leadership events for middle managers.

Non-financial support measures

• Support with Covid recovery plans and risk assessments for re-opening.
• Training programme / resources: access to DCC e-learning modules, provided CPL grid listing a range of training that could be accessed from a range of sources (Ed Scot, CI, DCC). This included DCC PowerPoint for ABC and Beyond and SWAYs for staff to access.
• PowerPoint and guidance sent to funded providers in relation to self-evaluation and improvement planning.
• Training delivered to childminders on self -evaluation and improvement planning and individual support from LA officer.
• Invited to LA sharing good practice sessions in relation to Learning at Home, Transition and Care Inspectorate guidance.
• Marketing and recruitment support - continued access to My Job Scotland to advertise vacancies.
• Funding for staff to undertake relevant qualifications – funded providers were offered funding for a range of award bearing qualifications.
• Regular contact through local authority ELC meetings – funded providers forum, regular zoom meetings with childminders, 2 QA meetings for providers with LA officers, officers attended CI inspection feedback, support and advice with Covid cases.
• School Support team provided support with NAMS, applications and funding and training on NAMS as and when required.
• Support and guidance from Early Years team on admissions, funded hours and meal payment process.
• Sent all information with regards to any external funding available e.g. outdoor clothes for children.
• Training - information on various opportunities sent out to funded providers to apply if they wished e.g. Star Catchers, One World Centre sessions, STEM.
• Educational Psychology and Accessibility and Inclusion Service support as required.
• School Support team/Early Years team support for applications for Deferred Entry to Primary and Early Years Panel.
• Administrative support from the Early Years team and School Support team to ensure funding and emergency payments were made timeously to ensure business sustainability.

East Ayrshire

• Regular contact with providers by phone.
• Regular email updates have been issued and online MS Teams meetings taken place with all funded providers during session 2020-21.
• Visits to ELC settings as and when appropriate.
• Direct support from peripatetic teachers.
• Financial support through the funds available via the Scottish Government in response to Covid and business support grants via the Council.
• Provided placements in Childcare Hubs for children of key workers.

East Dunbartonshire

• Regular strategic meetings with one identified representative from each sector as well as full meetings with all providers.
• Along with the processing of the Temporary Restrictions Fund grants, the Council also allocated additional funding to continue to support quality during this time to make improvement around purchasing outdoor clothing, improvement to outdoor spaces etc.
• Provided access to a grant to support appointment of additional MA.
• Continued payment of funded hours paid during closure.
• Additional payment of keyworker childcare to centres who remained open during lockdown in 2020.
• Support from Quality Improvement Officers on developing recovery planning.
• Access to a comprehensive online training programme. Joint training with local authority centres.
• Bespoke training calendar for childminders delivered in evening.
• Business meetings with childminders to support recovery and guidance.
• Aspire leadership training modules for middle and senior managers delivered – this was joint training with across local authority and funded provider centres and has provided open communication and sharing of knowledge.
• Bespoke support from peripatetic support teachers - supporting centres with individual training sessions, with a focus on recovery and quality environments and interactions.
• Sharing of Council communication and risk assessments to support recovery and centres communication with families, ensuring consistent approach around key messages.

East Lothian

• Funded providers have received a considerable amount of support in re-opening and ensuring that they were and remain Covid compliant. This included a check list and daily phone calls to talk through compliance.
• Financial support to the sum of the amount paid through the Temporary Restrictions Fund was paid to funded providers. This one off payment was made in acknowledgement of the challenges they faced and to ensure sustainability for the future.
• Additional payment for keyworker childcare to centres who remained open during lockdown in 2020.
• All providers were paid in full, despite many of them closing during the lockdown periods.
• Covid support grants were also paid to Childminders and Community Groups.

East Renfrewshire

• Regular and effective communication.
• Funded providers attend ELC Forums, once each term for information, advice and support as well as for consultation and networking.
• Drop-in sessions and additional meetings with funded providers based on their agenda and needs over the course of the year and including lockdown periods.
• Individual telephone calls and teams meetings to offer support.
• Assistance with developing Recovery Plans for re-opening in August 2020 which included extensive guidance in all aspects as well as networking sessions in Neighbourhood Groups (joint working with Funded Provider & local authority).
• Support from the Educational Psychology team including a range of resources to support the mental health and well-being of staff and children.
• Training and support materials based on the National Induction Resource and Building the Ambition.
• On-going access to training materials on the Funded Providers Glow page.
• Guidance developed to support funded providers with remote learning.
• Further extensive support with remote learning, including a dedicated Glow page with a range of support materials.
• Bespoke training for middle managers in funded provider settings.
• Support and training for managers on Improvement Planning linked to recovery and renewal.
• Support from peripatetic nursery teacher with a focus on recovery, literacy and numeracy.
• Administration around nationally available grants and funds.

