Effective from: [Insert date]
Offer closes: 30th November 2025 (Swift Childcare reserves the right to extend this date.)

Scheme overview

• The scheme is available to learners who have achieved a qualification in the last four years that does not meet the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) definition of ‘full and relevant’.
• Qualifications must have been marketed or delivered as being suitable for Early Years practice but later found not to count towards staff:child ratios as defined by the Department for Education (DfE).
• The programme only applies to full qualifications that were suggested or marketed as full and relevant. CPD courses or short training programmes are not eligible.
• All Swift Childcare courses are full and relevant and meet DfE EYFS standards. The Payback programme is to support those who were misled by other providers.

1.Eligibility Criteria – Learners

• The programme is open to learners who have completed and achieved an Early Years qualification in the past four years (from the date of application).
• Learners must be UK residents, at the start of the course, and meet all standard enrolment criteria for the Level 3 Early Years Educator Diploma.
• The qualification must be non, full and relevant, as defined by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guidance, and therefore does not count towards staff:child ratios in regulated early years settings.
• Only one claim per person, for one course is allowed.
• Claims must be made using the official claim form featured on the Swift Childcare Website HERE. Claims not using official claim form will be deemed invalid.
• The learner must be able to enrol on the Swift Level 3 Early Years Educator Diploma to redeem their course credit.
• Proof of posting/sending will not be accepted as proof of delivery.

2. Eligibility Criteria – Employers (Nurseries)

• Independent nurseries may submit claims on behalf of staff members who meet all learner eligibility criteria (as outlined in Section 1).
• Claims for staff must be made separately using the official claim form hosted on the Swift Childcare Website HERE. Bulk claims and/or claims not made using the official claim form will be deemed invalid.
• Learners must be UK residents at the start of the course, and meet all standard enrolment criteria for the Level 3 Early Years Educator Diploma.
• Nurseries must provide:
  • A valid proof of purchase (see Section 3),
  • Written consent from the staff member whose training is being claimed.
• This offer is only open to independent nurseries. National nursery groups (more than 10 settings) must contact the Swift Business Development Team to arrange a managed process.
• Swift reserves the right to prioritise allocation based on regional availability and fairness across the sector.
• Swift also reserves the right to request additional documentation or information in order to validate and verify the claim prior to approval.

3. Proof of Purchase

• To be eligible, applicants (learners or nurseries) must provide a valid proof of purchase:
  • A copy of the original invoice issued by the course provider for the non-full and relevant qualification.
• No other evidence (e.g. bank statements, course confirmations, certificates) will be accepted.
• Failure to provide this document will render the claim invalid.
• Swift reserves the right to verify documentation and may contact the original training provider.

4. Course Credit Details

• Approved applicants will receive a credit of up to £1,500 toward the cost of Swift’s Level 3 Early Years Educator Diploma.
• This credit is:
  • Non-refundable in cash,
  • Non-transferable, and
  • Only applicable to the named learner’s course with Swift.
• The credit cannot be used for other Swift courses and does not apply to those already enrolled.
• Credits are applied at the point of enrolment, not before.

5. Claim Verification & Approval

• All applications will undergo a review and validation process by Swift Childcare.
• Swift may:
  • Request additional information,
  • Contact the learner or nursery,
  • Decline any application it believes to be false, incomplete, or unverifiable.
• All decisions are final and at Swift’s discretion.
• Processing may take up to 30 working days from receipt of all documentation.

6. Course Placement and Availability

• Placement on the Swift Level 3 Early Years Educator Diploma is subject to course availability.
• Swift will do its best to place learners on the earliest available cohort, but this cannot be guaranteed.
• Courses are scheduled regionally and are subject to tutor availability and group size.

7. Learner Commitment

• Enrolled learners must commit to:
  • Completing the full 10-month course,
  • Meeting all participation, assessment, and compliance requirements.
• Failure to engage or unjustified withdrawal may result in forfeiture of the credit.

8. Programme Close Date

• Applications must be submitted by 30th November 2025.
• Swift Childcare reserves the right to:
  • Extend the programme at its sole discretion,
  • Close applications earlier if all funded places are filled.

9. Non-Transferability & Misuse

• Course credits are non-transferable and may only be used by the named applicant.
• Misuse of the programme (including false or repeated claims) will result in disqualification and potential legal action.

10. Verification & Data Consent

• By applying, the learner and/or nursery agrees to:
  • The use of personal data for claim verification and enrolment processing,
  • Compliance with Swift Childcare’s GDPR and privacy policy.
• No data will be shared externally without explicit permission.

11. No Guarantee of Outcome

• This programme provides support toward requalification only.
• Swift Childcare makes no guarantees regarding employment outcomes, pass rates, or timing of course completion.

12. Publicity & Testimonials

• Swift may invite participants to share case studies, testimonials or media features.
• Participation in promotional material is entirely voluntary.

13. Complaints & Disputes

• Complaints must be submitted in writing to feedback@swiftcc.co.uk within 14 calendar days of issue or rejection.
• Swift will investigate all disputes fairly and reply within 30 working days.
• All final decisions rest with Swift Childcare’s management team.

14. Limitation of Liability

• Swift Childcare will not be liable for:
  • Any financial or career impact caused by prior training choices,
  • Delays in course scheduling,
  • Misrepresentation by third-party providers.
• This programme is a discretionary offer and does not constitute a legal obligation.

15. Additional Expectations

• All other expectations, including learner conduct, attendance requirements, assignment deadlines, and payment schedules, will apply in the same way as they do for full-cost learners enrolled on the Level 3 Early Years Educator Diploma course.