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Audit today by Local Education Authority....


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HELP.....my day off today and we were audited by our LEA from 9-1.30...and the upshot of it is

!) Computerise our hand written fees sheets...(who do I pay to do that ??)

2)Computerise our computer printed 'Daily sheets ' where our children's schedules are written and highlighted as they arrive...

3) Also change our signing-in sheets where parents sign in and sign out each day.

 

Would appreciate your comments and suggestions.....have no time this term to change ALL our system which has stood us in good stead for 11 years....

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Not sure Panders just getting the info from texts from my daughter the Manager....prob having the fees on Excel....and the marking in schedules....but we have our signing -in table in the main room...where children could touch any \ laptop needed for it....totally confused...asked staff to have.Tapestry more than once and each time they refused....is that much the same ?

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Thanks Diesel 10.... we had a call last week to say 9am Monday...but puzzled at how much they can interfere into a private setting's business apart from their funding contribution....you all know how busy this term is for all of us...our nursery party sunday..80 presents 80 party bags....all before then and they return Friday....looks like a few overnighters.....lol

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Just say no! As long as your fees sheets tally and you can show payments in and out of the setting via bank statements and accounts are audited etc there is no rule that says you can't use hand written sheets. We have recently had LA audit and Ofsted inspection and neither one had issues with hand written anything!!!

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Ask why?

 

What is the reason that they are asking for these changes when all has worked well for so long.. ? ​If they cannot give a good enough reason other than to make it easier for them dispute it..

Then give a reason why it cannot be completed in such a short time span and that you need more time to research and work out the best way forward for the setting..

It could be argued that it is easy to change information stored on a computer , and that paper based is better./.could be more accurate..

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We are audited by our LA but in so far as registers (which are hand written in an actual register from school) and policies. This is written into our EYE contract - when they do come I just give them my register and answer any questions they may ask! I've always understood it to be an audit to establish if I actually have the children in for all of the sessions I am claiming!!

 

I do use an excel spreadsheet to work out my fees and also to print out the invoices, which show funded and non funded sessions.

 

I haven't computerised the register as we don't aim to "fix what ain't broken" - the register is simple and clear but then we are registered for only 24 children - not sure I would do it that way for many more!!

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Thanks for all your comments....went in today and found they also used our staff loo and told us to put a lock on the outside as loo cleaner (Toilet duck) in there and children could get in there...if I hadnt met these two at recent List of \providers meeting i would swear they were Mrs and Mrs O !! I thought they were there to check the funding....silly me

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The following is an extract from Early Education and Childcare - Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities - September 2014 (the latest version to the best of my knowledge) -

 

"This document does not provide guidance on how providers operate their private businesses, including charges for provision over and above a child’s early education place. Local authorities should not intervene in providers’ private businesses outside of a child’s early education place."

 

I would suggest that a LA "telling you" to computerise your systems falls into the area of a LA "intervening in providers' private businesses" - as long as you are providing the early education place surely how you administer it is part of your "private business".

 

Much as it irks however - it was good advice about locking the staff loo to prevent children gaining access to the loo cleaner!!

 

 

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We have audit / "compliance review" tomorrow. No one has every asked to see anything for the past 12 years! They want to see:

 

 Child registration or admission document
 Details of how you verified the child’s date of birth
 The EYE parent declaration form completed by the parent and the setting in relation to the claim for the funding period being reviewed
 Copy of the headcount form for the funding period reviewed or, if you submit online, a printout/screenshot of the headcount claim submitted
 Attendance registers for the funding period being reviewed
 Any supporting information you keep to help you manage the free EYE funding, eg record of claims by child
 Samples of invoices sent/given to parents
 Parent welcome pack/prospectus, charging policy and admissions policy
 Qualification certificates, National Insurance numbers, addresses and payroll information for staff declared on the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) return
 Current insurance certificate and schedule
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That just about covers it all, with a few things missing that they did Monday.


