Dear Service Provider,

Mid-term Break Updates: NCS Service Calendar, Returns; ECCE Service Calendar; CCSP Saver Session Amendments

As schools are closed for the mid-term on Monday 30 October, with the option to extend to a five-day break, it may be necessary to make the following changes on your Early Years Hive.

We advise making any necessary changes as soon as possible to ensure there are no issues when returns are submitted and payments processed.

NCS: Service Calendar and Returns

If your service is closed for part or all of the week, you must mark the closures on your NCS service calendar on the Hive accordingly. You must also note whether it is a subsidised (paid) closure or not.To add a closure to your NCS service calendar, log into the Hive and follow the below steps:

1. Go to the My Account menu and select Service Calendars
2. In the list of service calendars, expand the yellow triangle on NCS 2023 and select Edit Closures
3. Click Add Closure
4. Individually select the days your service is closed
5. Select whether the closure is subsidised (paid) or not
6. Enter the reason for the closure and click Submit

For more information, please see ‘How to add a closure’ on the NCS Service Calendar section of Help & Support.

Do not submit an NCS Attendance Return if there is a message stating a claim is in Draft. If the claim is in draft, you must go to the NCS Child Registrations page and action any outstanding claim approvals, and then submit the Return.

Important: Changes cannot be made to service calendar opening hours or claim hours once a return for that week has been submitted on the Hive.

For school-aged/ECCE children, if you are increasing their hours during mid-term, please ensure you do not forget to amend the hours for children whose hours reduce after mid-term. As you know NCS subsidy hours cannot be claimed for hours that a child is in school or ECCE, or hours that your service is closed, and any over-claims are liable to be recouped 

If you require further assistance, please raise a Service Request using the following categories:

• Programme: NCS
• Request Type: NCS Calendar
• Request Type Details: General

Please ensure that you include the CHICK number in the Service Requests.

ECCE: Service Calendar

Providers in contract for the ECCE programme are reminded that changes to service calendars must be first approved by County Childcare Committees (CCCs) and parents must be given 20 working days’ notice in writing of any change to the service’s calendar. Copies of such notices must be kept on file for compliance purposes. 

Approved providers in contract for the ECCE Programme must be open for a minimum of 38 weeks (or 182 days) over the programme year.            

For further information on service calendars, please contact your local CCC or refer to the 

ECCE Service Calendar section of Help & Support.If you require further assistance, please raise a Service Request using the following categories:

• Programme: ECCE
• Request Type: ECCE Calendar
• Request Type Details: General

CCSP Saver Programme: Amending Sessions (e.g. a child is moving from part-time to full-time)

If a registration is changing and needs to be updated from part-time to full-time, please input a CCSP Leaver with the date the child is changing service level. A new registration should then be created with the updated level of service for the appropriate period.

Please see ‘How to end/add a CCSP Saver Programme child registration’ on the CCSP child registration section of Help & Support for guidance.

If you require further assistance, please raise a Service Request using the following categories:

• Programme: CCSP
• Request Type: Registrations
• Request Type Details: Leaver

Kind regards,
Early Years Team