What us acceptable to accept notice of reduction in hours/days?

What is acceptable it's meant to say!
I ask parents to give me 4 weeks written notice if ending the contract or just reducing any days or hours. I have always just expected a parent to do this via hand writing a short letter and signing it along with the date,and then posting it to me or handing it to me. Do you think an email from a parent to me is acceptable? Or even a text message? I mean just to reduce the hours. A parent wants to drop a day and I'm unsure whether to say I will accept an email of confirmation rather than hand written and handed to me. I personally don't think a text message is acceptable and I can't print it off. What do you all think? Should I get parent to then sign the email or would their name printed on the email be ok? If I got her to sign it then that's an extra 2 days added onto the notice period as I won't see her until Wednesday. This is just for a reduction in hours not to end the contract. Thanks

For me it would depend on the relationship with the parents and how much of a problem the reduction of hours is for me.

Assuming I was willing to accept the new hours, I would reply by email (I never put important stuff in texts)-

'Thanks for letting me know you wish to reduce hours to xxxx from xxx date. Can you please put that in a short signed letter for my records. And we need to meet to update and sign both copies of our contracts with the new hours.'

I'd also be saying in future all change requests should be on paper and maybe mentioning it in my newsletter too for all parents.

But, actually, I would be a bit annoyed parents didn't discuss with me first and ask if it would be OK to change hours at all...

Thanks. Parent briefly discussed it with me last week but via text messages. She was then going to have a think.perhaps she didn't want to ring me today to tell me and mentioned it again via a text rather than bothering me on a bank holiday,as I am off work. It's not a problem atall to reduce the hours but just not good on my bank account!! Mum is nice enough.

Personally I wouldn't be bothered whether it was in writing or not. If hours were being reduced I would rewrite my contract and have the new date on it them everything is covered

i agree I have changed contracts with some sets of parents many times. we discuss, I put it in writing in a letter and do a new contract OR and amendment to contract letter.:thumbsup:

I'll often take verbal notice to change a contract. I discuss it with parents, tell them I'll think about their request, then write up a letter saying thank you for your request to amend our contract. I confirm that as from X date the new terms/hours/ fess etc will be.

They sign a copy of the letter and I staple it to their contract.

Personally, I don't worry about written notice for anything. Verbal is always OK for me and I put it in writing afterwards.

As a contract is a legal document, all changes should be in writing....ie signed letter or amended/new contract. Also, texts can be changed to an e mail format and you can print them off for your records. Depending on your phone....mine is a Samsung....open the text....hold your finger on the message until Message Options pop up....press Forward....Enter in E Mail Address....Press Send. Now you have a written version of your text!

Everyone's circumstances can change how they tell you doesn't really matter, they probably wanted to let you know as soon as possible hence the text. If you want them to stay as friendly clients then I would just get on with it and you have no choice but to accept it, I don't really see what the problem is.

I accept it any way they give it then just write a note up myself and get them to sign when I see them.

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Originally Posted by Snowwhite

What is acceptable it's meant to say!
I ask parents to give me 4 weeks written notice if ending the contract or just reducing any days or hours. I have always just expected a parent to do this via hand writing a short letter and signing it along with the date,and then posting it to me or handing it to me. Do you think an email from a parent to me is acceptable? Or even a text message? I mean just to reduce the hours. A parent wants to drop a day and I'm unsure whether to say I will accept an email of confirmation rather than hand written and handed to me. I personally don't think a text message is acceptable and I can't print it off. What do you all think? Should I get parent to then sign the email or would their name printed on the email be ok? If I got her to sign it then that's an extra 2 days added onto the notice period as I won't see her until Wednesday. This is just for a reduction in hours not to end the contract. Thanks

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It depends on what is on your contract and both parties should follow the agreement
Regardless of the relationship between CM and parents the terms must be 'professional'...I doubt any off the shelf contract says it is acceptable to get a termination via text or email...if parents send it to you this way ask them to put it in a formal letter and sign it and follow the required period of termination


A termination requires the signatures of all the parties who have originally agreed the hours of care in the contract...so both parents must sign and CM countersign in acceptance recording the date the letter is received by you not the date it is written
Be very careful if the change in hours relates to funded hours as your LA should be informed and at times funding paid back

Good luck

Thanks all