Could someone reorganise or tell me how to reorganise my business

[KatyMac]

I am a childminder & I have other childminders helping me - I think I over record stuff - but I'm not sure how to reduce it

I have

Daily diary A4 day to page as a register for children to sign in & out

Monthly whiteboard - saying which children are in each day

Weekly sheets both A4 to week & A4 to monthly containing bar charts of when children are due
in & when staff are due in

Plus page to day & week to page sheets with staff movements & visitors

Daily white board for what's happening today

Surely I don't need all of these?

Help??

[Bauble99]

We use FirstSteps computer software, Katy.

It's will do all of your registers, child records, allergy lists, staff rotas etc. etc.

It will help to cut your paperwork back.

[KatyMac]

No suggestions of price on the website?

Am I going to cry?

[ChristmasShinySnowflakes]

Instant Nursery Manager is a very good, cheaper alternative

www.instantnurserymanager.co.uk/contacts.html

[nannynick]

Does the current system work? If so, why change it?

Could Page to Day sheet for staff movements/visitors be combined with Daily Register? Staff, children and visitors should all be signed in/out, so could they all go on the same page?

[KatyMac]

Gulp - that's cheaper - double gulp

[KatyMac]

It works to a point Nick - but sometimes things only get updated within one format (eg added to monthly whiteboard & Bar charts but not written in register)

[ChristmasShinySnowflakes]

It will be tax deductable Katy and will make life so much easier as it would do all your invoicing for you, and has a business planning application as well as diet and allergy info.

[KatyMac]

I only have 9 children at a time that is nearly all of a months income

[nannynick]

I can't see how Software will help overly... as I expect you want the information to be available to all staff easily, not just to someone who is able to log in at a computer. Ok, so software will print out sheets, but how different will that really be to your current system?

[nannynick]

Weekly/Monthly sheets - why do both? Could you just do Weekly, and have available the upcoming 4 weeks? Would then save having to create/update monthly bar chart.

[nannynick]

Whiteboard - I feel this is for general information, for parents... more than staff, though handy to all.
So, keep Daily Whiteboard... remove Monthly whiteboard (if anyone needs to know which children are supposed to be in, they can refer to weekly bar charts)

[KatyMac]

This is good Nick

Weekly just copy & paste to monthly - but you are right I could display 4 weeks worth (if I have space - I'll think about where)

Monthly whiteboard - Hmm - I'll talk to the ladies currently we use that a lot but you are right the barchart do the job (only downside is that barcharts are colours not names - but I could add a key)

[nannynick]

I think you need to avoid as much as possible having duplicate information.

For planning and finance purposes you need to know in advance which staff are due to work, which children are due to come in. I feel you should have one system for that - weekly bar charts for example if that's easiest for all concerned to understand.

There are then things you need to record, so a sign in/out sheet - for everyone. That can be done daily... and once day is finished it can be filed - and used to confirm if someone actually worked (if there was say a dispute over wages).

Daily white board for whats happening 'today' - so helps remind people what is going on... eg. 10am Jonny arrives 2pm Santa due! 4pm Linda leaves Todays Letter is: B
What do you put on this daily white board?

[soapbox]

I would stay manual and condense down the information you currently have.

You could:

Buy a proper school register and tick children and staff in on the day they attend.

Ditch the detailed whiteboard - but record totals in sessions - so at 9am scribble, 5 under 5's 3 staff, at 4pm write 5 under 5's, 4 over 5's 5 staff. Basically have set times each day when you write on the total children in each band and hte total staff numbers. I suspect OFSTED quite like this!

Keep your monthly staff and child movements and 'what is happening today' details - but have two different print options - print weekly, or print monthly.

Keep a visitors book - but it can just be a lined exercise book - note the date, time in, time out name and signiture. (Staff details are now recorded in the register).

Wre

[nannynick]

Place to display a weekly chart... you could use a Ring Binder, so pages can be flipped over. On a wall could use a clear pocket, with 4 sheets in, top sheet (visable) could be current week.

If monthly board works best, then use that, don't do the weekly.

[KatyMac]

Daily white board has

Children due
Staff due
Visitors due
Reminders (eg medication to be given, XX can't have a nap today, buy eggs)

The staff have time sheets - the rotas are for changes & to confirm staffing (eg A at Hosp, therefore B coming in early, or c going home early so take 2 children on school run)

Visitors book is kept - but we keep a record of who is due in our weekly sheets

[KatyMac]

Register - is for parents to sign their children in & out (at the back is the staff's timesheets - which are kept for financial info - plus will be needed if we are ever questioned about CP- who was here when)

[KatyMac]

So

Register - with children to sign in & out plus time sheet for staff

Daily Whiteboard - with staff/children/visitors/notes

Weekly book with info on daily W/B for permanent record

4 weekly barcharts for children & staff

I loose monthly barcharts/monthly white board

i wonder if the staffs barcharts should be blank with me able to just mark the hours they are due in?

You can see why OFSTED like me - Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork!!

[ChristmasShinySnowflakes]

Oh sorry I thought this was part of your planning for the nursery Katy

[KatyMac]

S'OK Snowflakes - but last year I only earnt £4700

I am dreading starting this years accounts - but I will be taking all my receipts away with me tomorrow - I'm hoping as I have no internet I will be able to get it sorted - do you think I've made any money? i had a very poor year