L A T E S T N E W S
PURPLE POST - November 2024
Welcome to the November issue of Purple Post!
The clocks have gone back, the leaves are falling, and we've just wrapped up Halloween and Diwali. But the festive season is right around the corner! To get into the holiday spirit, here are some fun, festive Teams backgrounds for you to enjoy over the next two months. Find them here!
In this issue… A summary of the Q3 update from Allan and some fantastic photos on our new Childcare SuperHero Facebook page. We celebrate October’s successes, including some fabulous testimonials and new team members joining in November. Here’s to an amazing month filled with teamwork, achievements, and plenty of reasons to celebrate, not to mention a lot of hard work in the last full month before the Christmas break!
Quarter 3 Company Update from Allan
After a challenging start this year, there’s some good news in Quarter 3!
Our sales are up compared to the same period last year, with 417 starts versus 382. Including starts from our outsourced team; September 2024 marked our highest monthly starts in company history - a massive achievement! Huge thanks go out to the Sales and Starts teams, Marketing, MIS, and everyone contributing to these referrals.
However, while we’re up for this quarter, our year-to-date numbers are still down, impacting revenue, which trails by about £1 million against our plan. A strong Q4 is crucial, and with new sales processes and staff additions, we’re well-positioned to achieve this.
In our Software and Websites division, we saw a revenue boost, thanks to Anastasia and Adele’s work with a new client, Suffolk Childcare Agency (SCA). While software revenue hasn’t risen, website provision has, which is a positive step. Marketing also had strong results with long-letter direct mail campaigns, yielding response rates two to three times above industry averages.
New welcome boxes for customers have been launched, and delivery staff have received theirs too. We’re encouraging everyone to post photos in our new Childcare SuperHero Facebook group so we can prepopulate it with activity so our customers can add to it. Additionally, feedback on the welcome boxes - positive or negative - is crucial for refining this customer experience.
Kudos to our MIS and Audit teams for keeping Dlocks (data errors with ESFA submissions) at zero this year - a big improvement from prior years when these could tie up £7,000–£10,000 monthly. Our software team also delivered two major updates this quarter, including new rules for under-3s funding and the Parent Pay feature.
What Went Well
Our completions were a mix this quarter, with some real highlights. July saw a record-breaking 158 achievers, more than doubling the numbers of the previous two years! However, completions dropped in August and September, which has set us back a bit. Moving forward, we’re focusing on supporting completions to keep the momentum going.
What Could Be Even Better
One area to improve is managing overdue completions, or OOFs (Out Of Funding). These currently hold about £500,000, impacting our ability to invest in new opportunities and adding extra work for our tutors, as learners in this category no longer bring in revenue. Addressing this will help us ease financial pressures and open the door to fresh resources for the team.
Our QAR (Quality Achievement Rate) for 2023/24 is on track to reach 55%, the same as last year, though we’re aiming for 60% to reach the ESFA “Good” rating. The gap is mainly due to withdrawals rather than completions, so we’re prioritising monthly learner check-ins and proactive support for those falling behind. With tutor caseloads recently reduced, around 22% of learners remain behind schedule, and boosting engagement here will be a key focus to help reduce OOFs.
We’re also working to reduce clawbacks, which occur when we’re missing the documentation needed to claim funds, such as learning proof. Thanks to Jo Wade’s hard work, we’ve already made great strides, but keeping up this progress will help further reduce financial impact.
Focusing on Completions
As an Independent Training Provider, completions are vital to us, both for maintaining our ESFA Quality Achievement Rate and for financial sustainability. Our goal is to maintain a QAR above 50% to keep our contract secure, and we’re targeting over 60% to qualify for “Good” standing. Falling below these standards could impact our ability to operate, so keeping a strong QAR is essential.
From a financial perspective, completions contribute around 20% of each qualification’s value - meaning about £800 for L2, £1,400 for L3, and £1,600 for L5. Completing on time is essential for these returns, which help fund staff and resources. When learners go into OOFs, our tutors continue supporting them without compensation, which can add to their workload.
Our OOFs also impact our cash flow, as covering the costs requires us to borrow at about 10% interest, which currently runs to around £50,000 annually. This limits our ability to reinvest in our team and resources. Addressing this will be key to building a financially resilient future for all.
