Sure Start nursery backed down on offer of place over money?

Gingham_Ribbon

Is there any come back on this?

A good friend has had a longstanding agreement to pay off fees for her daughter's place at a sure start nursery. There was a small amount outstanding (less than £30) which they asked to be cleared by the middle of last month. My friend said that she could pay it a few days later, on payday but she couldn't do it before that date and the member of staff agreed to this.

My friend made the payment in full the day after payday.

The nursery are now saying that the arrangement wasn't made at all and the member of staff is denying agreeing to let her pay on pay day.

They have withdrawn the place her 2 year old was allocated over this. There is no alternative provision nearby. The outstanding debt had been regularly paid by agreement and was a result of her husband having to take a few months off sick from a job that didn't pay sick pay.

Is there anything she can do about this? Thanks.

pandora205

Wasn't your friend given a receipt for the money? If not this is a difficult situation as it would be her word against the member of staff's.

I would expect a nursery to have a formal way to accept payments via their office, not via the nursery nurses. If not this all seems very casual and not as would be expected. Is the nursery run by the Local Authority - If so, your friend could call them, If not, they would still be approving the setting for funding so will worth a try. I'd start with the Head of Early Years (Assistant Director or whatever) and work downwards.

Gingham_Ribbon

They're not disputing that she gave them the money - they're just saying she was too late paying.

thanks.

Gingham_Ribbon

Al_Mac wrote: »

Bit like the banks, if you are a pain, they ask you to leave. Might not seem fair to your friend, but she's the one they appear to have to chase.

I knew someone would say something like this. To be honest, I'm surprised it was you.

They don't have to 'chase' her. They had an arrangement and she had one final payment to make which she made a deal to pay on a certain date. Which she did.

Also, can a surestart nursery withdraw an offer of a place to a child because they think the mother is a 'pain'? (Genuine question.)

Gingham_Ribbon

S'okay. They're a lovely family and I don't like to see them getting shafted.

mrcow

I would think that her first recourse is a written complaint the nursery and then if no joy, onto Ofsted. I had a complaint about a nursery and iirc, this was the process to follow. I have to say though that Ofsted were terrible and never followed up my complaint (which was quite serious).

Their actions seem more than a little odd given the circumstances. Are you sure you've been given all of the story? as it wouldn't sem to be in the best interests of the nursery if they remove the place after the debt has been settled?

pandora205

Ah right. I'm surprised they are withdrawing the place for a few days late payment. This does seem excessive (unless it is a repeating pattern). I think in these circumstances your friend's best approach to to explain how she couldn't manage to pay earlier due to her circumstances and to appeal to the compassion of the nursery manager.

If she doesn't have success with this approach, she could do as I advised - i.e. phone the Early Years department in your council. This is more likely to get a response than Ofsted.

Gingham_Ribbon

She can pay each month in advance for her son. The problems arose due to unavoidable circumstances caused by illness. Once a place is offered, is it legal to withdraw it like this?

They claim they wrote to her on the day it was 'due' to say that the place was withdrawn, though she hasn't received the letter (we're only talking a matter of days) and the due date she was given isn't the same one they are claiming. The woman who accepted her offer to pay on pay day is denying they had the conversation.

Gingham_Ribbon

She said that ofsted don't deal with this sort of thing because it's financial. I don't know if that's right or not.

There's no history of late payment to my knowledge.

duchy

Probably legal-she signed some kind of agreement presumably when the child started.
Morally a bit shaky and in all honesty does she want her child in an enviroment where money is the deciding factor in all things ?
I'd probably complain to the local council as they licence nursuries but all in all I'd consider my child better out of it.

Gingham_Ribbon

duchy wrote: »

Probably legal-she signed some kind of agreement presumably when the child started.
Morally a bit shaky and in all honesty does she want her child in an enviroment where money is the deciding factor in all things ?
I'd probably complain to the local council as they licence nursuries but all in all I'd consider my child better out of it.

It's nice to have a choice, and I agree with you, but like I said, there is no other provision and it would be a shame for him to miss out on early years tuition because of this.

Re the legal side - she hasn't signed an agreement for THIS child, so he is being effectively 'punished' for something that is nothing to do with him or his place there.