Louise Tomkins
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Louise Tomkins commented,
Hi Steve, Based on this update, what happens if it crosses a year end, would you still record the fail to secure the funding, the apprentice might intend to re-sit but then change their mind and if this crosses a year end you potentially lose the completion and balancing payments as there would be no later achievement date? Any thoughts? Thanks
Hi Steve, Based on this update, what happens if it crosses a year end, would you still record the fail to secure the funding, the apprentice might intend to re-sit but then change their mind and i...
Louise Tomkins commented,
Agree with Christina, Pellcomp should be your first stop for queries with this report and understanding how it works, as she said, if Pellcomp can't tell you why something is out of place then a query to the service desk might help.
Agree with Christina, Pellcomp should be your first stop for queries with this report and understanding how it works, as she said, if Pellcomp can't tell you why something is out of place then a qu...
Louise Tomkins commented,
Hi Neville, With the PICS reconciliation report you are better looking at the YTD differences tab rather than the individual differences as this can be quite big depending on how many apprentices you have and ends up as a matching game with other tabs, this to me seems to suggest that you have submitted you start late (or possibly DAS was approved late) and PICS is putting the payments into individual months they should have been due rather than acknowledging you have received four payments in period 6. If you look at PICS not ESFA and ESFA not PICS tabs you should find that overall you have been paid what you were due, it is likely to have on your PICS not ESFA tab the three missing payments for prior periods, which should total your ESFA value. I hope this helps a little Kind Regards Louise
Hi Neville, With the PICS reconciliation report you are better looking at the YTD differences tab rather than the individual differences as this can be quite big depending on how many apprentices y...
Louise Tomkins commented,
Hi Sophie, I have been using the indicative and period end report for some time now and it does take some time to find your groove and how you want your data to appear. I use Pivot tables to collate the data together in each, although some of the fields are different across the reports which doesn't help, you always need to keep coming back to year to date figures and take into consideration any co-investment (this will show on the actual but won't technically be in the totals paid, i.e. £1,000 due, £50 co-investment to collect, the actual will only show £950 paid). I also keep a manual spreadsheet that I update monthly with the indicative totals per month versus the actual, this then highlights the difference and I can use it to keep a running total of co-investment etc. I save a new version each month and update so I always have last month as a back up if needed. I also have a vlookup spreadsheet that looks learner by learner against both the indicative and actual reports and highlights any differences in the YTD funds for each, this allows me to them note co-investment or to investigate other potential issues on a learner by learner basis. What I would say is not to solely rely on the ESFA reports, I had an apprentice move employer last year, we updated the ILR as required but to date have received no funds for the new employer, both the indicative and actual reports match and no issues highlighted on the data match report, so always worth periodically doing a full check of all learners to make sure you are receiving all funds due. I hope this helps somewhat. Kind Regards Louise
Hi Sophie, I have been using the indicative and period end report for some time now and it does take some time to find your groove and how you want your data to appear. I use Pivot tables to colla...
Louise Tomkins commented,
Hi Alex, I also use the indicative and actual month end reports to reconcile my apprentices and funding, I use a mix of pivot tables in the ESFA reports themselves to look at headline finances as well as breakdowns for Co-investment (actual only) and by apprentice. I then use a separate spreadsheet and use a vlookup against my own occupancy as well as the indicative pivot and the actual pivot, to make sure all of the apprentices appear on the report and to compare the indicative values with the actual, it then highlights the difference for each individual apprentice so I can see where funds have been withheld between the indicative and actual reports. I have a further report that looks at reconciling the overall funding between the two reports across the academic year and a different tab for each year so it is technically all in one place but allows me to refer back if needed and I make monthly notes of any discrepancies to refer back to. I also use reconciliation reports from our MIS (PICS) to reconcile the funding apprentice by apprentice and that highlights to me if I have any discrepancies between what my MIS thinks we should have verses both the indicative and the actual reports so I can interrogate specific students if needed. Not sure if this helps much but I don't tend to worry when reconciling ESFA funding reports about who is on a break or who's TNP has changed as this is more in my ILR data audit checks for accuracy rather than my month end reconciliations. Louise
Hi Alex,I also use the indicative and actual month end reports to reconcile my apprentices and funding, I use a mix of pivot tables in the ESFA reports themselves to look at headline finances as we...
Louise Tomkins commented,
I'm in a similar boat Darren, not been audited on it as yet but we do currently have a mix of our agreements and some of our employers where they point blank refused to sign ours (in some cases large government organisations). This part of the process takes a significant amount of time, especially when all employers we currently deal with are Levy. I have raised it with the ESFA and suggested main legal T&C's should really come from them, i.e. who the GDPR responsibilities lie with and based on the apprenticeship funding rules, with providers simply agreeing costings, delivery and any other specific agreements with the employers, but yet to receive a response, just the standard 5 day holding emails. We are currently mandating a small SLA covering all basic apprenticeship requirements, costings etc. and have stopped trying to get our full legal T&C contract signed as this is more than a full time job 'negotiating' 50+ pages of terms and conditions. We will see what the auditors say when they visit us and hope that they understand our reasoning for this decision and it is considered sufficient. Not sure this helps much but just confirms you're not alone. Louise
I'm in a similar boat Darren, not been audited on it as yet but we do currently have a mix of our agreements and some of our employers where they point blank refused to sign ours (in some cases lar...
Louise Tomkins commented,
Hi Lisa, We also have a large number of apprentices with education from another country, a degree will not provide sufficient English and/or Maths evidence, even if they have taken English and/or Maths assessments for entry to the University. We generally don't ask them to convert degree's, since we had one student quoted over £8,000 for her's to be translated, but we do ask them to obtain NARIC for high school certificates/results, in most cases Maths is comparable but English is not (unless it is as a first language which is rare). We make the apprentice responsible for applying to NARIC, in some instances the employer will pay, in others they will not and the apprentice can then either choose to pay for NARIC or complete a functional skill in the subject, to note. we do not claim FS funding for simply testing/qualifying students for English and/or Maths, which is the case for most of our Level 7 apprentices who do not already hold sufficient evidence. We have looked into paying for NARIC as an institution and compared this with the cost each apprentice would pay and unfortunately to date is has simply not been cost effective to do this. I hope this helps Kind Regards Louise
Hi Lisa,We also have a large number of apprentices with education from another country, a degree will not provide sufficient English and/or Maths evidence, even if they have taken English and/or Ma...
Louise Tomkins commented,
Ok, thanks Steve, I will await your update. Many thanks
Ok, thanks Steve, I will await your update.Many thanks
Louise Tomkins commented,
Hi Steve, Thanks for this, however, this raises another question for me that none of the guidance they refer to answers the question. If a student fails part of the first full attempt at EPA, I get we enter the achievement date and 'no achievement', but can we then update the status to 'achieved' once they have re-sat and passed (no restudy just re-take of assessment)? If we can, then do we update the achievement date too otherwise the data will suggest it was achieved on an incorrect date? Do you have an opinion on this? Many thanks Louise
Hi Steve,Thanks for this, however, this raises another question for me that none of the guidance they refer to answers the question.If a student fails part of the first full attempt at EPA, I get w...
Louise Tomkins commented,
Hi Ben, The Total TNP must match the amount in the DAS (Total of TNP1 & TNP2). Hope this helps Lou
Hi Ben,The Total TNP must match the amount in the DAS (Total of TNP1 & TNP2).Hope this helpsLou