Guest Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 had a strange situation today! a parent came to visit who wanted funded place for her child, she wasnt happy with current setting and wished to change, child stayed for an hour and loved it!! when i contacted LA to find out what would happen re fees i was informed that as she was at other setting during headcount day they would receive all the terms funding!! mum hadnt been told this and had worked a months notice, now child has no place and cant attend where she wants too! surely this is unfair as she entiled to a place of her choosing, she will have to wait until next term now to acess our setting, mum wasnt happy at all. i said she could bring her in for visits anyway until then as its a shame she has to miss out! has anyone else had a similar experience? i was told from sept it will be more flexilbe and funds can be transfered but that doesnt hepl now, the other setting is benefitting and the child has lost out!!!
Guest Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 had a strange situation today! a parent came to visit who wanted funded place for her child, she wasnt happy with current setting and wished to change, child stayed for an hour and loved it!! when i contacted LA to find out what would happen re fees i was informed that as she was at other setting during headcount day they would receive all the terms funding!! mum hadnt been told this and had worked a months notice, now child has no place and cant attend where she wants too! surely this is unfair as she entiled to a place of her choosing, she will have to wait until next term now to acess our setting, mum wasnt happy at all. i said she could bring her in for visits anyway until then as its a shame she has to miss out! has anyone else had a similar experience? i was told from sept it will be more flexilbe and funds can be transfered but that doesnt hepl now, the other setting is benefitting and the child has lost out!!! i know!!! ive put this in the wrong section!!! should be in nursey funded places!!!! sorry!!!!
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 That's not how our county work, I don't think. If we claim we take the child, but don't get the money until next term, and it's taken off the other setting's next term's payment. Would it be worth contacting the other setting to see whether they'd be willing to send some of the NG - if not all of it for the rmainder of the term? It's not long after all. OR would the Mum be willing to contribute some of the cost of session fee? Like I say, it's only a few weeks till Easter. Would you need to take on new staff to accommodate this child? If not, you won't be any worse off this term, but will be better off next term when you get his NG - would it be worth it in the long run as a gesture of goodwill. In my experience, goodwill goes a long way - that parent will recommend you to others.....
AnonyMouse_19135 Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 we had a child leave our setting part way through this term, we had already received the funding though, I spoke to the funding people and she said at our descretion we can write out a cheque to the other pre-school - which is fine, we are happy to do that, only problem is, the 3 numbers i have found for that pre-school are "no such number" they haven't contacted me at all for it, ah well, better earning interest in our bank than theirs until they bother to contact us I guess lol
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 until they bother to contact us I guess lol You'll get a flood of people saying "OOH it's me" now you realise
Guest Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 That's not how our county work, I don't think. If we claim we take the child, but don't get the money until next term, and it's taken off the other setting's next term's payment.Would it be worth contacting the other setting to see whether they'd be willing to send some of the NG - if not all of it for the rmainder of the term? It's not long after all. OR would the Mum be willing to contribute some of the cost of session fee? Like I say, it's only a few weeks till Easter. Would you need to take on new staff to accommodate this child? If not, you won't be any worse off this term, but will be better off next term when you get his NG - would it be worth it in the long run as a gesture of goodwill. In my experience, goodwill goes a long way - that parent will recommend you to others..... the setting in qusetion is a big chain with a "not very good rep.!!!" iit wont cost extra staff so i will probably let her attend for free or a nominable small fee!! until april. (just dont tell the owner!!!!)
AnonyMouse_19635 Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 I have just had this happen a child was getting funded at another preschool but they moved and as parents dont drive they where unable to get to old preschool so they joinned us we contacted the other preschool and they said yes they had claimed the funding but all we need to do is send an invoice to them and they will transfer the funds to us.
