Please see below for clarification on the use of Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) funding in place of AIM Level 7 funding to support the wages of staff who are providing additional assistance in ECCE rooms where a child with a disability is attending. The clarification adds to the notice issued on 21 August 2020 and aims to answer a number of queries received.
As per the AIM Rules 2020/2021, the wages of an employee may be supported through either the EWSS or AIM Level 7 capitation, but not both. It is open to a service provider to decide whether EWSS or AIM Level 7 funding is most advantageous to them.
For services that have already applied for AIM support:
A service provider that has already been approved for AIM Level 7 funding for the 2020/21 programme year but opts for EWSS instead must complete the ‘Notification of Change (NOC)’ form and submit it to aimteam@pobal.ie. Following receipt of an NOC, the application for Level 7 will be withdrawn temporarily. However, the setting can continue to avail of AIM Level 4, 5, or 6 support for the child/children, as needed.
If EWSS ceases during the programme year and the service provider at that time wishes for their AIM Level 7 funding to be reinstated, they should then advise Pobal of that through the Notification of Change (NOC) form. Based on the NOC and review with the EYS, where there are no significant changes to the child or children’s circumstances, the AIM Level 7 funding (which, in such cases, has already been approved) will be reinstated for the remainder of the programme year.
Service providers that have applied for AIM support and wish to receive AIM Level 7 funding instead of EWSS (for the relevant staff member) will have their AIM applications processed in the normal way.
For services that have not applied for AIM support:
Service providers that are opting for EWSS funding (instead of AIM Level 7) but have a child with a disability attending are encouraged to complete an Access and Inclusion Profile on PIP as normal to enable them to avail of other AIM supports (Levels 4, 5 and 6).
AIM L7 funding can only be applied for where an Access and Inclusion Profile for AIM supports has been jointly submitted with a child’s parent. Having this in place will facilitate applying for AIM Level 7 funding later in the year, should it be needed if and when EWSS funding ceases.
Please contact the Pobal AIM team if you have any queries regarding the above: aimteam@pobal.ie
