Your hub’s funding and reporting

What is changing?
By providing English and childminding funding upfront, we have removed the need for your school to apply for a specified amount of funding and then submit invoices at the end of each term. The funding guidelines (how it can be spent) and reporting requirements have not changed.

Why are you making the change? It’s worked well for us.
In listening to hub leaders and business managers, we wanted to make it easier for you to access funds to run English classes, with childminding support where needed. The current application, approval and invoicing process requires a lot of time and work from each school. Feedback we received from schools indicated that providing English and childminding funding as part of the hub contract would streamline the process and give schools more certainty about the amount of funding available to them, and more flexibility to allow for changes during the term. This in turn makes it easier to plan English classes as part of hub activity.

How much funding will my hub have for English classes and childminding to support them?
Each school (unless they have chosen not to receive it) will receive a set amount of funding on 31 July and 31 January each year. For most schools this will be $8,000 ex-GST. For schools that have historically required a lower amount of English and childminding funding, the CHA team has worked with those schools to provide a smaller amount based on the hub’s needs.

Do I still need to submit a funding application?
No, you will have a set amount of funding provided on 31 July and 31 January each year, unless you opt out of receiving English and childminding funding. You can use the funding to pay English teachers and/or childminders supporting English classes.

If I opted out of receiving English and childminding funding, can I opt back in?
Yes, you can apply to opt back in. Approval will only be granted if you can demonstrate a need and if we have funds available.

If we don’t use all the funding in a six-month period, can we use it in the next period?
Yes. When planning English classes, confirm with your business manager how much English and childminding funding you have.

Can the funding be used for other activities where the participants speak English (eg. sewing or cooking classes)?
No. To understand what the funding can and cannot be used for, visit https://hubtoolbox.communityhubs.org.au/hub-leader-toolbox/planning-reporting/grants-scholarships/english-and-childminding-funding/ .

Click on ‘>English’ to see how English funding can and cannot be used and click on ‘>Childminding’ to see how childminding funding can and cannot be used.

Can the funding be used for other activities childminding to support other activities?
No.

Can the funding be used for resources, excursions, annual or personal leave, super etc.?
No.

Can I use childminding funding to pay a childminder to support an English class not funded by CHA?
Yes, that’s fine.

Can I use childminding funding to pay for a childminder to look after the English facilitator’s child?
The funding is to be used for a childminder to look after the children of hub participants’ attending the English class. It is fine for the childminder to look after the English facilitator’s child, but only if they are also looking after children of hub participants attending the English class. Childminding funding cannot be used for a childminder to look after the English facilitator’s child only.

Can I use funding to cover English class preparation?
Preparation and administration time for English facilitators will be covered, however it must be reasonable. For more information see the hub leader Hub Toolbox page: https://hubtoolbox.communityhubs.org.au/hub-leader-toolbox/planning-reporting/grants-scholarships/english-and-childminding-funding/

My English class is two hours in duration and my childminder needs to be paid for three hours (as a minimum requirement). Can I use the childminding funding to pay the facilitator to do other non-childminding tasks in the hub or school for the extra hour?
No. Funding can only be used to pay the childminder for the hours they are childminding which includes the setting up, and putting way, of toys and books. Payment for non-childminding activities is the responsibility of the school.

Do English teachers need to have an English teaching qualification?
For a formal English class (e.g. Certificate III in English), the English facilitator should be suitably qualified i.e. hold an adult English teaching qualification such as Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), or a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA). For an informal class, for example, conversational English, the facilitator needs to have relevant skills and experience, for example, experience in teaching adult learners. It is up to each school to decide which providers they work with.

Do childminders need to have a childcare qualification? How many children can they look after?
Childminding funding can be used to pay for childminding, not childcare. Childminders do not require special qualifications or child to worker ratios like childcare workers, who have full responsibility of the children they look after. A childminder looks after the children of hub participants and should be in the same building as the parent who remains responsible for the child’s behaviour, safety and wellbeing. Many hubs employ a hub participant as a childminder as a way of supporting them with paid employment. For many, it’s their first job in Australia.

Do I have to employ the English teacher or childminder?
That is not a requirement of the funding. Every school is different and has its own processes for working with providers. We recommend you follow the same process you do for other non-school providers who are paid to deliver services in the school.