Sue J...I saw that too..they cannot interfere with the running of the business.... and have printed it to show them Friday,,,,,,,and have moved the loo cleaner lol

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Our Lea auditor returned Friday...at 4.30pm.........enough said.

She wanted to see that my audited accounts show their funding money going into a legitimate business.....she must visit some wierd and wonderful settings....having passed that...she then started on the funded 2 year olds..... how we are supposed to check their elegibility for funding using their online 'checker' ( BTW it didnt work in September when i tried to use it ).

She logged into THEIR site,put our childs details in .wouldnt accept it ....tried ...and tried again.....and again....'oh'she said ' It doesnt work for Childcare Providers,does it....only for the parents....'

Made my day......and a really busy day at that.....left at 5pm....saying we now need a sheet a day for parents to sign in and out,policed by a member of staff at the door,,,,,so sheets now to be made for each day of the week,different children each day etc....might have to wait until the new year...children take precedence at my nursery....

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'

Made my day......and a really busy day at that.....left at 5pm....saying we now need a sheet a day for parents to sign in and out,policed by a member of staff at the door,,,,,so sheets now to be made for each day of the week,different children each day etc....might have to wait until the new year...children take precedence at my nursery....

 

We had daily signing in sheets for parents.. No need to spend ages doing one for each day of the week - we had blank ones.. parent had to write in child's name as well.. made it easy, we added any that had not attended that day at the bottom . Meant we could print off a few and just date them in the morning when setting up... we did have a staff member at entrance when they were arriving as greeter and checking all signed in.. did not take long and they were all so used to it..

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There is no legal requirement for you to have a sheet for parents/carers to sign in and out. .....they don't do it at school do they?????!!!!! ask to see where it says that in the guidance?????

 

My thoughts exactly - I have never had a 'signing in' sheet and don't intend to start now!

 

One of us - usually me - meets and greets and ticks children in on register - only noting times if they are late arrivals - children then enter the pre-school room where they self-register......

 

At home-time (all leave at the same time) - we do this in reverse - one of us - usually me- lets children out one at a time into the care of their parent/carer and another staff member stands at the external door checking children off in the register - again times only noted if a parent/carer is late,,,,,,

 

A polite 'could you show me where that is written in the guidance please' is a reasonable question to ask :rolleyes: can you tell that I have used it on occasion! :D

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She logged into THEIR site,put our childs details in .wouldnt accept it ....tried ...and tried again.....and again....'oh'she said ' It doesnt work for Childcare Providers,does it....only for the parents....'

 

Were you wearing a 'smug grin' I know I would have been :D

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Is this for parents to sign in and out, just while they're in the setting to bring their children in and pick them up? I have never heard of that before.

We trialled this once many years ago think it came from some Safeguarding training - anyway after 1/2 term of chasing parents asking them to sign the sheet we gave up - either myself or deputy enter time entered & left into the register (PLA one) and that's always been enough.

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It was just something we always did, was not necessary but parents just saw it as normal to sign in and out.. suppose it may be easy if it is not something new .. just expected of them... rarely did anyone forget or not do it...

 

Ours had a column for who was collecting child at end of session.. so we always knew exactly who would come or call if they were late.. had a lot of one person drop off but someone else collect in our setting..

 

Works for some but not others and not essential..unless it is part of the register for time of arrival and leaving is not recorded elsewhere..

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Definitely the biggest smirkiest smirk I could muster after the day I had.....and am very curious if the system does not work for the few 2 year olds we have --what is going to happen to check the 30 hrs a week children.....so complicated these days...

we already have signing in sheets..not always signed in and out though as our children do 9-2,9.30-2.30,10-3,11-4 over 3 days then 10-1,1-4,2-5 over 5 days ...parent partnership....lol. Not sure I have the time or the energy anymore to cope with all these changes....might get christmas over then regroup.....Children Party today at 4.30...so bit of lunch the off again...xxx

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