NCS Training September 2024 What Will This Session

Changes In Policy Guidelines “If the provider is unable to make care available to the child, then the subsidy is not payable.” “NCS subsidised hours can only be claimed for the hours outside of the hours the child attends ECCE or school” Sponsor rate increase - 1-15yrs - €5.30<br>

Claimed Hours Pre-ECCE age
Service provider can claim up to 45 hours per week for each child
If a child is in a service 45 hours or more during the week, the service should claim 45 hours per week

ECCE age
Service providers can claim up to 45 NCS hours per week during periods when ECCE program is not in session. (Non term time)
Weeks when ECCE program is in session, Service providers may claim 45 hours minus the hours allocated to ECCE.(Term time)<br>

Claimed Hours School age
Services can only claim the hours a child attends, up to 45 hours in a week when schools are closed (Non term time). A child must attend service for claimed hours
If a service provides school pick ups and drop offs, then this time can be included in the claims
Example: A child attends school from 8am to 12 noon. They then attend afterschool from 12 noon to 5pm every day. Service provider can only register a child for 25 hours NCS<br>

Reporting Under Attendance Providers must review the child's attendance pattern at the end of each reporting period.
Where attendance has been less than the registered NCS hours in each of the previous eight weeks, this must be reported on the HIVE.<br>

How To Avoid Under Attendance Change hours Reflect actual attendance
Don’t wait 12 weeks for restriction on claim<br>

Attendance Record – Q&A Are digital attendance records ok?
Yes, but under attendance and absenteeism must be reported on HIVE
If a child's hours are 2pm to 5pm and a parent collects most days at 4.30pm is this a non-compliance and do I need to report?
No, as rounded up hours would be the same as a claimed hours.
If a child's hours are 2pm to 5pm and a parent collects most days at 3.30pm is this a non-compliance and do I need to report?
Yes, if a child is under attending weekly claimed hours for 8 consecutive weeks.<br>

Rounding Hours Total daily hours of attendance can be rounded to the next whole hour (only up to the actual hours the service is open).

Example:
If a parent uses 6.5 hours of care each day, then the provider may register this as 7 hours of care each day or 35 hours per week.
The provider will only be paid for the childcare provided in the hours the service is open.
The rounded hours cannot include any time that the service is closed, and the provider must be offering childcare under the NCS during the hours claimed.<br>

Rounding Up – Q&A We have just started doing an optional extra 30 minutes a day. Do we round it up to 1 hour per day or do we round up the 2.5 hours a week to 3 hours per week?
You round up hours daily so you can claim 5 hours per week however, you must be open for those 5 hours. If you are open only for 2.5 hours you will be paid for 2.5 hours

To round up to an hour, how much of the hour needs to be used? Is it 30 minutes or can it be as little as 5 minutes to round up an hour?
It can be as little as 5 minutes

If a child attends breakfast club at 7.40 a.m. and we drop them to school at 8.50 a.m., then collect at 1.30 p.m. and they are collected by parents at 5.45 p.m. Am I correct in rounding this off to 6 hours per day?
You should be adding hours from the morning to afternoon hours and then round them up together.
In this scenario 6 hours is correct<br>

NCS Returns NCS returns need to be submitted every week before 11pm on Tuesday, if you wish to receive payments.
If a service provider fails to submit a return within the required timeframe, all subsidy payments will be suspended until the return is submitted and the system will issue a notification to this effect.
A request for a “grace period” payment can only be made on up to two occasions within the contracting period and may not be made consecutively.<br>

Grace Period and Bridging Payments Where a provider has failed to submit a return within the required timeframe, they may request a “grace period” payment.
A request for this payment must be made to the Scheme Administrator (Pobal).
In such circumstances, the “grace period” payment will be based on the latest reporting return.
If your service has a week of closures coming up e.g., Christmas week, a bridging payment can be requested as part of the return for the period of the two weeks prior to the closure date.<br>

NCS Returns If you see this page when submitting your returns, ensure to read the error message shown.<br>

NCS Returns – Q&A When a child is out sick, should I be reducing their NCS hours for that week?
Services do not have to change the claim if a child is out sick for one week

What is the minimum number of hours a child can do a week?
There is no minimum number of hours per week, however you can’t create claims for zero hours<br>

Alternate Claim Weeks Special claims when child attends service only every second week or has different hours every second week.<br>

Alternate Claim Weeks Select edit
Select hours you want to claim for normal weeks and alternate weeks.
If child will not attend alternate weeks select 0 for those weeks<br>

NCS Service Calendar - Closures Service providers are entitled to 10 subsidised closures per programme year.
**This means service providers can close services and if they have active claims will receive normal payment for that day.**

Any closures above the 10-day limit will be unsubsidised
Closures should be added to the calendar 20 working days in advance
These closure days are in addition to Public Holidays
If you are required to close a service due an electricity outage you will need to apply for Force Majeure for that period<br>

NCS Service Calendar – Best Practice Always have two calendars simultaneously – current programme year and next programme year
Never copy closure dates from your past calendar into new calendar
If you close your service for Summer, set date “Open to” earlier.
Example: In July.






The last day in your calendar should be a Sunday. You are entitled to the last full week of payment<br>

Service Calendar Closures – Q&A Are Public Holidays included in the 10 subsidised closure days?
No, 10 subsidised closures are in addition to Public Holidays
Would the 10 days per year be used for:
snow days
Days when the service would have to close due to no electricity?
No, in examples like above you should apply for Force Majeure
Can I use subsidised closures for weekends?
If you are not open on weekends you should not use subsidised closures for those days<br>

Sponsor CHICKs Parents or any third party will not pay a contribution and cannot be charged any fee towards the cost of childcare in the case of a sponsored referral. No charge or payment for optional extras, meals, transport, registration fee or any other contribution or fee in the case of a Sponsor CHICK.<br>

Sponsor CHICKs Error when trying to retrieve a CHICK:
“You do not have permissions to view this CHICK Number” –This means that the CHICK has been assigned to different service.
**Please contact the Sponsor helpline 01 906 8535.**
If a sponsored child fails to attend the service, the service provider is still entitled to 4 weeks notice.
If a sponsored child attends a service, then leaves the service without warning, the service may keep the claim open for up to 12 weeks.<br>

Change of Circumstances Change to structure of your company you need:
Tax Reference Number for the Company
CRO Number (Company incorporated with the CRO)
Bank Account for the Company and Bank Statement
OR
Document on headed paper to confirm details
Tusla approval of the Change in Circumstances (screenshot of the approval email)<br>

Change of Circumstances – Pointers Do all funding programmes transfer over after the Change of Circumstances takes place? No, you need to re-apply for funding

Change of Circumstances takes some time for approval. Please be mindful that the COC’s rise during the Summer months.

The earlier you have information in for Tusla, the earlier you’ll get approval.

The email you use under the PAU is already in use. The system will pick up if you On-Board with your current login<br>

Change of Circumstances - Programmes On the NCS programme you cannot backdate. Ensure you have a plan in place
You need to re-apply for Core Funding if you have not fulfilled your operating weeks.
Key word END DATE: Cancelling the reward unless advised to do so, will cause negative figure on the budget.


End Date Registration


Cancel Registration<br>

Submitting Request a Review To submit Request a Review please go Request page:<br>

When Can I Submit Request a Review When a review is in relation to the amount of financial support paid each week
There was IT issues with HIVE
There was incorrect information given which has led to disadvantage
There has been a mistake in calculation of a subsidy<br>

Request a Review You need to attach the review form which is located under the Resources tab:<br>

Thank you<br>