Bolton Start Well

1. Checks - Please remember to check the child’s birth certificate when conducting a two-year eligibility check (this helps to avoid unmatched children and delayed payments). 
2. Additional charges - Providers can charge for meals and snacks as part of a free entitlement place, as well as consumables such as nappies or sun cream, and for services such as trips and specialist tuition. Parents can therefore be expected to pay for these, although these charges must be voluntary for the parent. If a parent is unable or unwilling to pay for meals and consumables, providers who choose to offer the free entitlements are responsible for setting their own policy on how to respond, with options including allowing parents to supply their own meals or nappies, or waiving / reducing the cost of meals and snacks. Providers are asked to be mindful of the impact of additional charges on the most disadvantaged parents. 
3. 30 Hours expiration dashboard - Please check your expiration dashboard in the Provider Portal for 30 hour codes that are due to expire.  You will need to remind parents to reconfirm their details in their childcare account, to ensure that the details are up to date, and to make sure that their child continues to access the 30 hour place in the autumn term.  If you do not have access to the Provider Portal, please contact the Families Information Team on 01204 332170.
4. Keeping your details up to date - Early Years settings can log into the Self Update area of the Provider Portal to update their provision information themselves, in relation to areas such as:

• Basic service information i.e., contact number, address
• Opening times
• Vacancy / capacity information
• Charges

For more information about the Provider Portal and Self Update service, please visit our website.

If you need any further support with any of the above, please contact Bolton Start Well on 01204 338149 or Families Information Service on 01204 332170.