188ÌåÓý

1. ±õ²Ô³Ù°ù´Ç»å³Ü³¦³Ù¾±´Ç²ÔÌý

This document aims to help you complete the digital collection form for the Residential Support Scheme (RSS).Ìý

Use this form to report how you used your RSS allocation provided by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) in the 2023 to 2024 academic year (1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024).Ìý

Institutions administering RSS funding are required to complete and submit an annual return to provide us with data on expenditure against allocation and to confirm the number of students supported. This requirement forms part of our contractual terms and conditions for RSS.ÌýÌý

The data return will be analysed and used to reconcile RSS funding. We will recover any unspent funds as they cannot be carried forward to future years.ÌýÌý

More information on RSS is detailed in the â€�Residential Support Scheme 2023 to 2024 academic yearâ€� guidance.Ìý

2. Who is this publication forÌý

The guide is for the further education and sixth-form colleges designated to deliver specialist provision who have received RSS funding in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.Ìý

3. When to complete your submission �

Submissions can be amended up until the deadline. It will not be possible to grant any extensions to the deadline.Ìý

4. Accessing the form �

Access the to complete your return. �

4.1 Before you start  �

Before you start the submission process, please ensure that you have:ÌýÌý

• a Ìý
• the total RSS you have spentÌý
• the total number of students you have supported with RSSÌý
• reasons for any over or underspendÌý

4.2 DfE Sign-inÌý

Sign in to your DfE Sign-in accountÌý

Follow the below steps to access your DfE Sign-in (DSi) account:Ìý

1. Access the and, when prompted, enter your  credentials (your username and password) for authentication.Ìý

2. Choose the organisation for whom you are completing the form for â€� this is only required if your DSi account is linked to several organisations.Ìý

3. The next page will display the details we hold about the institution you selected when you signed in. This will show the name, address and URN or UKPRN of the institution, as well as the name and email address of the person who signed into the account.Ìý

4. If these details are correct, select ‘Continueâ€� to go to the next page.Ìý

5. if you believe these details are incorrect, please contact the and we will investigate. You can still proceed with your submission.Ìý

Your account must be connected to the institution you are completing the form for. You do not need to add any services in DfE Sign-in, it is used only for authentication.Ìý

If you do not have a DfE Sign-in account �

You will need to create one by following steps 1 to 5 below: �

1. Select ‘create a DfE Sign-in accountâ€� on theâ€�.Ìý

2. Enter your name and email address (use a valid business email address that contains your name).Ìý

3. We will send you an email to verify your email address; copy the code from this email and paste it into the box on the verification page.Ìý

4. Create a memorable password that is at least 14 characters. A good way to create a secure and memorable password is to use 3 random words. You can use numbers, symbols and spaces.Ìý

5. Sign in using your new credentials, and request access to the organisation for which you would like to submit the form.Ìý

Adding an organisation to your DfE Sign-in accountÌý

To add a new organisation to your account, follow the steps below:Ìý

1. Login to your account.Ìý

2. Select ‘Organisationsâ€�.Ìý

3. Select ‘Request access to an organisationâ€�.Ìý

4. Enter the URN or UKPRN of the organisation you would like to add.Ìý

5. Select the organisation from search results.Ìý

6. Select ‘Confirmâ€�.Ìý

Your request will be sent to the approver of that organisation.ÌýÌý

An approver is someone at your organisation responsible for controlling who has access to DfE Sign-in and the services within the system. It’s usually an administrator or a senior manager.Ìý

For security reasons, you will need the authorisation of one of your organisation’s approvers before you can access the form.Ìý

Once your request to access an organisation has been approved, you can follow the steps outlined under the ‘Sign in to your DfE Sign-in accountâ€� section to complete the form.Ìý

4.3  If you need further assistance  �

For problems using the DfE Sign-in service, use our to request assistance. When raising a support request, select ‘other.’ÌýÌ�

If you encounter problems accessing the form, use our .Ìý

5.  Complete the form �

Once you have authenticated through DfE Sign-in and are in the form, you will find a ‘save and continueâ€� button on each page which will take you to the next page. The form will retain information you have saved if you sign out or if you leave it open for an extended period. You can resume your submission when you sign back in.Ìý

Once you have submitted the form, you will be advised of next steps and will receive an email confirmation of your submission. This email will contain a link to download a PDF copy of your submission â€� this link will expire after 6 months so you should download a copy as soon as possible.Ìý

You can edit and resubmit your form until the submission deadline.Ìý

5.1  Your details �

We will show you the information we hold about the organisation you selected when you signed into your DfE Sign-in. �

5.2 Your RSS funding for the 2023 to 2024 academic yearÌý

The page will confirm the funding details that we hold about your organisation. It will show the amount of RSS funding allocated to you in the 2023 to 2024 academic year. The page will also display the number of students that we expected to receive RSS funding. This was based on information submitted by your organisation as part of the RSS application process.Ìý

These figures have been displayed to remind you of the funding and expected student numbers for the 2023 to 2024 academic year, before you return your actual numbers delivered.Ìý

5.3 Total RSS you have spentÌýÌý

You are asked to confirm how much you spent on RSS in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.Ìý

If you enter zero (0) because you have not spent any of the RSS funding in the academic year, then you will be taken directly to the ‘Reasons for varianceâ€� page.Ìý

5.4 Total number of students you have supported with RSSÌý

You are asked to confirm how many students you supported with RSS in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.Ìý

You will not see this page if you entered zero (0) when we asked how much you spent on RSS.Ìý

5.5 Reasons for any variance on spendÌý

You will be asked for a short explanation of why your actual spend, or actual number of students supported, is different from the funding details provided for the academic year.Ìý

This question is optional; however, we would appreciate you completing it where you have supported different volumes to those expected. This will provide us with more information and reduce the need for us to contact you for further information.Ìý

5.6 Declarations pageÌýÌý

You must complete the declarations. You will not be able to submit your form without completing this section fully.Ìý

5.7 Submission summaryÌý

The summary page allows you to check your answers before submitting the form. You can change your answers using the ‘Changeâ€� link that appears next to each data entry.Ìý

You can also save this summary by selecting ‘Save summary as PDFâ€� before you submit. Alternatively, you can download it by following the steps below:Ìý

1. On the summary page, select ‘Fileâ€� and then ‘Printâ€�. A new window will open.Ìý

2. From the dropdown menu, select ‘Save as PDFâ€�.Ìý

3. Select ‘Saveâ€�.Ìý

We cannot accept a PDF summary of your answers as proof of submission. You must still submit the form.Ìý

5.8  Confirmation �

The final page confirms your submission and shows a unique reference number. Please make a note of this reference number.Ìý

You will then be sent a confirmation email to the email address that you logged into DfE Sign-in with. This will contain a link to download a PDF of your submission, which is valid for 6 months from the date of your submission.ÌýÌý

5.9  Amending your submissionÌý

You can make changes to the form and resubmit untilâ€�5pm on 25 October 2024. To do this, you will need to sign back in and resubmit your form.Ìý

We cannot grant any extensions to the deadline.Ìý

6. Enquiries �

If you have read this guidance and have questions, contact us via the�.