Following on from previous guidance given regarding the Mutual Fund and the COVID-19 pandemic, further guidance to clarify claim validity is provided below.
Please note that no amount can be claimed in respect of a member of staff who has been furloughed.
The Mutual Fund allows claims for reimbursement under the COVID-19 pandemic, where the school has suffered additional expense for supply cover or overtime to cover a member of staff who is absent, due to COVID-19.
If a member of staff has the virus, or is self-isolating, but are not required at the school as either the school is closed, or the school has covered the position with another member of staff, then a claim would not be valid in this circumstance.
It is understood that where schools are open, a number are currently operating a rota-based system for staff. In these cases, there will likely be sufficient cover within the teacher and support staff pool available for the school to draw from when required. In this scenario, a Mutual Fund claim would not be valid as teaching and support staff cover would be available and no additional expense would be incurred relating to the absence.
When making a claim via the Mutual Fund Claim form, where a claim relates to COVID-19, please clearly note this in text box 11b.
Please note that this guidance will be subject to change, in line with the changing Government-issued guidelines as the situation evolves.
If there are any queries relating to the above, please contact our Mutual Fund Team: finance.financeschoolsmutualfund-mailbox@devon.gov.uk