Decision Maker: Chief Executive Officer
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
After consideration of a report of the
Corporate Director for Strategic Resources outlining the Government
support available for Early Years’ providers as a result of
COVID-19 and further proposals from the local authority to provide
additional financial support to Early Years’ Providers within
North Yorkshire as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
after consultation with Executive Members, the Chief Executive
Officer agreed that
(i) NYCC proceed with Options 1, 3 & 5 (see below).
(ii) NYCC not proceed with Options 2 and 4 although Option 4 might
be revisited in due course.
(ii) The Assistant Director Strategic Resources be authorised to
take all steps necessary to implement the recommendations set out
above.
Option 1 – Provide 80% upfront payment of summer 2020 funded
places for private, voluntary & independent (PVI) Providers.
This payment would be made to ensure timely cashflow. The remaining
balance (20%) would be paid August 2020.
Option 3 – develop proposals to provide up to £1.4m of
financial support to providers remaining open during the summer
term and financial support to “key providers” enabling
NYCC to fulfil its statutory responsibility to ensure sufficiency
of provision across the county.
Option 5 – Provide additional funded places for
“open” provision during Easter – decision taken
by Corporate Director – Children & Young People’s
Services.
*PLEASE NOTE This decision was originally
published on or near the date of the decision and so call in no
longer applies. It has been re-published as part of the change in
committee management system that we use.*
Decision taken by Richard Flinton, Chief Executive Officer, under
his emergency delegated powers and in consultation with Executive
Members.
Early Years providers generally have very thin operating margins
and those who have remained open during Covid-19 face a unique
potential financial disincentive. The report contains an overview
of the rationale behind the proposed three options to be taken
forward to support those providing childcare for key workers during
COVID-19.
Early Years providers are a strategic asset to the local economy
through the provision of childcare.
In regard to the first stage of collecting data, the Application
based financial support process needs to be made as simple as
possible in order to progress the distribution of payments
quickly.
It was decided that NYCC should not proceed
with Options 2 and 4 although Option 4 might be revisited in due
course.
Option 2 - Consider rent holiday for private, voluntary &
independent providers who rent NYCC premises
Rationale – NYCC decision. Financial support to EY local EY
sector.
Option 4 - Autumn 2020
Consider offer of 80% up-front payment of Autumn 2020 EY funding
payment for PVI
Rationale - to support cash-flow for “restarting”
business
Publication date: 28/04/2021
Date of decision: 07/04/2020