Edinburgh

• Managed the Temporary Restrictions Fund grant funding process for providers.
• Provided online information sessions for positive case management.
• Issued resources for providers to use for positive case management.
• Provided Risk Assessment template.
• Provided template letters for parents.
• Increased the frequency of Partner Monitoring Group meetings to highlight issues and share practice.

Falkirk

• Undertook a review of additional costs being incurred with funded providers and agreed to pay temporary Covid support via an increase to sustainable rates to private partner nurseries:
  • From August 2020 – December 2020: a top-up of £0.25 per hour (£0.15 for capital costs and £0.10 for revenue costs)
  • From January 2021 to date: a top-up of £0.10 per hour (revenue costs).

Fife

• The Council have worked alongside their funded providers throughout the pandemic to ensure they were aware of the current guidance, enabling them to maximise the number of placements that they could offer and signposting them to the business support schemes that were available to them through other sources.
• A funded provider reference group has been in place throughout the period to ensure that there is a conduit for information sharing.
• The training calendar has been updated with online training courses, accessible to all funded providers.
• Risk assessments have been shared to reflect the changing guidance from the Scottish Government.
• On-line and in-person support visits have been provided from the Local Authority central support team.
• At the start of the pandemic supported partners by ensuring any funded ELC that was not able to be provided continued to be funded in the services and was paid in the normal timescales.
• Worked with partner providers to ensure they were aware that they could offer childcare for key workers and promoted them as places to offer this provision for services that decided to remain open. Any new children who attended these services between March and August 2020 were also funded for the number of hours they attended over and above any funding paid for ELC.
• The recent sustainable rate survey undertaken reflects the current prices charged which would include any additional Covid related costs to the business. This report is being finalised and the findings considered.

Glasgow City

• Established a flexible rental policy for the release of community assets to PVI ELC providers to support expansion. Applications are assessed on service delivery, financial, community benefits and partnership criteria. Successful applicants can benefit from a subsidised rental. Four settings have now been successfully awarded to providers and interest remains buoyant.
• Payment monthly in advance, and additional payment for those providers who responded to key workers and vulnerable clients during lockdown.
• A Covid-related sustainability support framework has been established to assess the financial impact for providers who approach the Council in need. Specific Financial provision has been made for award of funding support where required.
• The central Leaders of Learning team have been deployed to support settings in training and development of staff and production of learning materials in an effort to sustain their quality aspects of service delivery throughout the pandemic.
• In response to reported stress on the part of nursery leaders, funded providers were invited to participate in a comprehensive mindfulness programme which was being made available to Council nursery heads.
• An extensive outdoor ELC training programme for both Council and funded providers jointly has been established to support increased interest in outdoor delivery during the pandemic and to support services with aspirations to register outdoor ELC provision.
• Regular email updates have been issued and online MS Teams meetings taken place with all funded providers throughout session 2020-21.

Highland

• The Highland Council (THC) worked closely with partners and agreed to honour contractual payments during the pandemic.
• THC supported delivery of the Transitional Support Fund and the Temporary Restrictions Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government distributing some £564,228 in respect of the PVI sector. Childminders were supported with information and guidance in respect of support from SG distributed by SCMA.
• The Council during the pandemic kept in active contact with all partners and discussed particular difficulties in settings or provision of services including key workers. Four partners came forward during the two lockdown periods seeking assistance and, working with them on an analysis of their real needs, funding support from THC was agreed.
• This involvement is continuing through the local ELC liaison committee which continues to meet on a regular cycle of fortnightly meetings with all information relevant to providers timeously distributed on and issues identified or received by THC.

Inverclyde

• Inverclyde Council has worked closely with funded providers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• There has been open, honest and regular communication on an individual / group basis which ensured the local authority was aware of the impact of the pandemic on individual services. Almost all settings fully engaged with these processes.
• Both financial and non-financial support has been given.

Non-financial Support:

• Regular COVID-19 Education Briefings
• Regular meetings to discuss practical implementation on national guidance
• Named Officer to provide day to day support
• Shared Risk Assessments
• Supported with providing and sourcing PPE
• Provided Hub places for children of key workers
• Support and challenge with home learning.

Financial Support:

• Funding for ELC places continued throughout periods of closure in line with Scottish Government advice.
• Funded key worker children with childminder for children / young people aged 0 – 18 years.
• Provided grants to all funded providers including childminders:
  • ICT grant to support home learning and access to SEEMiS Early Years
  • Recovery grant to support health and wellbeing and family support
  • Outdoor learning grant to enhance opportunity and access.

