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AGMs
Access Canberra has applied a 3-month extension to all ACT Incorporated Associations who are due to hold an Annual General Meeting. This means that P&Cs with a calendar year as their operating year (almost all), now have until the end of August to have their AGMs. This may be extended further if COVID19 restrictions continue. The extension has been automatically applied - you do not need to contact Access Canberra to arrange the extension.
The delay in your AGM will mean that the current Executive Committee continues to stand. If this does not suit the people in those positions, the current Executive can pass a motion to allow Office Bearers to resign from their positions and allow new volunteers to act in the executive positions. Alternatively, you can hold your AGM online following this guide.
See also 'Reporting to Government' below.
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Other meetings - online?
Your constitutional requirements for one or two meetings per term should continue to be met by conducting these meetings online - as long as your constitution does not forbid it. Possible platforms are explored below. Always note the following:
- check your constitution does not exclude online meetings. Contact us if you are uncertain about interpreting the wording of your constitution
- make sure that you comply with the notice requirements for the meeting. This is especially important when changing from an in-person meeting to an online meeting (usually 14 days prior to a general meeting)
- make sure all members have the chance to be involved. Advise how people can participate (do they need to email for a code?), how they can speak at the meeting, or how to submit a question beforehand if applicable. Is there a way you can help people who are less tech-savvy (eg provide someone's phone number to talk people through the process of joining the meeting)
- ensure that key documents (agenda, reports, budget, minutes) are available to all, either through document sharing on your online meeting platform, or by email beforehand
- test the online platform first and iron out any technical problems.
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Webinar on making online meetings work
Founder and CEO of Fifty Acres, Jo Scard, shares her insights on how to communicate within teams and externally through effective online meetings in a free 45-minute webinar on April 8. She’ll discuss your concerns and challenges, and share solutions, best practice and tools that you can immediately put into place to enhance communication when working remotely.
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Google Hangouts Meet
We understand that next term, schools are likely to enable classes and teachers to video conference via Google Hangouts Meet. We have asked the Directorate to consider whether this roll out could include all school P&Cs. They are investigating the feasibility of this at the moment. We are hoping it might provide one system for all P&Cs - and one our kids can help us use!! Watch this space.
If your P&C subscribes to the full Google business suite ('G suite' which you can do for free as a not for profit as explained here or see this oldish but still relevant article) you can already access Google Hangouts Meet as a way to meet up with your P&C colleagues. We know that the P&C at Kingsford Smith School tried it last week and, with video off for some participants, it worked well. This cheat sheet shows how to set up and run meetings with Hangouts Meet.
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Microsoft Teams
Council subscribes to Microsoft Office 365 for our email and other Apps including Teams. Last week we trialled Teams for our online meetings and found it worked well. Microsoft Office 365 is available on both free and discounted plans to not-for-profits. There are free training sessions to help.
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Zoom
Zoom video conferencing works well on a range of devices and is free. This short YouTube explainer will help you familiarise yourself. Some people are finding that the maximum of 40 minute meetings (for the free plan) has been waived during this pandemic.
Council is investigating providing a full service subscription which we can make available to all our member parent associations (that's you!) free of charge. This will depend on the outcome of the Directorate's Good Hangouts roll out (above). We will update everyone when details are finalised.
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Reporting to Government
If you've been unable to have your AGM, your annual reporting to Government will also be delayed. (All other P&Cs should by now have completed their reporting obligations - detailed in the link above). But there is good news. If your P&C is a registered charity, the ACNC has moved all reporting deadlines to August 31, so you have more time to get your Annual Information Statement completed online.
If your P&C is Not a registered charity, we are still waiting to hear confirmation that there will be no fees for later than normal submission of the AR form, in line with later AGMs.
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Big decisions
This time of change calls for big decisions. We shared some general tips for decision making in uncertain times in Council Communicator two weeks ago. The biggest one is to go back to your goals - let them guide what your P&C looks like now.
In order to comply with your P&C's governance obligations, please also note the following.
- Ensure your organisation is complying with the latest Government advice and restrictions.
- It is up to your Association's Office Bearers to make decisions about the future of the association. These should be ratified in meetings wherever possible. Please do contact us if you would like to talk through options.
- Keep good records of all circumstances and decisions made.
- Will you be solvent? Your P&C must not continue to operate when not financially solvent. Office Bearers are responsible for considering your Association's financial obligations and how they will be met. Examine your financial position and various possible future scenarios. If you are worried that your P&C could run out of funds to meet your obligations, please contact us .
