Working out funding working 4 on 4 off

[Superfudge2]

Hello,

I work 4 on 4 of day shifts, currently I’m working two days at home and two in work my mum has him all 4 days at the moment he is 7 months, my plan originally was to send him to my friends child minding, this her own private business, she does take 30 hours funding.

the problem is she needs to know a term up front what hours I’ll be using, so some weeks I’ll only need 2 days so 16 hours worth as husband will collect him after work as he finishes earlier than me, and other weeks I’ll need 4 days or 3 days, which as she has described it if need to leave him there when I’m off to use the hours or she won’t get paid.

this is not preferable for us, occasionally it may be nice to have a day to get stuff done but when we’re off we would actually like to spend time with our son, can any one recommend a way around it if there is one?

Yes as she is claiming the funding she has to put in the claim which is based on a whole term prediction. Then I believe that if children don't regularly attend or use their funded hours the LA can refuse to pay her the hours. They do checks against the child's hours and their registered attendance.

You can’t expect to take a childcare place for 4 days a week but only pay for 2 days some weeks, that’s not fair on your friend or anyone running a business. She won’t be able to give the random days you don’t use to another child so would just be missing pay for those. You need to pay for 4 days every week and if you don’t send him some of those days it’s up to you but she needs the consistency in her pay, as you would want in your own. You’ll get 22 hours a week funding if you stretch them all year round. You both agree the 4 days and she claims the same funding every week.

Well shes right and the alternative is that you use funding for say 2 day per week and then chance that she has ad-hoc availability for extra days when you need them which you will have to pay for, or ask you mum to cover those ones.

I have always wondered How this would work doing a shift pattern like this. as far as I’m aware if your using funding or not you would need to have set days. A term in advance is being generous for funding most businesses would need this a a permanent option.

are you able to have set days everything week and then using your mum for childcare if working clashes with no childminders?

shes a very good friend and I wouldn’t expect anyone to not have the same pay if she’s booked those days.

it’s a royal pain the the behind to be honest, it’s given us both a head ache trying to work it out.

im not sure if work would allow me to work fixed days, its maybe something I’ll have to broach with them, I work 4 on 4 off opposite somone else so I can’t see how it could work.

Also she only does Monday to Thursday so it takes another day out of the equation

Also in my vast nearly 20 year experience, but everyone starts off by saying they will keep their kids at home for their days off but they enjoy the time and free childcare a lot and days and hours always increase eventually....

I would look at stretching your funding, claiming around 22 hours a week which you would have to attend id then charge you 2 days unless i wasnt worried about having one quieter day some weeks when id charge for 1. My LA would allow your funded days to move

This. Having time off in the week with no child and no work is life changing. Do it if you can.

Book 3 days and have your mum look after him on days that fall outside this.