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He Pānui Kōhungahunga
Special Bulletin for Auckland – 3 February 2023

03 February 2023
Home
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he pānui kōhungahunga

He Pānui Kōhungahunga

Special Bulletin for Auckland – 3 February 2023
FOREWORD

Kia ora koutou,

A short bulletin today that responds to common queries that we have received and gives you information to help stay up to date with the current situation. 

Noho ora mai,

Iona

Managing staff

We know that the safety and wellbeing of your staff is a top priority, especially given the effects of recent events in Tāmaki Makaurau. 

While a number of early learning services may remain closed due to the state of emergency, all employees – including teachers and non-teaching staff – should continue to be paid as normal. You will have advised these employees of their hours (and weeks) of work for 2023 in line with their employment agreement and these continue to apply. 

This includes day-to-day relievers and non-teaching casual staff who were booked in or otherwise engaged on the day/s the early learning service is closed.

We have prepared some information about staffing and pay to support you. 

Staffing frequently asked questions [DOCX, 64 KB]

Funding settings for the Auckland region: Monday 30 January to Tuesday 7 February

Emergency closure funding

Emergency closure funding can be automatically claimed by services that closed at any time in the Auckland region during Monday 30 January to Tuesday 7 February. 

Services do not need to contact their local Te Mahau office to claim emergency closure funding during this time.

Under an emergency closure, funding is claimed using the booked hours for permanently enrolled children. Services will need to ensure that they have entered the Emergency Closure (EC) code into their student management system or ELI web before submitting their RS7 return.

Emergency closure: Home-based services

Home-based services may claim funding if the home of an educator is unavailable to provide care in the Auckland region. 

Funding can be claimed by marking a child as being absent. Educator absences do not need to be considered during the 30 January to 7 February 2023 period.

Absence funding

Early learning services may claim absence funding for children not in attendance if the service is open as normal. 

Services should mark the child as absent, and funding will be claimed for the booked hours of permanently enrolled children who are marked as absent. 

Funding may not be claimed for casually enrolled children who do not attend.

EC12 absence exemption: Frequent absence and continuous absence rules

Services in the Auckland region can automatically apply an absence exemption in their student management system for permanently enrolled children who are no longer eligible for frequent absence or continuous absence funding and are absent at any time during the 30 January to 7 February 2023 period.

When an absence exemption is applied, the frequent absence and three-week continuous absence rules are suspended. While the absence exemption is in place, funding can be claimed as normal for the booked hours of children with a permanent enrolment. 

Funding must not be claimed for children who have left your service.

Dual enrolments

There may be cases where a child needs to attend a service other than their enrolled service. If the services are not operated by the same service provider, then both services can claim funding for that child. 

If a child needs to attend a different service operated by the same service provider, then only one service should claim funding for that child. 

To manage this requirement, we advise service providers to only claim funding at the child’s permanently enrolled service. Enrolment and attendance records should still be maintained at the service the child is attending.

If the child permanently enrolls in the new service, the child’s enrolment should be updated to reflect the change. Funding should not be claimed if a child has left your service.

New enrolments

Funding can be claimed for children from the agreed start date, as long as there is a completed enrolment agreement signed and dated prior to 30 January 2023.

The requirement for a service to maintain a letter from parent/guardian explaining the absence to claim funding for children who do not attend on their agreed start date has been removed for the 30 January to 7 February 2023 period.

Funding must not be claimed if a parent/guardian unenrolls their child.

New services

Services who were scheduled to open during the 30 January to 7 February 2023 period can claim funding for any permanently enrolled child.

Funding can be claimed by the service entering an emergency closure code in their student management system or ELI web if they that close during this time.

For services that are open, absence funding can be claimed. Please apply the advice regarding new enrolments for any children who were unable to attend on their planned start date.

Ventilation in early learning services

Making sure indoor spaces are well ventilated and have lots of fresh air is recommended for services. Good ventilation helps slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

The best way to maximise ventilation is to open all windows and doors as much as possible, and whenever it is practical to do so. The exception to this is spaces that are fitted with ducted air conditioning systems (excluding heat pumps), which do not rely on opening windows to bring in fresh air.

Follow our guidance to fine-tune your service’s ventilation strategies to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures while achieving good ventilation. 

You will find a range of guidance from naturally ventilated in different weather conditions, portable air cleaners and ducted, mechanically ventilated space.

Ventilation guidance – Te Mahau

Severe weather event education update

The Secretary for Education has lifted the Direction made on Monday 30 January for schools and other education providers for providers to close until Tuesday 7 February in response to the Auckland weather emergency. That took effect from Wednesday 1 February.

You can find updated information on weather issues in the regions, and contacts for civil defence and MSD on our website:

Severe weather event education update – Ministry of Education

 

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