About this guidance
This document should be read prior to completing the support funding application form.
Any questions please contact: wraparound@devon.gov.uk
The national wraparound childcare programme (WAC) is part of the childcare reforms announced at the 2023 Spring Budget. The government’s ambition is that by 2026, all parents and carers of primary school-aged children who need it will be able to access term time childcare in their local area from 8am to 6pm, so that parents can access employment and improve labour market participation (1).
To support this ambition, the government announced that it will provide financial help to support the development of new provision, or the expansion, extension and wraparound support of current provision.
(1 = Wraparound childcare guidance for schools – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Feb 24)
What is the criteria for the wraparound support funding?
Wraparound support funding is available for childcare settings who are already meeting the full core offer i.e., wraparound childcare from 8am to 6pm or 10 hours day, where a need is shown for alternative hours e.g., 7.30am to 5.30 pm.
Note: equivalent hours option; Introduced in January 2025; settings can run from at least 8.00am until at least 5.30pm if there is evidence to prove lack of demand until 6.00pm.
The following organisations are invited to apply for wraparound support funding:
- Schools and academies
- Private, voluntary, and independent providers, who are working closely with the school
Wraparound support funding is a ONCE ONLY grant.
Wraparound support funding can be used for:
- day to day running expenses including staffing or rent
- SEND support (but not one to one support, we can support an additional staff member to support the whole setting. We don’t offer one to one support as it needs to be sustainable long term)
- consumables
- marketing /promotion
- Training costs including supply cover
Wraparound support funding can NOT be used for:
- Purchasing of additional play equipment/toys
- enhancing redundancy funding
- any costs in closing a setting i.e. liquidation/auditor/creditor costs
Wraparound support applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis.
Sustainability
- Is your setting non-sustainable due to competition in the area?
- It is a requirement that you talk to your local Early Years and Childcare Advisor (EYCA) BEFORE making an application. (For details of your local area EYCA see: Early Years and Childcare Service – meet the team – Information for childcare providers
- We cannot accept applications from providers who are not registered with Ofsted
Completing the application form – things to consider
- Number of children on the school roll, can be used as a guide for the expected attendance, on average we would expect 20% of the school roll to attend childcare provision
- e.g. if the school has 65 pupils it would be expected to have average attendance of 13 children in the childcare provision
- We need to know the maximum number of places you can offer compared to the actual number of children attending. (Note: a “place” is for a single child, to attend the provision for the full duration of the wraparound)
- The hours you are currently running, and the average attendance, each day, over the past term
- Before and after school numbers should be counted separately – this is so we can analyse daily attendance and help you to make plans to increase numbers to aim towards sustainability
- Have there been changes over time which may have caused the reduction in numbers. E.g. changes in parents working patterns, staffing etc.
Charging parents – things to consider
Your fees structure can be the difference between being sustainable or not. Parents and carers should pay for the wraparound service. Funding cannot be used to subsidise parent fees.
- Do you have parents owing fees?
- Do you charge in advance or in arrears?
- Do you charge if children are ill?
- Do you offer reductions for siblings?
- Do you offer split session fees?
- Do you offer reduced or free places to staff and governors?
- Do you offer a reduced price to parents who book in advance. Parents who book late, e.g. same day bookings could be charged more for example £4.50 per hour if booked in advance and £5.00 per hour for ad-hoc bookings. This may encourage more parents to book in advance making managing staffing and ratios easier.
You need to have a fees policy which is shared with parents to ensure they know what fees you charge and are not surprised by late charges etc.
Application process – overview
- Stage one – Pre-application conversation with your EYCA regarding the need for the service, and reviewing other provision in the area
- Stage Two – Submit the application form, this is via an electronic form. On the website there is a sample word document you can use for reference then copy and paste into the electronic form
- Stage Three – Application is reviewed and provider is contacted, if we need more information
- Stage Four – Application goes to panel for final approval, applicant is notified in writing and sent Grant Funding Award agreements, which need to be signed and returned before funding is released
- Stage Five – Monitoring is required each half term. Failure to complete the monitoring form means future payment will be delayed or stop
Stage 1 – pre-application
- Contact your Early Years and Childcare Advisor to discuss your provision and completion of a Financial Health Check. This will give an opportunity to assess the business and look at areas where improvements could be made
- Contact details can be found here: Early Years and Childcare Service – meet the team – Information for childcare providers
Stage 2 – submission of application form
- The application form can be completed here: Wraparound Childcare Support Funding Application Form
- The Local Authority will assess the application
- Proving the need/market research. Proof that parents want the service will help to evidence the need for your childcare this could be via:
– Lists of “Right to Request Childcare” enquiries from parents
– Evidence of consultation with parents/the community
Stage 3 – review of application
- We are looking for a clear outline of the provision, why you are applying for the funding, are you delivering the full core offer?
- Give as much relevant detail as you can, as this will help us to understand and assess your application. Please include finance details and the fees you charge
- If you are not full core offer it may be better to apply for the expansion of hours through the main wraparound application form
- Are you applying for SEND Support? If so why, and how will you make the setting sustainable after the funding period?
- Note: as wraparound is childcare, and not education, there may not be a need for one to one support as the care is less structured than the school day; an additional staff member to support the whole setting can be applied for. As this funding is short-term you need to outline your proposal to work toward sustainability for the additional staff member
Stage 4 – funding decision
- Applicants are informed of the outcome. An award letter will be sent if successful
- Funding is dependent upon compliance with the terms and conditions of the grant
- Providers will be required to sign a contract of agreement between the provider and Devon County Council and no monies will be transferred until signed documentation is returned to DCC
- It is expected that changes suggested by the EYCA through the financial health check will be implemented
Stage 5 – continuation of the wraparound childcare provision
- Supportive monitoring visits will be conducted by the EYCA’s, with advice on marketing, staffing and general management of the provision
- Failure to take advice given to improve the wraparound support of the setting, could result in having to repay some of the funding
Declaration of application
All applications must be submitted by the person responsible as outlined in the table below:
| Type of provider | Who must sign |
|---|---|
| Section 27 Maintained School | Governing body |
| Academy Trust – Registered with Companies House | An authorised signatory of the company e.g., director, company secretary |
| Individual / sole trader | The individual |
| Limited Company (i.e., a company registered with Companies House) | An authorised signatory of the company e.g., director, company secretary |
| Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee (Registered with both Companies House and the Charities Commission) | An authorised signatory or signatories of the company e.g., director, company secretary |
| Community Interest Company (CIC) | An authorised signatory of the company e.g., director, company secretary |
| Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) | Authorised signatory or signatories of the CIO N.B. This cannot be the Provision Manager |
| Unincorporated Charitable Organisation | All charity trustees N.B. This cannot be the Provision Manager |
| Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) | One member of the LLP and a witness |
| Partnership | All the partners unless one or more partners has been given specific authority to sign on behalf of all the partners |