- If you will be dipping into savings/reserves to finance your association at this time, make sure those funds are not set aside for specific purposes, such as grants.
The ACNC has information for Charities and other not-for-profits about operating during the COVID19 crisis, and are adding more information and tips all the time.
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Assistance available
There are measures established to help not for profits and small businesses (which many of our P&Cs function as) through the current crisis.
Webinar for Not-for-Profits
AuSAE are running a webinar on Protecting Your Organisation During Covid-19, covering your responsibilities and what help you may access to weather this storm. The ACNC recorded a similar webinar for registered charities.
Check your bank
Many banks are offering financial assistance such as waiving account keeping or other fees. Contact your bank to discuss. We'd love to hear if you find help so we can share the news - drop us an email .
Financial assistance for employers
See next section of this bulletin, below.
Business Support Line
Canberra Business Advice and Support Service is offering small businesses impacted by the health emergency, one-on-one business management advice. You can make a booking with this service by calling 6297 3121.
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Insurance
Renewal forms for your P&C insurance will be sent to you by Civic Insurance in late April/early May and should be completed and submitted to them by 1 June at the latest. However, we appreciate that it may be difficult to fill in some of the figures given the current COVID19 restrictions on your activities. Consequently, we will give you further advice on this matter when the renewal forms are emailed to you. We will take account of reduced P&C income due to fewer fund raising opportunities, less exposure to liability etc.
The P&C Council will be working with Civic Insurance and the underwriters to provide you with the appropriate level of insurance that you will need in the next financial year and at the best possible cost. Any questions can be directed to Terry Sanders.
Employers working from home are still covered by Workers Compensation Insurance as long as the working from home arrangements have been formalised in writing, outlining duties and how any risks are being managed.
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Council affiliation fees - deferred and subsidised
To assist member P&C/PPA associations during the restrictions imposed by the COVID19 precautions, the P&C Council Executive has approved the deferment of affiliation fees for P&C/PPA associations until 31 January 2021. Consequently, affiliation fee invoices will not be issued until December this year. Additionally, the Executive has agreed that at that time the fees will be subsidised by government payments that Council expects to receive.
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After school care
Council has been working closely with our 9 P&C operated Out of Hours School Care (OOSH) services, ensuring they have access to up-to-date information.
The ACT Education Directorate have announced a 3-month waiver of licence fees (rent) to support OOSH providers impacted by COVID-19.
The Federal Government announced a Child Care Subsidy (CCS) amendment for an extra 20 days allowable absences (to a total of 62 days) and any absences on top of 62 days will not require a medical certificate.
In addition, the OOSH and Childcare services regulator (CECEA) is representing the ACT in national working group trying to resolve the complex issue of the viability of services and charging of fees to families and Child Care Subsidy (CCS). Currently services are prevented from claiming the CCS without also charging fees to families. This is likely to affect services' ability to continue operations and meet their obligations to employees. We ask families to be patient and speak to their service if they are experiencing financial hardship.
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Your obligations, and making decisions
With most P&C services closed or reduced, you need to be aware of your obligations to staff and the right processes to use in determining leave, pay or standing down staff. Council's employer guide for P&Cs during COVID has been corrected and updated. Justice Connect also have this good explainer.
There is significant government support available - see items below. The idea is to help you retain your staff and pay them, even if there is no work required. The P&C needs to remain functioning and canteen staff need to be available to work if required while they are being paid even though the canteen is closed. It would be a good idea for the canteen manager/staff to do some administrative or maintenance work eg maybe a thorough clean of the canteen, checking paperwork or even doing some online searching of suppliers of green foods etc.
Employers working from home are still covered by Workers Compensation Insurance as long as the working from home arrangements have been formalised in writing, outlining duties and how any risks are being managed.
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Boosting cash flow support
P&Cs managing school canteens, uniform shops, OSHC service or other ventures employing staff will receive 'Boosting Cash Flow' payments after submitting their March quarter or monthly BAS or IAS to the ATO. The program has been extended and updated.
The ATO will automatically calculate your payment from the March BAS/IAS and pay it as a credit in the Activity Statement system (which can then be accessed as a refund). The minimum your P&C will get is $10,000 paid on 28 April. If your P&C is withholding tax the amount paid to you by the ATO will be based on a different formula and could be higher than the minimum $10,000. The maximum is $100,000. See this explainer for Not-for-Profits.
