Notice to Child Care Services: Inclusion and Professional Support Program - Interim arrangements for Inclusion Support – May to July 2016
Dear Child Care Service
We are writing to advise you of arrangements to ensure unaffected access to Inclusion Support funding for early childhood and child care (ECCC) services in the remaining months of the Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP) up to 30 June 2016 and during the transition to the Inclusion Support Programme (ISP).
The IPSP will be replaced by the ISP from 1July2016. For the new programme a new Inclusion Support (IS) Portal is being developed to administer the Inclusion Development Fund (IDF). The new IS Portal will be a more efficient IT-based system and the first point of entry for any ECCC services accessing support under ISP. Further information on the new IS Portal will be made available shortly.
To ensure a smooth transition for ECCC services to the new programme, a number of transition arrangements will apply.
Key Dates
Friday 13 May 2016 / Last day to submit an ISS applicationSaturday 14 May 2016 / Closure of current IS Portal for applications submissions
Monday 16 May 2016 / If required, applications for Flexible Support Funding can be submitted to the Inclusion Support Agency (ISA)
Thursday 30 June 2016 / Inclusion and Professional Support Program closes
Friday 1 July 2016 / Inclusion Support Programme commences
New IS Portal available
Week ending 3 July 2016 / Last claiming week for Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS) at current ISS rate
Monday 4 July 2016 / Higher subsidy payment rate commences
1. Transition of ECCC services with current Inclusion Support Subsidy cases to new IS Portal
As you may be aware, ECCC services with eligible current ISS cases ending on 26 June 2016 will have their funding continued under the ISP*. Affected ECCC services were notified of their entitlement in their new approval letter. All eligible approved ISS cases will be automatically transferred to the new ISPortal and services will be able to claim via CCMS using updated provider software from early July.
If changes are required to an existing IS Case after 1 July 2016, ECCC services must complete a Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) and, if necessary, submit a new case to be assessed under the ISP Guidelines.
2. Closure of current IS Portal for ISS applications on 14 May 2016
To ensure a smooth transition to the new IS Portal, from Saturday 14 May 2016, ECCC services should no longer apply for, renew or vary their ISS funding via the IS Portal. It is important for ECCC services to, wherever possible, submit new, renewal and change of circumstances ISS applications prior to 14 May 2016 to ensure that their application can be assessed prior to the shutdown of the current IS Portal. For ECCC services who cannot or do not meet this deadline, interim arrangements for inclusion support will apply as outlined in Section 4 below.
It is important that ECCC services start considering their inclusion needs in the coming weeks and submit an ISS application prior to the 14 May 2016 deadline.
In particular, please contact your local Inclusion Support Agency (ISA) as soon as possible if one or more of the following applies to your service:
· An existing ISS case has an end date during May or June 2016 and requires renewal.
· You will need to submit a new, renewal or change of circumstances ISS application during May or June 2016.
· You are an ECCC service and you run a vacation care programme during the July school holiday period and you foresee the need for ISS funding during this period in relation to children who usually attend the service or children already booked in to attend.
(Please note: Vacation care services applying for ISS for a child not previously enrolled should contact their ISA for instructions about how to successfully link the child to the IS case.)
3. Claim information
ECCC services will continue to use their CCMS software to submit claims for ISS. The new IS Portal supports an easier way for services to submit claims using CCMS software. The new claiming method will commence for all claims submitted from Monday 4 July 2016.
The new ISP subsidy rates will commence from the first full week of the new financial year, which is for claims submitted for the week ending Sunday 10 July 2016. All IS Cases being transitioned to the ISP will be paid at the higher subsidy rate from Monday 4 July 2016.
ECCC services will need to submit claims for ISS within 60 days of the fortnight the child or children attended the service.
4. ECCC services who require Inclusion Support funding from 14 May to 30 June 2016
As ECCC services will be unable to submit new, renewal and change of circumstances ISS applications from 14May to 30 June 2016, Flexible Support Funding (FSF) will be used as an interim support solution during this period. The assessment criteria for FSF will be relaxed to enable services to access this funding where they may have otherwise been eligible for ISS. FSF is paid at the same hourly rate as ISS and during 14 May to 30June2016 eligible centre based services will have access to up to 25 hours per week per child. Vacation care services will have access to up to 40hours per week during school holiday periods. All other FSF eligibility requirements, as set out in the IPSP Guidelines 2013-2016, must still be met by the service to be eligible for support.
FSF is administered by Inclusion Support Agencies (ISAs) and paid directly to eligible ECCC services. ECCC services have up to 60 days after the support end date to submit a complete FSF Claim Form to their ISA. The last date for ECCC services to make an FSF claim, relating to funding approved for up to 30 June 2016 under the IPSP, will be Monday 29 August 2016.
5. ECCC services who require continuing Inclusion Support funding from 1 July 2016
In normal circumstances, the new IS Portal will be accessible from 1 July 2016.For ECCC services that require assistance from 1 July 2016, arrangements will be made to provide portal access as quickly as possible from Monday 13 June 2016 to submit applications for Immediate/Time Limited support.
For this initial period, services will gain access to the new ISPortal by advising the Department of Education and Training that the service requires access earlier than 1July2016.
In the email to the department, the service must provide their CCB Approval ID and a unique email address identifying the person in the service that will require access to the portal. The service will need to ensure that the person is listed on the CCMS Personnel Records as an authorised person or key person for the service and the person’s email address is unique to that person and not shared between personnel records for different people.
To gain access to the new IS Portal the service must have an AUSkey number for each user that will be required to access the IS Portal. AUSkey is a secure login that identifies you when you use participating government online services on behalf of a business. Obtaining an AUSkey number is free, however it requires a software product to be installed on your computer or USB. Where AUSkey is installed on a USB, you are able to use it on multiple devices. AusKey cannot be used on mobile devices (such as phones or tablets).
The Australian Government standard for all online services is that individual users must be identified when accessing government services online. As the IS Portal collects and stores personal information, there is a requirement that the Department provides appropriate authentication to ensure all users are authorised to access the system. More information about AUSkey is available on the Australian Business Register Website https://abr.gov.au/AUSkey/.
It is important to note that applications for IDF Immediate/Time Limited Support will require a completed “Permission to share personal information for the purposes of ISP” from the child’s parent/guardian. This form will be made available on the department’s website in June 2016. ECCC services requiring assistance from 1 July 2016 should be proactive in securing consent to apply for assistance once they receive access to the IS Portal. All applications for support from 1 July 2016 will be assessed in accordance with the ISP Guidelines.
6. Questions and concerns about these transition arrangements
Please contact your local ISA if you have need assistance to assess your inclusion needs or to access inclusion support under the IPSP up to 30 June 2016. Your ISA will only be able to provide advice on IPSP and related transition arrangements including access to FSF. Contact details for the ISA in your region can be found on the department’s website https://docs.education.gov.au/node/33547.
For further information on the new programme, the ISP Guidelines are available on the department’s website http://www.education.gov.au/inclusion-support-programme. Further information about accessing the new IS Portal will be provided to services shortly.
If you have any questions about the new IS Portal and transition arrangements for support from 1July2016 please contact the Department of Education and Training via .