Midlothian

• Providers in the private and voluntary sector have a link principal teacher who has provided guidance and support throughout the past 18 months.
• Monthly managers/owners meetings with funded providers which provide an opportunity to discuss issues such as financial sustainability.
• Have invited funded providers to discuss any issue with financial sustainability with the Council and options can be discussed (to date no provider has approached the Council for this support).
• Supported all Midlothian providers to apply for the SG grants that have been available to them (the Transitional Support Fund and the Temporary Restrictions Fund).
• All funded providers have continued to receive ELC payments throughout any period of closure or restricted opening.

Moray

• The Moray Financial Sustainability Group has been the formal channel used to engage with the Moray ELC sector.
• On a quarterly basis the Council provide financial support to all nursery and childcare settings for the costs of PPE and detergent.
• On an annual basis (August to July) Moray provide financial support for the additional staffing costs for all nursery and childcare settings. This is in relation to cleaning costs resulting from Covid.
• Provided financial assistance for a small number of settings who have demonstrated that Covid has impacted on their financial sustainability. The assistance provided wasn't to cover a shortfall of income but to help ensure that a provider could regain their viability.
• Early Years Team are also in regular contact with all PVI settings in Moray.

North Ayrshire

• Throughout the pandemic-related closures, the Council continued to pay funded providers for all entitled children who would have attended under non pandemic circumstances, whether the establishment was open or not. This complied with the Scottish Government guidance.
• The Temporary Restriction Fund and the Transitional Support Fund, provided by the Scottish Government were administered by Education on behalf of funded provider establishments.
• Childminders received similar funding via the Business Development team.
• Throughout the pandemic, funded provider owners and managers have been included in all relevant communication and have been supported with re-opening, risk assessments, training and support for staff.
• The ELC team hold regular meetings with the sector to provide information, listen to issues arising within the sector and provide support to drive high quality ELC provision across all NAC settings.

North Lanarkshire

• Regular communication at the outset which then led to weekly contingency planning meetings at an operational level.
• Ongoing support was provided by both the ELC core and quality team.
• Full payment of 1140 hours continued to be paid to all providers irrespective of whether their service was opened or closed during the restricted period.
• In addition, NLC administered both the Temporary Restrictions Fund and the Transitional Support Fund.

Orkney Islands

Note – Orkney Islands Council currently have no non-LA nurseries. All their private providers are childminders.

• The Council have met regularly with the partnership childminders to offer time to discuss measures and also undertake professional learning.
• During the first lockdown, the Council asked if any childminder would be interested in delivering emergency childcare, and guaranteed £10 per hour, up to £15 for two or more children in the same family.

Perth and Kinross

• Quarterly support and development sessions are provided by the Early Years team to all funded providers.
• Regular opportunities for funded providers to engage in ongoing dialogue and receive targeted support where the need is highlighted.
• Consistent support and visits from a team of Early Years Support Teachers, both virtually and in-person.
• Changing guidance and policies throughout the pandemic are implemented in partnership with funded providers and support is given where needed to consolidate understanding.

Renfrewshire

• During the period of lockdown Renfrewshire Council provided the following support to funded providers:
  • Ongoing payment for eligible children places to all funded providers, this payment was made even if the service was closed
  • A sustainability payment was made to those settings that were open to serve children of key workers
  • Children of key worker parents were temporarily relocated to funded provider settings where possible to support with sustainability
  • Through issuing documentation and guidance such as Risk Assessment templates in relation to the national COVID-19 guidance for early years. There was also frequent opportunity for discussion in relation to this, including advice on reporting of suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Scottish Borders

• Significant financial support during 2020 continuing with committed funded ELC placements plus covering loss of income from parental fees and providing free PPE.
• Ongoing advice and support and regular contact with all funded providers.

Shetland Islands

• A guaranteed weekly minimum payment was made to one funded provider to enable them to remain open and work in partnership with the local authority to provide critical childcare.
• A grant scheme has been established to enable funded providers and childminders to access funding to make improvements to their settings, with an emphasis on outdoor spaces.
• The local authority administered the Transitional Support Fund for Childcare Providers, on behalf of the Scottish Government, ensuring that all providers were aware of the scheme and applied and got paid the amounts due to them.
• A close working relationship with funded providers and regular communications. Funded providers are encouraged to speak to the local authority if they are facing specific financial difficulties due to Covid.