Based on the funding you receive in April and your ongoing wages bill, you should be able to identify how long you can keep staff on. Your P&C does Not need to be a registered charity (with ACNC) to access these payments.
Details on the ATO website or see this webinar (about the 13 minute mark) which looks specifically at charities and Not for Profits. If you are unsure whether you qualify, contact the ATO's not-for-profit help line 1300 130 248 (patience required!).
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JobKeeper Payment
Details about this subsidy, announced by the Federal Government on Monday have just appeared on the ATO website. Legislation to enact this payment has not passsed yet, so fine details are not available.
Not-for-Profits (that is, all our P&Cs) whose turnover has been reduced by more than 30% (relative to the same period last year) are eligible to receive a payment of $1500 a fortnight for each employee (employed as at March 1; casuals must have worked for more than 12 months).
If the employee usually receives $1500 or more per fortnight (before tax), they must continue to receive their regular income and the JobKeeper Payment will act as a wage subsidy. If an employee ordinarily receives less than $1500 per fortnight (before tax) they must now be paid a minimum of $1500 per fortnight (before tax).
The subsidy will apply from 30 March, with the first payments to be received by employers in the first week of May. Businesses will be able to register their interest from 30 March in participating in the Payment.
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Deferred obligations
To further assist businesses, you can apply to the ATO to defer activity statements, superannuation payments or tax obligations and lodgement. Call 1800 806 218 to arrange.
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Do you need more help?
Council is keen to support P&Cs making hard decisions about staff. Please email your questions to us, and we will try our best to answer or call you back to discuss. If there is demand, we could run an online Q&A session. Would you be interested in such a session? yes no
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COVID19 & school - questions and answers...
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Directorate FAQ
The Education Directorate have updated and expanded their FAQ to include more of your questions.
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College students
There are still lots of questions from parents about Year 12 certificates and ATAR scores which are yet to be clearly answered. The best information to date is an update posted by the Education Minister on Facebook Monday 30 March - provided below. We have passed on your feedback that more detail and information in this area is needed.
Yvette Berry: "Year 11 and 12 can already be a really challenging time for students working towards their ACT Senior Secondary Certificate and COVID-19 has certainly added to the stress.
ACT public colleges are well placed to continue to deliver courses online, as well as supporting the wellbeing of students. Every public college student has access to a Chromebook provided by the ACT Government and colleges are working hard to make sure learning and assessment can continue.
The government is also working to make sure every student has internet access at home—more will come on this soon.
Every ACT public school has access to a school psychologist and will continue to provide a high level of support for college students.
I know many of you are concerned about how this will affect ATAR scores and university admissions. The ACT’s Senior Secondary Certificate, unlike other states and territories, uses results from school based assessment in both year 11 and year 12. Our system gives a lot of flexibility for assessment schedules and types to be adjusted by schools and still meet the requirements of the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies.
ACT senior secondary students can be confident that if they meet the requirements, they will receive the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate. The question of how the ATAR and university admissions will work this year is a national issue. Education Ministers have agreed that it is important to resolve this question urgently, and that no senior secondary student should be disadvantaged.
We want to see students succeed and to support them through whatever challenges they face. We’ll keep you updated as we work through this."
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Other language translations
We have passed on your concerns about the need for key Education Directorate communications about online schooling to be provided in languages other than English. We understand that some work is happening towards this.
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Specialist schools
Please note that specialist schools are open to their families to provide supported care. The Directorate are looking at ways they can continue to provide support to families.
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Contacting Council
Our Hackett office is now closed and staff will be working from home. Because of this, we will not be monitoring the phone or phone messages. Please continue to send your questions and enquiries to us by email: contact@actparents.org.au and someone will get back to you within 1 business day. We are also happy to give you a call back if your enquiry is more complex and better suited to a conversation than email.
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You might be interested...
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Explaining COVID to kids
Enlist the ABC Playschool gang to help explain to little ones this Thursday (April 2), in a special episode live on Facebook, check this simple WHO helper, or see the Wellbeing Resources for Students and Families on the ACT Education Directorate's COVID19 page.
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Get someone else to read the kids a book!
Storyline Online features celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creative illustrations.
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Financial assistance
If you know people who are hurting financially at the moment, Money Smart has this great summary of the many local and federal assistance packages available.
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51 things to do before you're 12!
Nature Playlists have a bunch of lists here to keep the kids busy!
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