AnonyMouse_20414 Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 the setting in qusetion is a big chain with a "not very good rep.!!!" iit wont cost extra staff so i will probably let her attend for free or a nominable small fee!! until april. (just dont tell the owner!!!!) Watch out Jaycooks If I did that at our setting the old 'parent smoke signals' would be working overtime and I'd have them all knocking on the door with reasons for not paying their fees I've made the odd exception and swapped children's attendance days just out of good will, but believe me there is always someone ready to take advantage of your kind nature. It could cause you more trouble than it's worth dottyp
AnonyMouse_705 Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 In our LEA, we have to complete an adjustments form for additional sessions, new children or children leaving before the end of the term so these problems are dealt with that way. Seems fair and reasonable. Other settings are obliged to do the same so reimburse the LEA that way.
AnonyMouse_75 Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 its only 3 weeks til the end of term cannt you come to some kind of agreement over the session fees and let the child start now? If i was the parent I would be happy to pay 3 weeks fees if it meant settling my child in a setting I dont think I would hand over NEG funds to another setting if a parent chooses to leave my setting then they can make their own arrangements for session fees !!! I have no sympathy (i'm greedy and heartless!!! ) you know that feeling of reading something and then a few days later thinking "did I imagine that?" if a child comes to us mid term arent we suposed to offer a free place even though we wont be funded for it? was that something I imagined, or can we offer a place an charge until the next term?
AnonyMouse_19920 Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 i thought that it was a case of swings and roundabouts - sometimes a child leaves your setting that you have claimed funding for and you keep that funding or another child comes late into your setting and you allow them to start straight away even though you are unable to claim funding till next term? thats what we have been told anyway
AnonyMouse_1469 Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 In our area, we HAVE to give a free place (if we have one) to any child who turns up after headcount week.We are NOT allowed to charge anything, not even to cover snacks etc, as this goes against the free nursery education principle.I have had one leave me this term, and his new group have claimed the whole neg,so i asked if they would pay back the couple of sessions the child had attended with me..........................and they just laughed.This group had actually told parents that they could only use their vouchers at ONE setting, so mum chose theirs because it is nearer to the school he will attend.I did tell the group they must not tell parents stuff like this, because the vouchers can be used anywhere, and they just said 'bums on seats, my dear'! I might have a word wih our friendly NEG officer and see what she thinks??
Guest Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 Our setting is the same as previously mentioned. I fill out forms each half term, and adjustments for children leaving or arriving get sorted in the following terms money
Guest Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 We are the same as Narnia, if we have a place we have to offer it even if we haven't had the funding. And like Blondie says it's swings and roundabouts!
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 ours used to be swings and roundabouts... and if they left it was up to us if we transferred funds.. in same boat if they started we were not allowed to charge if they were eligible for funding... even in another setting had the money.. no one ever transferred funds... i had one parent to come to me and claim that the new setting had told her to ask us give her the money to pay to them... derrr as if I would... so told her if they send an invoice we would pay for any after the notice period she had to agreed to when child started.... never heard.. we think parent was trying to get the money and child just removed from the setting. when constantly losing money we all complained and enough settings made the point that this was unfair and new children joining far outweighed those leaving, and it was changed about 2 years ago now to doing adjustments forms for leavers and arrivals...so we got paid for children attending... you will need to tread carefully if thinking about about charging - we used to take child free for periods if it did not mean extra staff. Inge
Guest Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 We too have new starters and leavers forms. If there is a leaver form the excess already paid to us is to be paid back to the LEA next term and any extra owed to a setting for a new starter or a child adding on sessions after headcount day is paid the next term too. I think it is a much fairer way of dealing with it, especially as parents are meant to have the choice of where they send their child.
Guest Posted March 17, 2009 Posted March 17, 2009 My lovely funding lady is great, if I have a child start part way through the term AS LONG AS SHE HASN'T RECEIVED FUNDING ELSEWHERE we get the funding. If a child increases their sessions mid way through a term we can claim that immediately, but it goes without saying if a child leaves our setting we have that funding stopped. Debbie
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