Funding queries happen. A local authority questions a claim. An auditor asks for evidence. A parent disputes what they agreed to. When these moments arrive, you need to produce clear, timestamped evidence—fast.
The evidence problem
With paper-based systems, responding to queries means:
- Hunting through filing cabinets
- Hoping the right form was kept
- Trying to remember conversations from months ago
- Reconstructing timelines from scattered records
It's stressful, time-consuming, and sometimes impossible to prove what actually happened.
What the Funding Portal records
Every action in the Funding Portal creates an audit record. Here's what gets captured:
Declaration lifecycle
- When the invitation was sent
- When the parent first opened it
- Each time they saved progress
- When they submitted the final declaration
- Exactly what they submitted (preserved as a snapshot)
- Their digital signature and timestamp
Claim preparation
- Who created the claim
- What data was included
- Any changes made before submission
- When changes were made and by whom
- The final submitted version
Communications
- Every notification sent
- Delivery status
- Open/read status where trackable
- Parent responses and actions
User activity
- Who logged in and when
- What they viewed and changed
- Export and download activity
How this helps you
Query response in minutes
Local authority asks: "Can you confirm Parent X declared 30 hours for Child Y in the Spring term?"
You log in, find the child, view the declaration history, and see exactly what was submitted and when. Export it as a PDF. Send it back. Done in minutes, not hours.
Dispute resolution
Parent claims: "I never agreed to that."
You pull up their declaration, showing the exact date and time they signed digitally, from their IP address, confirming the specific terms. Clear, timestamped evidence.
Internal accountability
Manager asks: "Who changed this claim before submission?"
The audit log shows exactly who made what changes and when. No finger-pointing, just facts.
Audit confidence
Auditor requests: "Show me your evidence for all 30-hour claims this term."
Export a complete audit report covering every claim, declaration, and communication. Comprehensive evidence in one document.
Retention and access
Audit records are retained securely for the periods required by funding regulations. They're always accessible to authorised users, whether the query comes next week or next year.
Peace of mind
The best audit trail is one you never need to use. But knowing it's there—complete, accurate, instantly accessible—means you can focus on running your setting rather than worrying about what happens if questions come.
Explore the audit features in our demo and see the evidence trail for yourself.