Temporary Restrictions Fund for Childcare Providers
Post Author:
Anne Melville
Date Posted:
February 8, 2021
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The Temporary Restrictions Fund will provide support to childcare services that are currently only permitted to open to look after vulnerable or key workers’ children.
The fund is administered by local authorities.
This support is in addition to any other financial assistance that may have been previously claimed, subject to the overall support ceiling threshold noted below.
Am I eligible?
Grants are available to childcare providers registered with the Care Inspectorate as being:
• day care of children providers (operating at any registered capacity)
• childminding services who are currently providing childcare to 12 or more children
• out of school care providers
Providers need to confirm which weeks within the restrictions period they were open to deliver childcare to key workers and vulnerable children.
In addition you must: –
• have a business bank account
• not have been in financial difficulty before 31 December 2019, with the exception of micro and small businesses
• have not received support exceeding the €800,000 support ceiling under the COVID-19 Temporary Framework for UK measures
Being open requirement
Some providers might need to close their settings for a day or two in response to a COVID case, requirement for a deep clean, or change their operating days due to the current level of demand. This is why being open for a full week will not be required in order to be eligible for a grant from the Fund.
Providers will need to confirm that they were open to deliver childcare to key workers and vulnerable children at some point in each week for which they are claiming a grant in order to qualify as ‘open’.
You are considered open if children of key workers or vulnerable children are in physical attendance at the registered address of the identified registered setting/service as noted on your certificate of registration for individual services. An application for a grant should only be made if this is the case.
If staff are still working from a setting/service but no children attend that location, you are not eligible to apply for a grant from this fund.
Services will need to have been open for every week of a restrictions period to receive the full grant. Where services are only open for part of the restrictions period, grants will be calculated on the number of weeks open and a pro-rata grant payment will be awarded.
How much can I claim?
Grant amounts will vary according to the number of Care Inspectorate registered places in settings as set out in the table below:
| Registered capacity 4-week period | Grant Value |
| 1-10 places | £575 |
| 11-25 places | £1,250 |
| 26-50 places | £1,900 |
| 51-75 places | £2,350 |
| 76-100 places | £2,600 |
| 101+ places | £2,800 |
Providers with multiple services will be able to claim for each of their eligible services where those services are open for key workers and vulnerable children and have a unique Care Inspectorate registration number.
Grants will be available for each period in which the current temporary restrictions are in place.
What period does the payment cover?
This payment is for the 4-week period from 4 January – 29 January 2021.
The latest Care Inspectorate registration data will be used to assess eligibility and grant amounts, this will assist timely application processing, fraud prevention and for auditing purposes.
Councils will aim to make payment within 28 days from receipt of a fully completed application and once all information and evidence in support of an application has been verified. Applications may be subject to delay if incomplete or incorrect details are supplied.
If a grant is awarded on the basis of false or inaccurate information, it may result in arrangements being made to recover the award and legal proceedings being initiated.
Your Local Authority will review your application and assess if you are eligible for the grant.
How do I apply?
You can apply for a grant covering the four-week period of restrictions from 4 January to 29 January 2021.
Applications for the first round will close on 1 March 2021.
You will need to log in to your BIS account (or create an account) to access the form and apply.
https://bisaccount.scot/business/
You will receive a confirmation email with an application reference number once you submit your application. Keep this reference number safe as you will need it if you apply for additional support during future restrictions periods.
Important information
Further details are provided on the Scottish Government’s information pages on financial support for childcare services. These pages will be updated as more information becomes available, including confirmation of grants for the next period of restrictions covering the four weeks from 1 February 2021.
The information in this blog provides only an overview of Scottish Government guidance and legislation in force at the date of publication and no action should be taken without consulting the detailed Scottish Government guidance and legislation or seeking professional advice. Therefore no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the material contained in this blog can be accepted by the firm.
Photo by Erika Fletcher on Unsplash
