What happens when you sign up for a Teacher's SPL Support package?

Today's blog will guide you through the process of support that we offer to Teachers wanting to take Shared Parenal Leave to maximise their income during their maternity/ adoption leave year. Unsure about whether you need a support package or what it involves? This should answer your questions!

We offer four main types of package:

A - our most popular option, this includes a personalised SPL plan, all the paperwork you need to apply, and follow up support if required.

B - The same as the above, but with the addition of a zoom call (up to 30 minutes) to talk it all through.

C - This is for people who have already applied on their own and are encountering difficulties with their school and would like support.

D - This is for people who have done their own plan and forms and would like them checked. We are happy to check you plan first and then the forms after if you like! The process for this one is fairly straightforward - you send us your plan/ forms - we let you know about any minor changes/ tweaks and tips on how to apply/ answer any querires you have. If they are completely incorrect we will refer you to our how to apply guide and recheck after you have ammended - or we will offer you the option to upgrade and for us to do them for you. We do often see forms that you definitley would not want to submit and are able to get these sorted before a far reaching mistake is made!

For Packages A/ A+/B/B+ this is the process:

Step 1 - The Google Form

On purchase ou will get a link to a google form to complete, as soon as the package is bought. (Don't worry if you miss this or accidentally close the window - we will always get in touch within 24 hours of purchase and send you the google form link if it hasn't already been done!)

This form gives us all the information that we need to start a draft plan for you - you'll be asked about your due date, mat leave start date (it's fine not to know this yet, we are happy to advise if you have some ideas but haven't fully decided!) , your salary (so that we can show you weekly gross pay) , your schools occupational maternity offer (what they pay on top of statutory pay) and some questions about how you'd like to share the leave (or not if it's just one of you taking it!) and when you would like to return.

Step 2 - Email us your school policy and term dates

On completion of the form you will be asked to email us the term dates of the periods covered by your leave. and your schools SPL policy if they have one. Not all schools have an SPL policy, and it is fine if they don't - but if they do it is very important we have this to read through. Your school cannot take away any of the minimum rights the law gives you - but they may offer better options - such as occupational shared parental pay, and they may also have their own paperwork to use which is often in these policies.

Step 3 - Allocation

Amy manages all new clients, she will check that we have everything we need from you and once we do will allocate you to one of our fabulous SPL Advisor's and pass over all the paperwork to them so that they are ready to create your draft plan.

Step 4 - The draft plan

An example of the Shared Parenal Leave plan you will receive

We will create a draft plan showing the best financial option for you (and your partner if you have opted for A+ or B+) . Sometimes we may show two options side by side if there are two that are similar, often there will be one clear best option and it will just be a case of tweaking any start dates/ end dates once you've seen what the year looks like financially. If you are a B client, when we send you the plan we will send you a link to book a zoom meeting. The draft plan is a useful starting point for the call and we can make changes live to it in the meeting - we will often also complete your paperwork with you live on the call - talking you through your next steps. If you are an A client you will be emailed the plan, along with some common FAQ's, and will be invited to ask any questions/ discuss any potential changes via email. We will make any changes required/ or explain why these won't work - and work with you until we have the best plan for your circumstances. You can ask to upgrade at this point if you decide you would like a call.

Step 5 - The paperwork

There is no rule about how soon after getting your plan you have to request your forms (other than the deadline for submission!). Some people get their plan, ask a few questions, go straight to forms and get these into school asap. Others, perhaps earlier in their pregnancies/ adoption journey , like to get a plan to allow them to have an idea about finances - but aren't sure on the exact start date yet so might wait a few months before coming back for forms once they are closer to their due date.

If you are due in the holidays (check out our blog on this here) we will draft you a plan but recommend you work until the birth and therefore don't formalise your plans until we know when baby is born - it is fine to submit paperwork after maternity leave / adoption leave has started.

Once you're ready to go we will complete your forms and send you them along with an example cover letter. You add your personal details and submit to your employer directly (HR/ cc in the head).

How long does this all take? That really depends - on the time of year (Jan and May are our busiest months so reply times will be longer!) , on how many questions you have, on whether we have to wait for any information from your employer etc. We offer an urgent rurn around service which guranatees replies within a working day and usually sees the process completed fully within 48 hours. Outside of that it will take between 1 and 2 weeks - unless you actively want to have a plan and then wait and see how things go and do the forms later. Most of our staff work in schools by day/ part time, as well as working flexibly around their children - so we don't keep Mon to Fri 9 - 5 office hours. That said - Trust Pilot reviews are very positive about response times!

Step 6 - Aftercare

We are here to support you with any issues with your employer if you have come through our A/B packages or opted into our package C. We are happy to check confirmation letters, pay slips if you think they may be wrong, or to help answer queries that come back from school. We have a 100% success record, in all sectors - private, academies, local authority schools - even though in some cases there has been some serious pushback! We are happy to answer questions about not going back to work/ delaying submitting the final block/ making a flexible working request on your return etc.

One of many examples of a happy client - we are here to support you through the whole process!

Reviews/ Next Steps

Don't just take our word for it - head over to Trust Pilot to read the many independent reviews from clients who have got the very best out of their maternity leave via our support services! If you want to sign up now head over to our support page!

We are proud to work closely with the MTPT (Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher) project- who offer return to work coaching and various other forms of support when you are ready to start thinking about your return to the classroom post maternity leave - and will signpost you towards this at the end of your time with us!