Category Archives: News

Have Your Say on Early Years Funding in Warwickshire

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Early Years Funding Formula Consultation

Introduction
In England, Ofsted-registered early years providers are able to offer free early years education and childcare for children aged 3-4 and, in some instances, aged 2.

All parents can claim 15 hours per week now, and from September 2017 eligible working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds will be able to claim up to 30 hours per week. These entitlements are for 38 weeks per year.

Providers are paid directly for these hours by the Local Authority. From April 2017, the hourly rates paid will be worked out according to the Early Years National Funding Formula (EYNFF).

Although the new funding formula comes into effect from April 2017  LAs will be allowed some transition time to make the required changes to their local formulas and, as a result, have until 2019/20 to be fully compliant. This timeline is intended to support LAs who have significant changes to make although the DfE are encouraging all LAs to implement sooner if possible.

Consultation – we seek your views
In response to the recent Government consultation on the Early Years National Funding Formula, all Local Authorities are required to consult on how funding is distributed through the local formula for 3 and 4 years old children. These changes affect base rates and supplements for all early years providers – schools with nursery classes, maintained nursery schools, childminders and the private, voluntary and independent sector.
The full consultation on the Early Years National Funding Formula can be found by following this link. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-funding-changes-to-funding-for-3-and-4-year-olds. This National Consultation has now closed but you can read the Government’s response by following this link.

The outcome of our local consultation will affect your funding rates from April 2017 onwards and therefore it is important that you share your views on these proposals via our short online consultation questionnaire.

There MUST be only one submission made per provider The consultation will run for from 13th January 2017 to 3rd February 2017.

Have your say by completing the following survey here:

How to Keep Warm and Well This Winter

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Act on Energy Information sheet and two attachments:

There are currently a large number of schemes running across Warwickshire these include the following:

  • Freephone Advice Line – Free impartial advice to all ages and tenures, also offering advice mail outs
  • Home Visits – For vulnerable households who require additional support and advice in the home due to health, literacy or mobility
  • Comparison and Switching Service – Online and Paper Comparisons, mail outs and home visit switching service for more vulnerable households
  • Rural Outreach Mobile Library Advice Service – AOE provide advice on the Warwickshire Mobile Library Service to help those hard-to-reach rural and off mains gas residents, who live in remote locations, with transport or health issues which restrict their use of other services
  • Able-To-Pay Referrals – Free No Obligation Quotations from Local Contractor Network
  • Insulation – £200 per measure towards Loft and Cavity Wall Insulation
  • Boiler and Fire Service and Repairs – £35 towards the cost of a service and 50% up to £150 towards the cost of a repair
  • Damp and Mould Solutions – Only if there is a physical measure such as cavity wall extraction and refill required and is assessed case by case
  • Chimney Sweeps Service
  • Carbon Monoxide Monitors – These are issued with all heathing works carried out by contractors AOE refer to and issued to residents receiving advice who are vulnerable and do not currently have a CO Monitor fitted.
  • EPC’s – £75 Inc. VAT, these provided through some heating schemes free of charge.
  • Thermal Imaging – £100 Inc. VAT* subject to location
  • Events and Advice Sessions – These are delivered throughout the year and we welcome all invitations to local events you may be organising.
  • Frontline Staff Training, Talks and Presentations –These are delivered throughout the year and are available on request for all partner organisations, community groups etc. They can be adapted to the needs of the organisation, audience, venue and time allocation available.
  • Literature – There is a range of advice literature available to download from our website or order in paper form from AOE including the  popular Warm & Well in Warwickshire Service Leaflet, Take Control Leaflets and Warm & Well In Warwickshire Thermocards.
  • The Switch and Save Project in Coventry – see link below, is now applicable to Warwickshire (Closes Feb 2017):

http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/65/home_energy_and_warmth/2863/switch_and_save_2016-17

 

Superfast Broadband Update

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Did you know that superfast broadband may now be available to you?

To see if you can get it:

  1. Check whether fibre broadband is available to you by entering your landline number or address into the BT DSL checker.

If fibre is available, either ‘VDSL’ or ‘WBC FTTP’ will be listed at the top of the ‘Featured Products’ column on the left hand side of the results table along with the maximum and minimum speeds you are likely to achieve.

Remember, that if fibre is available, you will need to order a fibre broadband package. You will not receive the upgraded service automatically. To research and find a fibre broadband package that suits your needs, you might like to use a broadband comparison site such as:

Fibre not available yet?

Register here to be updated with future developments that may affect you.

What are the benefits?

Having access to faster broadband not only lets you browse the web faster, but helps businesses stay competitive and allows individuals, families and communities to make use of opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be possible:

  • Choose the Internet Service Provider you want – the CSW Broadband project ensures that you are not limited in your choice of suppliers
  • Get online instantly with no slow dial-up connections
  • Talk face-to-face with friends and family using Skype or other software
  • Stream HD films, TV shows and videos without buffering slowing you down
  • Quickly and easily share your photos with friends and family
  • Upload pictures and documents seamlessly
  • Work from home when you want – now you can really compete in the global marketplace
  • Reduce workplace costs by introducing remote working and hot-desking

See how superfast broadband is already benefitting other communities.

Please Note: Even though your cabinet may have been upgraded, not every property connected to it is guaranteed to benefit due to some properties’ distances from the cabinet and/or quality of copper connections. For more information see these FAQs.