We’re highlighting the impact of OOFs to underscore why timely completions are so helpful to our success, rather than to add any pressure. Reaching the ESFA “Good” category at 60% QAR will allow us to bring more resources into our business, making everyone’s experience even better. The management team is committed to getting completions back on track and addressing this backlog to ensure a sustainable, strong future for us all.
Childcare SuperHero Facebook Page
Please join this page and add photos of learners, their employers, and new software customers when they receive their welcome boxes! Thanks to all our own SuperHeroes who have posted photos on this page so far, they are all brilliant, thanks for your support - keep them coming!
And, if you want a cool Childcare Superhero themed background for Teams, then you can find those here!
Update from Kirsty Taylor – Training Delivery Manager, South Region
What a month October has been! We have managed to ensure all learners have active learning for the new academic year which is fabulous!! Well, done all! 😊
As the darker nights draw in and the weather gets a bit colder, we have to really dig deep to keep our mojo! But…. we have so much to celebrate and to be grateful for. We are lucky enough to work in a company that allows us that flexibility to go for a walk in the day if needed or go to appointments for ourselves or our children. This helps us keep happy and healthy, particularly in the latter months of the year.
In November I want us to remember this and ensure we are looking after ourselves! We have a big job to do with completions and at-risk learners etc, but we need to do this feeling fabulous and with energy! Let’s keep that positivity going and have an amazing November!!
EXTRA! EXTRA! The testimonials keep rolling in, and we couldn’t be more thrilled - what truly remarkable work!
October’s winner is….. Drum roll…..Rebecca MacGregor – well done, Rebecca!
We hope you enjoy spending your £50 Amazon voucher!
Who else wants to win a £50 Amazon gift card?
We’re delighted to share the fantastic testimonials coming in from our learners, employers, and settings - it’s truly heart-warming to see such positive feedback! While we’d love to showcase them all, there are simply too many to fit.
Share the love and you could win! Here are the all-important links:
https://bit.ly/MyParentaExperienceTrustPilot
https://bit.ly/MyParentaExperience
We're thrilled to share the fantastic testimonials we've been receiving from our learners, employers, and settings. It's truly heart-warming to see such positive feedback! While we'd love to list them all, there are just too many to fit! View more training and software testimonials here.
Sully F
“My tutor has been supportive and available throughout my entire course, from start to finish. She was easy to talk
to, available and very helpful. I would like to say a huge thank you to her for the help and support that was provided. I am also grateful to my Maths tutor, who was amazing at helping me remember math and was also available for support when
needed. I am happy to say that I have completed my Level 3!”
Kim C
“We have been very happy. Consistent visits and reviews. Always very quick to answer emails. Courteous via email, video links and when visiting the setting. My tutor was also a good support throughout.”
Michelle L
"I'm really happy with Parenta's services. The team members are really helpful, professional, and knowledgeable when doing the records/Zoom calls. My tutor helps in any way she can and is always there to answer my queries quickly. She is understanding and can offer advice too.”
Lisa A
“I've been doing my course with Parenta for 2 years now and I really enjoy it. The tutors are very passionate, professional and have been so lovely and supportive of me. Thank you.”
Jade K
"Parenta is really supportive of their students, Our tutor is always on the ball with the students she has, she is responsive to any feedback and always contactable.
She goes above and beyond for us as a setting and
our learners."
Grace Z
“I would love to give 5 stars to my Maths tutor. She is very patient, supportive and the most professional teacher I have ever had."
Ellie C
“My tutor has been so very helpful! She has always provided me with the support I needed to get my apprenticeship and successfully complete my goals! I truly would have struggled without her! Thanks for all your help!”
Jillian C
“I did my Childcare Level 3, Early Years Educator with Parenta a while back, and I can honestly say my tutor was the best. She was friendly, professional and supportive. I received my certificate 3 weeks after passing my PD. I loved that they had free online webinar classes.”
Well done, keep them coming!
Resources to help us, our learners, and our settings
A reminder that all Parenta resources can be found
here on our staff intranet, all in one handy place.
We publish additional industry expert advice, news articles and crafts in our free
magazine and on our
blog.
Here are last month’s How to Guides and documents
which have been added to the staff intranet:
We welcomed to our Parenta Family in October:
28th - Megan Adams, Early Years Training Consultant
Welcoming to our Parenta Family in November:
4th - Charlotte Gower, Early Years Tutor
18th - Frances Rogers, Early Years Tutor
18th - Laura Barlow, Early Years Tutor