Funding Questions and Answers 2008/2009

Q. What courses have funding available?

Click here to download a PDF showing all currently funded courses.

Q. My application for funding has been declined, why?

The most usual answer is that your application appears not to match the funding criteria, e.g.
you have asked for more than 3 short courses and 1 NVQ for this/these employees during this funding funding year. Please reapply but be sure to limit the choice of courses to the criteria the course/s you are requesting funding for are not elligible you have already applied for funding for this award and this employee, i.e. it is duplicated.

Q. I wasn't aware that there was limit to the number of courses I could get funding for, why have you declined funding for all 7 short courses requested when we are eligible for 3 courses?

The funding administrator can't make the decision as to which 3 courses you want.

Q. I do not agree with your decision to decline our application for funding, what can I do?

You can appeal against this funding decision in writing, addressed to Dymphna Knowles (see 'contact us' for address)

Q. How will funding payments be made to me? 
 
Payments for funding will be made by Bank Transfer so at the time of application you will be asked for your bank details – these are held in secure area of LancashirePlan. 
 
Q. I have received notification that I have been allocated funding what do I need to now?
 
Care Providers themselves must book learners onto courses via LancashirePlan.  If you genuinely haven’t got a computer with access to the internet a networker will be able to call at your office, with a laptop, and complete the booking for you.  Only LWDP networkers are allowed to do this on your behalf.  Call 01772 761855 and speak to Jack Moorehead to arrange this assistance.  Do not share your LancashirePlan login details with anyone, the LWDP networkers will ask you to login using their laptop computers and will then show you how to apply.  Care Providers are, as before, responsible for booking their care workers onto training.  Training Providers will not be able to complete the LancashirePlan course booking process on behalf of Care Providers.   
 
Q. How long have I got to use the funding allocated to me? 
 
Individuals must COMPLETE all short courses that they have had funding approved for within 60 days of the approval. After 60 days the approved funding expires.  Any funding that has been expired can be re-applied for.  NVQ’s must be ‘booked’ within 60 days and completed and claimed before 31st March 2009.  As in previous years, it is the Care Providers responsibility to ensure they have funding approved before contracting with Training Providers. 
 
Q. How does the LWDP know if I have booked on training and that my NVQ is in progress? 
 
LancashirePlan automatically reports back to the LWDP if timescales are not met.  However, the success of 2007/08 funding year was marred by a large number of NVQ’s being booked, showing as in progress on the system but not reaching a point where a claim for funding could be made.   Consequentially we believed that all the funding was allocated and people were refused funding that could have been made use of it.  The LWDP are attempting to get a view of the problems and therefore will be asking the Care Provider to provide information on their learners progress.  A ‘Training in Progress’ form will be emailed approximately 2 months after booking on an NVQ (and perhaps a further forms will sent later in the year), to ensure that progress is being made, failure to complete the form could result in your funding being returned to the appropriate funding stream for reallocation to someone else. 

Q: Do you have to wait for funding before doing the course?

A: ‘Yes’ if you don’t you will be at risk e.g. if a employee has booked onto a course without having the funding approved first, then they need to be withdrawn the care organisation will have to pay for the course.

Q: Is there any criteria that organisations can follow for funding?

A: There is a flowchart on the LWDP website.

Q:  How long does the process take from application to approval?

A:  The process can be turned around within a few days, generally not more than seven days.

Q:  When will the 2008/09 year end?

A: The year end will be the 31st March 2009 and there will be no extension period.

Q: When a care organisation has booked training for courses the name of the employee still appears in LancashirePlan’s list under booking, this is misleading for care providers

because it is difficult to remember if the employee has already been booked for the training.
A: If an employee has been booked for training LancashirePlan greys out this information, therefore you cannot book them on twice.  However, this only applies to NVQ’s as there is a possibility that an organisation may want to send an individual on the course again, for instance a Moving and Handling course that requires regular updates.  There is also a report in LancashirePlan that shows all future course bookings and the individuals record also shows where a future course is booked.

Q: Funding Manager – you can only withdraw one person every two weeks, what if you need to withdraw twelve people?

A: You can withdraw twelve people at once.  When the names have been deleted this information then goes to SS via e-mail.

Q: When funding payments are made by BACs will the system generate an e-mail to inform care providers of the payment?

A: This will be shown on the Funding Management screen.

Q: Is there any funding for ancillary staff?

A: ‘No’ not yet.

Q: Why does the computer state 60 days for completion rather than 2 months?

A: The term month can be ambiguous in that it could refer to a calendar month or a lunar month. Also the number of days in each calendar month can vary from 28 to 31 the system doesn’t use months it only uses numbers of days.

Q: What percentage of organisations are using LancashirePlan?

A: There are 949 organisations on LancashirePlan and in the last twelve months 900 individuals logged in.

Q: Could administration staff be shown how to use LancashirePlan?

A: ‘Yes’ contact the LWDP to arrange training.

Q: Are there other areas who also use a system similar to LancashirePlan?

A: Organisations all over the country have similar sites usually in the commercial sector, but other local care partnerships include Cumbria and Knowsley, Merseyside .