Guest Blog: How nursery management software can lessen your legal workload

The legal workload nurseries have to contend with has never been higher. From statutory early years curriculum requirements, Ofsted inspections, nutrition rules, GDPR and UK Data Protection Act 2018 (UKDPA 2018) training and more, the law and government is heavily focused on the early years – and that’s not set to change anytime soon.

With so many things to consider, it can feel overwhelming to run or start a nursery business. But with the right nursery management software, such as Blossom, you can lessen your legal workload and focus on quality childcare in its place.

Your nursery’s GDPR requirements

After Ofsted inspections, probably the most famous and well-known law covering nurseries these days is GDPR, also now called UKDPA 2018. GDPR covers EU citizens, while UKDPA 2018 is for British citizens.

In short, GDPR means looking after the data you come into contact with, from parents’ contact information to your children’s health, and everything in between. You have to protect that data, know where it is, and be able to modify or destroy it with ease when requested – anyone with data held by your nursery has certain rights to that data.

Through nursery management software that data is all held in one place, under a digital lock and key. No-one could gain unlawful access to that data as the digital lock can never be accidentally left open, and you can take back digital keys from those who shouldn’t have them without their input. If requested you can easily manage and delete data when needed too.

How many times have you walked away from somewhere with a key you were meant to put back? If you don’t use software and keep all your files physical, you leave yourself at risk of unlawful access which can be very costly. Though you should know the office responsible for prosecuting data breaches (ICO) will always try to work with you first, so don’t panic!

Keeping your nursery’s ratios compliant

At the heart of every nursery’s running is the staff-to-child ratio. 1:3 (that’s one over-17 adult for every three children) for under twos, going up to 1:4 (1:5 is optional) for 2-year-olds, then jumping to 1:8 for ages 3 and over. Designed to keep children safe, these ratios apply to the whole nursery not necessarily each room, so you can ‘deploy staff as you see fit’.

However, with this meaning staff could be anywhere at any time, how do you ensure you’re following your ratio? Ofsted claim they aren’t doing headcounts at all times during inspections, but if there is a concern for safety they will lean on the ratio and ask for explanations of rationale if an area feels understaffed.

Through the right nursery management software, you can see your current, predicted and historic ratios at a glance. On Blossom for example, managers can view staff rotas to see which rooms may be under- or over-staffed and reassign to suit, keeping all children safer.

Implementing your government’s early years guidance

Across the UK, childcare is covered differently by the devolved governments. In England it’s the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), in Wales it’s the Foundation Phase, and in Scotland it’s the Early Years Framework. All very similar, but each one different and, more importantly, the one that given government will be looking for evidence of within your setting.

Every nursery is expected to be able to provide documentation showing which framework they are following, and how it’s applied to the nursery’s children. As is this article’s theme, this is much easier through software than it is through a paper system.

With a paper system, each child has their own file, and each must be updated every time elements of the framework are tested, applied, succeeded or failed either at the time or through memory later – which can easily become overwhelming. Using forms and dropdowns in nursery management software, every child’s file can be added to from a single tablet – much easier to carry around and complete.

Setting up Childcare Funding

Since the government’s announcement of changes to childcare funding – in short, that more children will have access to free nursery places – local authorities and nurseries have been working to make sure they’ll be compliant when the changes come in.

Local authorities bear the onus of securing free places/childcare for children, but nurseries and childminders have to know how to make and manage the places. The most common method is a package, wrapping free hours within paid ones, and suitable nursery management software will allow you to do this for as many packages as your nursery would like to offer.

You can also add refundable deposits along with non-compulsory consumables and additional charges and into your funded offer, like snacks or lunch, to recoup some of those funding shortfalls or losses. Once again, software can help you manage and invoice for these with a few taps at the time the consumable is provided.

Note: you’re not legally obligated to offer a free place if your nursery can’t take the strain.

Conclusion

This isn’t an exhaustive list of nursery law or how software can help manage and mitigate – there are a few more legal pitfalls you and your nursery need to watch out for, and software can’t take real world action – only you can. Ensure your health and safety training is up to standard at all times for example, which software can’t do for you.

But, anything related to data, numbers and records – the backbone of legal documentation – nursery management software is there for you to take up the mental and legal workload. If your nursery doesn’t have software in place already, we can highly recommend that you do so.

About the guest author

Stuart Thomas is Content Manager for Blossom, with over 10 years’ commercial writing experience across a number of industries from national sports to education providers. At Blossom his focus is on Early Years topics and insights, along with how software can make life easier for nursery owners, managers, practitioners and even parents.

About Blossom

Blossom is a leading nursery management software provider based in the UK, designed and built by nursery owners, for nursery owners. With that nursery management background, Blossom is placed at the forefront of the challenges nurseries face, and constantly adapt and evolve their software to suit.

To learn more about Blossom, visit their site and book a demo to see firsthand what nursery management software could do for your settings.