Sending Submissions to Parents

Sending to Parents

Before a submission can be sent to parents, it must pass validation checks. The system validates that all required information is complete.

Validation Requirements

The following requirements must be met before a submission can be marked as ready and sent to parents:

Child Information (Required)

• Child's first name
• Child's last name
• Child's date of birth
• At least one parent/guardian linked to the child
• Primary parent/guardian has an email address

Nursery Configuration (Required)

• Nursery name is configured
• At least one active manager registered for the nursery
• Local Authority name is configured

Funding Details (Required)

• Funding details configured for the submission
• Funded hours per week specified (greater than 0)

Attendance Sessions (Required)

• At least one funded attendance session configured for the child
• Total funded session hours must match the hours being claimed

Warnings (Non-blocking)

These items generate warnings but won't prevent sending:

• No primary contact designated (first parent will receive invite)
• Nursery phone number not configured
• Nursery email not configured
• Authorised signatory name not configured
• Company name not configured in system settings

Steps to Send

1. Open the submission from the submissions list
2. Review that all pre-filled information is correct
3. Click 'Mark Ready' to validate and prepare the submission
4. If validation passes, click 'Send to Parent'
5. The parent will receive a notification with a secure link

What Parents Receive

Parents receive:

• A notification (email/SMS) with a secure link
• Instructions on what they need to complete
• A 7-day deadline to complete the submission

Bulk Send to Parents

You can send multiple submissions to parents at once:

1. On the Submissions list, filter by Status: Ready for Parent (or Draft)
2. Select the submissions you want to send using the checkboxes
3. Click 'Bulk Send' in the actions area
4. Confirm the action to send all selected submissions

Notifications are sent in batches to avoid overloading the email system.

Resending Notifications

If a parent hasn't received or has lost their link, you can resend the notification from the submission detail page.

Fixing Validation Errors

If validation fails, you'll see a list of errors. Common fixes include:

• Missing attendance sessions: Go to the child's profile > Attendance tab and add funded sessions
• Hours mismatch: Ensure the funded session hours match the hours per week in funding details
• Missing parent email: Update the parent's contact details in the child's profile
• No manager: Assign at least one staff member as a manager in Nursery settings

Verification Codes

When sent to parents:

• A unique 8-character verification code is generated
• The code expires after 7 days
• Parents use this code to access their specific submission
• If expired, a new code can be regenerated by resending