Early Years Quality Improvement Team

Early Years Quality Improvement Team

MILTON KEYNES COUNCIL

Graduate Leader Incentive Funding Self Assessment,

Application and Agreement Form

2013 - 2014

You are eligible to apply for Graduate Leader Incentive funding if you have completed your degree, or have achieved Early Years Professional Status or Early Years Teacher Status.

Part 1: The Self Assessment Application Form

The Home Grown Graduate Incentive is now built into the Training Grant for Foundation Degree - L5 and the BA degree programme - L6. Please complete the qualification grant application form online.

• If you meet the criteria, you will receive £3,000 or 50% (whichever is lowest) towards yourFD qualification.
• Please contact the EY workforce team regarding grants towards your degree.
• If you are working towards your degree combined with the new EYT Status at University of Northampton, you may qualify for a Government grant. Application is through the university.

Graduate Leader Incentive Funding - Please tick as appropriate

Graduate Leader Incentive Funding is to help managers and owners of settings retain graduate and EYP leaders in practice.

Ifyou have achieved degree / EYPS / EYTS and are currently in a setting leading professional EYFS practice:You can now apply for:

£3,000 if you are a setting □

£1,500 if you are an accredited childminder□

If you are an accredited childminder and manage 2 staff or more and have children in early years (offering flexible free entitlement to qualifying 2,3 and 4 year olds),then we will apply the ‘setting’ entitlement of £3,000. Please supply evidence. □

What Terms and Conditions will I need to meet?

I/we declare that I the childminder /we the setting,meet and will commit to the following:

Eligibility as a setting/ childminder:

If a childminder,you must be accredited and offer group based care for under 5’s.

At the most recent inspection the setting/childminder received a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating. Your Ofsted number will be required as we can check your rating online.

Last year we supported some settings with a ‘satisfactory’ to help the graduateraise quality within their setting through a quality improvement action plan working with your local MKCChildcare Development Worker.If this is the case and you feel you wish to explore this option, please contact us for further information.

To provide evidence that a graduate/EYP continues to be employed for at least two years. In the event of the graduate leaving employment, GLF will still be payable if another graduate is employed within 3 months.

The Graduate / EYP / EYTis actively involved in and shares best practice and learning through:

• Attendance at Professional Practitioner Forums
• Participation in Graduate / EYP / EYTNetworks and action learning sets. Details of events will be advertised in the Bulletin.
• Evidence that you have booked onto or have attended
• Everybody’s Business (within last 3 years)
• Managing Allegations
• Making a referral – from Early Help to Child Protection

All safeguarding training is available through MKSCB.

Please tick to confirm you agree to providemonitoring data when required by Milton Keynes Council and participate in any assessments / evaluations so that evidence can be gathered in respect of workforce activities, for example, the national workforce audit tool and Council workforce audits. Your participation will be checked.

The settingagrees that funding is spent on:

Enhancing the graduate / EYP / EYT's salary by at least £1,500 (subject to tax and NI) on top of their current existing salary. This is an incentive to help keep your member of staff working within your setting, leading EYFS practice. This salary enhancement must be in addition to any annual wage rise. Evidence the graduate is being paid will be required.

The remainder can go towards:

• CPD for any staff member
• Contribution to the learner ’s current / future qualifications
• Improvement in the quality of the service and involving parents
• Enrichment activities for the children in the setting
• Costs associated with attending training, books, travel expenses, resources etc.
• In service training for the whole setting

Please contact the Workforce team for more information about further CPD opportunities and events. The Workforce Bulletin will provide updates. Please check your email / the web to download copies. MK Council - Milton Keynes Childcare

Part 2: Graduate Leader Funding Agreement Form

This Agreement is made up of the Particulars, the Terms and Conditions and the Schedule.

Terms and Conditions

Background

Early Years and Extended Services, Milton Keynes Council (the “Council”) is responsible for administering Graduate Leader Funding payments and has agreed to provide the setting/childminder with the Graduate Leader Funding incentive referred to in the Particulars on the terms and conditions set out below.

Eligibility Requirements

The setting/childminder confirms (and will provide evidence to the Council as requested) that the setting/childminder agrees to the Terms and Conditions in Parts 1 and 2.

The setting/childminder must notify the Council in writing promptly if the setting/childminder no longer meets any of the above eligibility requirements.

The setting/childminder agrees to comply with all relevant laws in its provision of day care services including, without limitation, the Disability Discrimination Acts (1995 and 2005) and the SEN Code of Practice.

Payment Terms

The Council agrees to pay Graduate Leader Funding to the setting/childminder for the financial year April 2013 – March 2014. Payments will be made through the BACS system direct to the setting’sallocated bank account. The deadline for all applications is 31st December 2013.

Monitoring

The Council is required to provide information to the Council and Department for Education. To ensure we are able to meet local Government requirements, the setting/childminder agrees to provide to the Council all information requested by the Council.

In particular, the setting/childminder agrees to complete any monitoring spend formswithin the specified timescales. This will be a condition of the setting/childminder receiving their next payment(s).

Please remember to include the following evidence:

Ofsted number

Copy of graduate’s qualification / Status certificate if completed

Evidence of booking onto or completion of the appropriate safeguarding certificates

Right of the Council to Cease Payments

The Council is entitled to discontinue payments where:

• The setting/childminder ceases to meet any of the eligibility criteria and/or fails to comply with the terms of this Agreement; or,
• Government funding is no longer available.

I (the childminder) / we (the setting) agree to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

Position

Please retain a copy of the signed agreement and return original to:

Liz Wilsonor Marion Hogan

Workforce Officer Workforce Strategy Manager

Milton Keynes Council

Saxon Court

502 Avebury Boulevard

Milton Keynes

MK93HS

01908 254529 / 258052

Once we receive your application we will send you an acknowledgement of receipt within 5 working days.Applications will be turned around promptly if you meet all the criteria and provide robust evidence. This will be followed up with an email or letter advising you whether your application has been approved.

If you need help and advice on completing the forms or would like to discuss anything please contact: Liz Wilson Workforce Officer, 01908 254529

Data Protection Statement

Any personal details you provide will be processed in accordance with your rights under the Data Protection Act 1998. Personal details will be recorded on a Council system which you have a right to see and check. Information may be shared with organisations we work with to provide services to you. We will process and safeguard your details in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

GLF Self Assessment and Application form Parts 1 and 2

Page 1 of 5 March 2013 MH