What Sort Of Pre-School?

[Guest]

Hoping for some help with this predicament:-

My sister rang me last night to say that the manager of her pre-school is leaving and they don't know how they are going to appoint a new manager. There are 5 other staff and all want to apply, however, I can't fathom out how they operate. It's not a private business but its not a charity either. The manager is not the registered person. They are supposed to have a committee she told me but they haven't had a committee for at least 2 years so they just tick along without one. I did ask her whether they had a constitution such as the PLA one and if they got into debt, who would be held responsible. She has worked there about 8 or 9 years and has no idea about how it was set up in the first place. I am familiar with the charity/committee setting I used to work for but am looking for help for what other settings there might be. It's not private and it's not a maintained one. My sister did say that the manager was looking to take it over as a business herself before she decided to leave. She is thinking that they need to get a committee together fairly quickly which is why she asked for my help. It sounds like for the last couple of years at least the staff have run the setting themselves. Any suggestions?

[Rea]

There are other ways of running but I'm going to guess that if they had a committee until two years ago and your sister doesn't know how they run now, then no other route was officially taken. None of the options the setting might have taken would leave them without a responsible person or an employer.

Who was the manager going to take over from? Is there any old paperworkk around from committee meetings that might give a clue?

It seems very strange.

[Guest]

Thanks for reply Rea. It sounds like they are meant to be committee run but not officially a charity if that sort of set up is possible. I am surprised if they are committee run that they have been able to keep going without one. Surely their Development Officer would have been questioning this? I am speaking to her later so will ask her who her current Manager is responsible to and who decides pay rises etc?

[Guest]

I've known of a group that was meant to be committee run but their committee had sort of dwindled over time and no one had thought to question it. Problems occurred when the manager left and Ofsted arrived to check the new manager. They nearly had to close due to this and were only rescued by a group of parents who managed to get a local primary head to take on the nominated person's role for an interim period. Interestingly the LA knew nothing about it until the message came from Ofsted that the setting had 7 days to sort things out or would have their registration revoked. Since then the LA has randomly asked for evidence of management/committee organisation.

[Inge]

not been in a setting for a while, but they must have a registration document, does this still hold the information on a registered person who would be responsible for the setting, ours was a committee and while one was named they all held equal responsibility.. It does seem like they could not get a committee so just carried on without as it was easier than getting one together, there are settings run by committee but not a charity.. depends on if they registered as one , it is not essential to do so.

 

There have been some staff run settings out there...I think someone on the forum was working in one and they had to formalise it but cannot remember how or who..

[thumperrabbit]

I think it would be quite easy to just keep running with out a committee I have been in place through 2 Ofsted inspections and they have never asked to meet any committee.

 

The PLA have so few development workers they probably can't get around to visiting everyone

 

If you are Charity run then you have to submit your accounts, but I presume that's either a) been done or B) reminders have been ignored - don't know if Charity Commission look into why they aren't receiving paperwork?

 

It is obvious from all of the posts on here that more and more managers are taking over the committee roles eg wages, policies, fundraising etc so everything does get done. It is probably only when the manager leaves that people realise how much the manager was doing to keep the place running, and then realise it should be the committee doing it, and who will do it in the future!

 

If I didn't arrange and almost run our committee meeting, I know it wouldn't happen...I just make it happen

[Guest]

I would think if it is a registered charity/committee then it must have a registration number with the Chairty Commission. you would be able to check when the last lot of accountants and members were updated. It is all public knowledge. Somewhere on the invoices it must have what it is!! or on Ofsted registration document!!!! I'm a Ltd company and on the registration document for Ofsted it has who we are so that must be displayed somewhere!!!

[lynned55]

If you look on CC's website you can check on various groups accounts. It is surprising how many groups i know that haven't submitted accounts for soem time or have missed out years altogether. Not sure what the consequences are, obviously not much as one or two i know had only submitted 3/4 years out of the last 10!!

Thumperabbit our group has become like yours. If I dont make it happen then it wont. I arrange and write the agenda as well as virtually telling our chair what to say- if I didn't it wouldn't happen. But she has her own business to run and has 2 small children and quite honestly is doing us a favour. I can see why/how groups like that evolve. We have been running for nearly 50 years now, fo rmost of that time with a thriving committee. It's only in the last few years that things have started going downhill. So much of what i do now used to be done by the committee 10 years ago. Admissions, claiming milk money, writing letters, newsletters, booking any outings, working out staff wages, working out fees, collecting fees. Gosh makes me feel tired just thinking about it!! I'm sure our committee could dwindle away and hardly be noticed. We do have a thriving psla in our area though and since a group folded overnight and left 8 staff out of work and 30 odd children with their funding paid and no where to go a couple of years ago, they and our EY's team take much more of an interest now in who our Chairs are. This group had been running for years and when askd if they had a full committee and dates of AGM obviously used to lie. we now have to give contact details of our chairs and submit minutes of our last AGMs- so would be difficult to jog along without one. If you've got no one makin gthese checks though then..............