Why this comes up
LAs audit childminders' registers and cross-reference them against submitted funding claims. Where you have an assistant, this often includes checking your assistant's working pattern to confirm your ratios were correctly met while you were claiming funded hours for those children.
This isn't unusual or a sign you've done something wrong. It's a normal part of how LAs verify funding claims, and it's becoming more common as claim volumes grow. Being ready for it just means you can answer quickly and confidently if it happens.
What you need to have in place before and what LAs may ask to see
Your assistant must be fully approved before they count toward your ratio.
An assistant cannot work in the setting, in any capacity, until they are approved by tiney. This includes volunteering, working whilst supervised, or any form of working with the children. An assistant is only fully registered by tiney when the following requirements are complete:
They've completed the required suitability and DBS checks
tiney has confirmed their registration as your assistant
If your LA finds that an assistant was working at your setting before being fully approved, any funding claims you have made for that period may be called into question
Your ratios must be met for every session you claim for. As a reminder, when working alone, you can care for up to 6 children under 8, no more than 3 under 5, and no more than 1 under 1. An approved assistant can increase the number of children you're able to care for, but the exact numbers depend on your own registration, so check with us if you're not sure what applies to you.
If your assistant works at more than one setting, that's fine, but it means an LA checking your ratios will want to see evidence of exactly when they were working at your setting specifically, not just that they're registered with you. Each setting is responsible for evidencing its own ratio compliance independently.
How to be ‘evidence ready’
Log your assistant's working days and hours daily, so it's accurate at the time rather than reconstructed later
Keep this up to date every week
If your assistant works elsewhere too, have a clear understanding between you of their pattern at the other setting, so there's no ambiguity if an LA asks either of you to confirm it
If an LA does query a claim, having this ready means you can respond straight away with clear evidence, rather than it turning into a longer investigation.
Need help?
If you're ever unsure whether your ratios are correctly met, whether your assistant is fully approved to be counted, or how to respond to an LA query about a funding claim, get in touch with the funding team. We'd rather help you get this right before a claim is questioned than after.