What is the usual rate of pay for an English teacher or childminder?
Hourly rates vary widely between providers. It is up to each school to decide which providers they work with and agree together on the cost for services provided.

Do I now have a responsibility to screen all childminders?
Your responsibilities as a school do not change along with this new process of providing English and childminding funding. You should continue to follow your usual processes for screening childminders and other people on school premises that work with children.

Do I still need to request lesson plans from English providers?
This is good practice to ensure the English classes are being prepared and delivered by a teacher with suitable skills and experience, and that the primary focus is English. We may request to see the lesson plans as part of our internal checks.

If the plans for English classes change during the term (for example, there is a change in the English teacher/childminder, or we need to add another class or change the number of weeks) do we need to notify CHA?
No, the school has the autonomy to decide how to use the funding provided and to change plans as needed (provided it is within the guidelines) without having to notify CHA. You should discuss any changes with your provider and document what you have agreed to. Be sure to check the invoices at the end of term to make sure they are correct.

Do we still need to gather information about attendance and participants?
Yes, this funding from DHA has reporting requirements that still apply. Hub leaders should continue the current processes including:

• recording in Hub Portal how many adults and children attend each session
• new participants completing a visa category form each term and
• regular participants completing a measure of English progress form

Do I still need to complete a hub leader program and expenditure summary?
No, this information is now collected through the acquittal process, which your school business manager will complete, and the measure of English progress form.

Do I still need to collect quotes from my providers?
This is good practice for any provider delivering a service in your hub, however, you no longer need to submit the quotes ahead of time. We encourage you to compare the invoices you receive at the end of each term with the quote and question any discrepancies. We may request to see the quotes as part of our internal checks.

Do I still need to submit invoices from providers to CHA?
No, the school will review and pay the invoices from providers. While you no longer need to submit invoices to us at the end of each term, we may request to see the invoices as part of our internal checks.

How will hub funding and English and childminding funding be paid?
Both hub funding and English and childminding funding will be paid by separate recipient created tax invoices (RCTI). This is a payment method in which the recipient of goods or services (in this case, Community Hubs Australia) raises a purchase order on behalf of the supplier of the goods or services (in this case, your school). 

Every six months, CHA will automatically issue schools with two RCTI, payment to a nominated school bank account, and following payment, a remittance advice. Note that if your school is not receiving English and childminding funding, your school will only receive one RCTI for hub funding.

Please note: For NSW government schools – the RCTIs will be sent to your school, indicating the amount of funding your school will receive. The funds will be paid directly to EDConnect who will journal the funds directly to your school.

What does the payment process look like?
It will work in the same way it has for hub funding since 2023.

1. Before payment, your school will receive two RCTIs from accounts@communityhubs.org.au. (if you are not receiving English and childminding funding, you will receive one RCTI).

   The RCTI provides an account of the funding that will be paid to your school for the 31 July and 31 January milestone payments (as set out in your contract/MOU with us). To see an example, click hub funding RCTI example and English and childminding RCTI example. For NSW government schools, click hub funding RCTI example and English and childminding RCTI example.

2. Funds will be transferred to your nominated school bank account via electronic funds transfer (EFT) on the milestone payment date of 31 July and 31 January. For NSW government schools, funds will be transferred to EDConnect. 

3. Following payment, your school will receive a remittance advice from accounts@communityhubs.org.au confirming funds have been transferred to your school’s bank account. To see an example, click here.  For NSW government schools, EDConnect will receive the remittance advice and journal the funds directly to your school. 

Should invoices from childminders include GST?
Childminding generally does not attract GST, please confirm this with your provider.

Should invoices from English teachers include GST?
English classes may or may not attract GST (depending on whether they are registered for GST). Talk to your provider if you have questions about their invoice.

What do I do with the GST component of the RCTI?
The GST for English and childminding funding is dealt with in the same way as the GST on hub funding.

What do we do with unspent funds?
At the end of each 6-month period, you will complete an acquittal detailing how much your school has spent on both hub and English and childminding. Remaining funds can be used in the next period. If you have only used a small portion of the funds provided, and have a lot remaining, we may suggest pausing or reducing the next payment.

Do I need to acquit English and childminding funding?
Yes, you do. There are two key points in the year when your school is required to complete a financial acquittal for English and childminding funding – 31 January and 31 July. This will be a similar process to acquitting hub funding.