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SIMS 7 - Wales Only - FSM Transitional Protection Update

Scope

  • Wales Only
  • SIMS 7 Only
  • Dinner Money

We have previously referred to this as Universal Credit Transitional Protection which has now been renamed to FSM Transitional Protection in CBDS ref 190183.

Screen showing UCTP application date

** Prototype Screen ** Screen may change ** 

We have added a 'read only' date field which records when a pupil in Wales has the FSM Transitional Protection (FSM-TP) flag set.  The date is set next to the check box will be either on:

  • The date of the upgrade to the SIMS 7 2020 Summer release is completed and the FSM-TP flag is already set,
  • (or) the date when either:
    • Data in the SIMS Screen(s) is edited to set the FSM-TP flag. 
    • CTF (or other import) sets the FSM-TP flag.

Once set it can't be edited.  It will be used to ensure that all SIMS Dinner Money Meal Charge Calculations apply the equivalent rules as if the pupil had a current FSM entitlement in SIMS on or after that date.

There is a grey for some pupils in Wales where:

  • Previous versions of SIMS are in use
  • The FSM-TP flag is set
  • Meal costs are calculated (Because they would have previously be charged)

We don't believe that this will impact on technical integrators (TIs) who extract meal charges from SIMS Dinner Money 7, however the aim is to avoid confusion when TIs  see the change in the release.

The bigger issues for TIs are:

  • Cashless catering providers need to extract the FSM-TP flag and to treat this as an equivalent entitlement to normal FSM records, as far as we are aware FSM-TP in Wales is not supported by all suppliers as of 20/04/2020.
  • COVID-19 is almost certainly going to increase the number of unemployed people and in turn lead to more pupils with an FSM entitlement,  If the economy picks up and these people return to work then the number of pupils with FSM-TP entitlement are likely to rise,and the rise in the number of pupils impacted may be significant.
  • Cashless Caterers / Schools with Cashless catering solutions should review their support for FSM-TP for Welsh Schools at their earliest convenience if they have yet to do so.