Early education funding audits

The EEF (early education funding) audits are carried out to check:

The accuracy of funding claims - making sure the money claimed matches what's actually provided.
Adherence to the Herefordshire Provider Agreement - ensuring providers follow the set rules and standards.
That parents can access their child's funded entitlement without extra fees - so no hidden or additional charges.

Summary of the criteria used to prioritise when an EEF audit is carried out

Settings with concerns raised by the EEF team, schools finance team, or early years team - due to issues from visits, phone calls, or repeated problems with funding claims or payments.
Settings highlighted through calls from parents and carers - where concerns or complaints have been reported.
Random selection - audits carried out randomly depending on the EEF team's capacity.

Copies of registers (daily attendance sheets) for the audited term
Copies of all parent declaration forms for the audited term
Copies of all parental invoices, bills, or statements covering a period within the audited term
Details of how the funded entitlement is offered, including:
- A copy of the fee structure
- A copy of the registration form or contract
- Any funding-related information provided to parents and carers

Funding may be withdrawn in accordance with the early education funding policy if the provision:

Are judged by Ofsted as 'Requires Improvement', 'Inadequate' or 'Not Met'
Fails to supply adequate information to complete an EEF audit
Does not adhere to the Early education and childcare: statutory guidance for local authorities and/or the Herefordshire Provider Agreement
Fails to complete the annual Early Years Census
Fails to complete DfE information surveys throughout the year
Fails to complete compulsory Early Years surveys throughout the year

If a provider is judged by Ofsted as 'Requires Improvement', 'Inadequate' or 'Not Met':

The Early Years Lead Improvement Advisor will carry out an EEF sufficiency assessment
Based on the assessment, a recommendation will be made to the Early Years Sufficiency Team and the Head of Learning and Achievement for approval
The provider will receive notice of the decision within four weeks of the Ofsted inspection judgement being published
Funding will cease from half-term or the end of term, depending on the remaining weeks in the period, ensuring at least six calendar weeks' notice is given
The EEF team will contact families of funded children attending the setting to notify them of the decision

Herefordshire complies with the Department for Education Early education and childcare: statutory guidance for local authorities and fully meets both the requirements and recommendations of this guidance..

We fund places only where the provider:

We may withdraw a provider from the childcare directory if:

They are unwilling to accept the local authority funding requirements, or
They do not meet the quality requirements, and
There are sufficient alternative places available elsewhere that meet the needs of children and families.