Compliance Announcement 2018/2019 Programme cycle:

Unannounced compliance visits will commence in October 2018 and continue to the end of August 2019. Note: Services operating ECCE only sessions will not be visited outside of the ECCE programme cycle.

As previously, the compliance process will involve a series of standardised on-site checks aimed at ensuring adherence with certain programme rules and contract conditions as set out by the Department of Children & Youth Affairs (DCYA).  To ensure compliance with each programmes requirements, services must familiarise themselves with the following:

• Relevant programme Grant Funding Agreements
• Rules for DCYA Childcare Funding Programmes (including Appendix 2 “Good Practice Guide – Attendance records”)
• PIP “How to” Guides
• Announcements available on the PIP Portal (and Pobal and DCYA websites).
• Letter from the DCYA for CCS services 2018 regarding the snapshot window.

Compliance visits will comprise checks on records held on site in respect of the following Early Years Programmes i.e.

• Free Pre-school Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme
• Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) Programmes
• Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Programme
• Community Childcare Subvention (Plus) including Universal (CCSP/U) Programme
• Community Childcare Subvention Resettlement/ Transitional (CCSR (T)) Programmes

It is advised that services prepare for an unannounced compliance visit by collating relevant information for review e.g. in a Compliance Folder/File which can be made readily available to the Visit Officer on arrival. This will ensure minimum disruption and expedite the compliance visit. It is acknowledged that some services file their records in alternative ways which is acceptable, but it should be noted that records must be available to enable the Visit officer to complete the compliance visit in a reasonable timescale. In this regard we request that there is always a staff member on site with access to the Compliance Folder / records in the event of an unannounced visit. Please only maintain compliance related information in the Compliance Folder.

Please see the link to the Service Provider Checklist  2018-2019 which is available on the PIP Portal, to assist services in collating the relevant information to meet compliance requirements.  Please note that this checklist contains a separate section for each of the Early Years programmes.