Local Authority provider payments, capital grants and childcare sufficiency assessments. - Find a freedom of information request

Local Authority provider payments, capital grants and childcare sufficiency assessments.

Provider payments: 

1.   What is the current timeframe for financial year 2024/25 on which you pay childcare providers for the delivery of funded early education and childcare places? (ie. Do you currently pay providers monthly, termly, offer a choice or use a different timeframe?

Monthly        
Termly  
Mix/Provider choice 
Other approach 

2. If you pay termly do you split the funding, please provide details of how this is done?
(eg 75% at the start of term and 25% towards the end?) 

3.If you pay termly, when in the term do you make the first payment to providers?
Within the first two weeks
Within weeks 2-4
Within weeks 4-6
After week 6 

4.If you pay monthly, when in the month do you make the payment to providers?
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4 

5.Have you consulted with providers in the last two years on how you make payments
to them for the delivery of funded early education and childcare places?

Yes
No
Currently running or planning consultation 
Capital Grants:
The government announced £100m of capital support through the Childcare Expansion Capital
Grant in autumn 2023.

 The fund was to support the provision of new places to support the expansion of:

· 30-hours entitlement places for children aged 9-months to 3-year-olds
·wraparound provision for primary school aged children 

6.How much (in £) was your local authority's allocation from central government under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme? 

7. How much (in £) of your local authority's allocation under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme has been distributed to any eligible recipients? 

8.How much (in £) of your local authority's allocation under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme has been distributed to:
a.private, voluntary or independent providers in the early years sector
b.School based settings
c.Local authority infrastructure projects

9.Please provide a % breakdown of the distributed funds under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant has been spent between:

 a.Children taking up an early years place through the expanded 30-hours
entitlement for qualifying working parents 
b.Increasing the supply of wraparound childcare for primary-school aged
children.
Childcare Sufficiency Assessments: 

10.Have you completed a Childcare Sufficiency Assessments in the last two years?
Please provide a copy of this CSA report

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. Childcare providers are paid on a monthly basis for funded places.

2. N/a

3. N/a

4. Week 3

5. Yes

6. £1,461,094

https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspxsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F65673b0475007400131dee02%2FChildcare_Expansion_Capital_Grant__Local_authority_allocations.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK

7. £198,276.82

8. a. £179,051.82

b. £19,225.00

9.a. 100%

b. 0%

10. Yes, please find attached

Should you require the attachment mentioned above please contact customerinformationservice@lincolnshire.gov.uk with the below reference number and this can be provided.