Version 3.40

Click here to find answers to common queries and tasks in Infocare

Infocare version 3.40 contains new enhancements and innovations designed to streamline administration and management of your services.

Please read this release notice carefully as it contains information which is important for your service.

Specifically, this new version introduces a fully automated integration between Infocare and Xero accounting, as well as some minor changes to teacher ratio displays to comply with recent wording changes in the Ministry of Education funding handbook.

1. Xero Integration

The new automated Xero integration process caters for Invoices and Credit Notes that have been created in Infocare to be exported to the Xero accounting packaged . This function is optional. If this option is selected, customers (Bill Payers in Infocare) who have not previously been defined in Xero will automatically be created in Xero.

Additionally, the new Xero integration process can import bank transactions from Xero into Infocare.  Once payments have been imported from Xero, they can be matched to child accounts using the Batch Receipts facility in Infocare. The Batch Receipts facility in Infocare will maintain a record of "Matches", so when similar future payments are received, they will automatically be matched to the correct child account.

Both the export of Invoices/Credit Notes and the importation of bank transactions are optional. When setting up the Xero interface, please inform the Infocare staff if you would like invoices/credit notes to be exported to xero or not, and also if you would like to import payments from Xero or not.

Both the export of Invoices/Credit Notes and the import of bank transactions can be either automated to run daily, or they can be set to run manually. 

Invoices which are copied to Xero may be allocated to a specific account code in Xero. To do this, modify the relevant fee structures and products in Infocare and enter the Xero account code into the "ledger Code" field. I.E. you may wish to simply allocate all fees and products to a single account code in Xero (e.g. 200), or you may wish to allocate under 2 fees to a specific account code and over 2 fees to a different account code.

Please note that it is important for the Bank Reference field to be included with transactions which are sent from Xero to Infocare. Please ensure that you have enabled this in Xero under "User Settings", and ensure that the field "Cash Coding" is checked.

To access the New Xero integration setup screen, from the main navigation bar in Infocare, select "Billing" "Xero" "Get Xero Authorisation". You will then be presented with the usual Xero login screen. Once you have then logged in to Xero, you will be asked whether you are authorising Infocare to access your Xero account. You will need to repeat this process once every year.

To view payment details, from the main navigation bar in Infocare, select "Billing" "Xero" "View Payments"

2. Changes to MoE Funding Handbook 50% regulation wording

Recently, MoE has revised the wording in the Funding Handbook to clarify requirements around the 50% regulation.

To cater for this wording change, we have changed certain screens in Infocare where the required ratios were displayed.  Previously, we displayed the teacher ratio for every 15 minutes of the day.

On the Ratio View screens in Infocare, the 2 rows "Counted in 50% Reg" and "%0% Regulation" have been removed. These have been replaced with a comment highlighted in green or red indicating whether the regulation has been met or not.  The comments are now also displayed on the Noticeboard.

Below is a sample display

You have 12 ECE qualified Teachers employed at your service and you require only 2 to meet the 50% regulation.

The funding handbook now says:

https://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/employment/qualification-requirements/

Teacher-led centre-based and Hospital-based services:

At least 50% of required staff must have a recognised ECE teaching qualification.

Teachers need not be employed full-time to count towards the 50% requirement. A part-time teacher with a recognised ECE teaching qualification can be counted at a maximum of two different licensed services.

This is because the requirement for 50% qualified ECE staff does not have to be maintained at all times throughout the day.

A service can count one person who is in their final year of study towards the 50% requirement, provided they are enrolled in an approved programme that will result in a recognised ECE teaching qualification.

Where 50% does not equate to a whole number, services must round up.

Required staff is calculated depending on a service’s licence class (i.e. probationary, or full/provisional). For services on a probationary licence the 50% is calculated and maintained based on the number of children enrolled. For services on a full or provisional licence the 50% is calculated on the number

of teachers required to meet ratios based on the maximum number of children specified on the licence (licence maximum).  

3. Child Selection

Some additional information including account details, current timetable details and contact details are displayed on this screen for the selected child.