Local Authority funding for free entitlement for two, three and four-year-olds - Find a freedom of information request

Local Authority funding for free entitlement for two, three and four-year-olds Financial year 2022/23

1. Did you have an underspend in the early years block for funded places at the end of 2022/23? Yes/no. If yes, please give amount of underspend. OR:

2. Did you have an overspend in the early years block for funded places at the end of 2022/23? Yes/no. If yes please give amount of overspend.

3. What actions, if any, were agreed relating to this underspend or overspend? For example, we used our underspend to offset a deficit in the high needs block, or the overspend will be recovered from funding rates in future years etc.

4. Has your early years block been subject to an in-year adjustment by the Department for Education? If so, was this a positive or negative adjustment and how much was it?For example, the DfE adjusted our early years block by +/- £200,000 before 01 April 2023

5. Does your answer to Q1 or 2 above factor in this adjustment? For example, a £40,000 overspend was recorded after a -£200,000 adjustment.

6. Has your 2022/23 early years block been subject to an adjustment by the Department for Education since 1 April 2023 and now?

If so, was this a positive or negative adjustment and how much was it? For example, the DfE adjusted our early years block by +/- £200,000 after 01 April 2023.

7. Does your answer to Q1 or 2 above include any adjustment?

8. Under the pass-through regulations, what percentage of your budget for funded three and four-year-olds did you pass through to providers in 2022/23?

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

1. Yes, £0.794m.

2. No

3. The underspend has been earmarked for the following:

•Lincolnshire had forecast to underspend the 2022/23 EY block, therefore, to maximise the universal rate given to providers for 3&4 year olds in 2023/24, the fluctuation fund to meet participation (since the DfE allocate funding through annual snapshots, whereby LAs allocate to providers based on actual participation) is to be funded from the EY block underspend (£0.2m). Lincolnshire added the Early Years Supplementary Grant in full onto the existing universal base rates to maximise the hourly rate to providers. The LA used a further £0.2m of the EY block underspend for the fluctuation fund due to the higher rate being applied from September 2023. This is to avoid the EY block from overspending.

•Early Years initiatives: £0.3m – support for grants to providers to participate in targeted projects specifically linked to SEND priorities, inclusivity of places for children and early intervention. Investment to the childcare sector to support training and quality improvement programmes to increase Ofsted judgements and improve outcomes for children in Lincolnshire. •The remaining amount formed part of the overall DSG position.

4. Increase in EY block by £515,003

5. Yes

6. Reduction in the EY block by £389,907

7. Yes

8. 95.61%