South Ayrshire

• Introduction of 1140 hours of funded ELC from August 2020.
• The continued payment of funded ELC hours during the periods of closures.
• Virtual meetings to share information and support to manage Covid cases.
• Payment for critical childcare provided to key workers.
• Support with providing and sourcing PPE and cleaning materials.
• Support with Covid guidance and sample risk assessments.
• Support from peripatetic nursery teachers.
• Administration of COVID-19 business support grants to providers (the Transitional Support Fund and the Temporary Restrictions Fund).
• A programme of ongoing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) resources developed to support local authority and funded providers.

South Lanarkshire

• A range of central support available at all times for funded providers.
• A wide, extensive range of training and development opportunities as well as professional qualifications all zero rated.
• Access to opportunities for children and their parents again developed and provided for funded providers.
• On call support 7 days per week for Covid support and advice.
• Support and processing of the Transitional Support Fund and the Temporary Restrictions Fund.
• Business development support.
• Continued payments for 1140 hours for all contracted children.
• Admissions support for processing applications during lockdown when services closed.
• Sustained provision for children from funded providers in local authority hubs during period of closure of their provision.
• Support, guidance, SWAY, updates continually provided.
• Regular virtual meetings for sharing practice and providing support & guidance.
• Support for virtual Care Inspectorate inspections.
• Payment monthly in advance, and additional payment for those providers who responded to key workers and vulnerable clients during lockdown.
• Continuing focus on outdoor ELC training and development jointly to ensure support for outdoor delivery during the pandemic.
• Regular email updates issued on a range of subjects but also keeping in touch.
• Assistance in highlighting important information for ELC providers

Stirling

• Throughout the pandemic, funded providers where given a designated LA point of contact to offer support and guidance.
• Regular meetings with Early Years Team were set up in response to guidance as it was released and developed.
• All COVID-19 support guidance / risk assessments issued to LA settings was shared with funded providers.
• Support has been provided by the Early Years team to settings when positive cases have been identified.
• During lockdown in March 2020, hub provision for keyworker and vulnerable children was offered in 6 key LA hubs and supported by funded providers who elected to remain open (number of providers offering this provision reduced quickly over this time).
• Funded hours are paid in advance to funded providers, this remained in place during lockdown with providers retaining payment for all forecasted funded hours for all children.
• During lockdown in January 2021, ELC provision for keyworker and vulnerable children was retained in children's individual settings, including the majority of funded providers (a small number chose to remain closed during this time).
• All funded providers were informed and supported to apply for both the Transitional Support Fund and the Temporary Restrictions Fund. All eligible providers were successful in their applications.

West Dunbartonshire

• Funded ELC 1140 entitlement introduced from August 2020 at all funded providers.
• During lockdowns the Council supported providers by continuing to pay them the sustainable rate of £5.31 per hours.
• West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) has worked with partner providers and childminders throughout the pandemic to understand the pressures they face to stay in business. WDC continues to meet 4 weekly as they had done in preparation for 1140/setting sustainable rate.
• The West Partnership Forum also continues to meet, the focus for that is sustainable rate setting.
• Partner providers did not express hardship and were keen to open if they could, in particular from August 2021 onward.
• All partners applied for and received the Temporary Restrictions Fund and the Transitional Support Fund grants.
• To aid the cost of recovery and to ensure the wellbeing of children, the Council provided a one-off grant payment for our funded Childminders.
• Guidance shared: updated summary of all guidance including reopening, risk assessments, case management.
• Virtual weekly learning drop in sessions for senior leaders throughout last session.
• Support from peripatetic staff and central team.

West Lothian

• Regular contact has been maintained with partner providers and childminders who remained open to provide childcare for keyworkers and vulnerable children during the initial lockdown period up to August 2020 and those who took the decision to close their settings.
• All partner providers had their payments maintained for funded ELC placements throughout and those who remained open were funded for additional places used.
• Support has been provided to all in relation to Covid risk assessments and information relating to the Transitional Support Fund and Temporary Restrictions Fund payments.

Western Isles

• Regular contact with partners throughout the last year, ensuring they have been able to access all national additional funding, and offering help and advice with staffing and public health guidance.
• Early Years Support Officers are in regular contact with these groups and offer assistance where needed.
• None of partners have requested financial assistance over and above their normal 1140 funding and the national assistance funds.
• The Council continue to offer all partners access to in-service and core training (such as first aid, child protection etc.) and advertise all online training offers as they become aware of them.
• The local authority provides relief staff, ASN staff and ASN resources to partners where required and also continues to offer a top-up grant to the smallest of their partners to ensure ELC funding for a minimum of 10 full-time placements is provided.