On this page
- Introduction
- Logging On and Password/Code Reset
- Home Screen
- Care Package Line Items
- Scheduled Payments
- Expense Claims (Supported Lodgings Host)
- I am a Dual Carer
- Remittance Advice
- Annual Carer Statement
- Email Notifications
Introduction
Welcome to the Finance Provider Portal for Bradford Children and Families Trust.
We aim to keep this guide up to date, so please access it directly from our support page instead of saving a copy on your device.
The Finance Provider Portal allows you to communicate with us, receive documents from us and view your own payment information. This page contains key information, guidance and support that you will need.
Logging On and Password/Code Reset
To get started click the link below: financeproviderportal.bradford.gov.uk
You should now be greeted with a log-on screen:
- Please enter the email address you provided us with.
- Enter your password.
If you are logging on for the first time, or after a password reset, you will be prompted to change your password – please change it to something memorable.
Passwords must meet the following criteria:
- Minimum length: 9 characters
- Must have at least 1 alphabetic character
- Must have at least 2 non-alphabetic characters (numbers or special characters)
3. You will then be prompted to create a 6-digit code.
From thereon, every time you login – you will need to enter your email address, password and then you will be asked to enter two random digits from your 6-digit code.
Forgot your Password:
If you forget your password or it has expired, please click on the Request a new Password link, and fill out the form. Our System Support Team will email you with your password reset.
Users will have 3 attempts to correctly enter your password. After 3 incorrect attempts, you will be locked out and you will need to fill out the Request a new password form, using the link.
Within the Organisation Name field: enter what the request is. In this case it is ‘Password Reset’.
Forgot your Security Code:
If you forget your 6-digit code, please click on the Request a new Password link, and fill out the form. Our System Support Team will email you with your password reset.
Users will have 3 attempts to correctly enter your code. After 3 incorrect attempts, you will be locked out and you will need to fill out the Request a new password form, using the link.
Within the Organisation Name field: enter what the request is. In this case it is ‘Security Code Reset’.
Please note – if you do not log in to the Provider Portal for 3 months, your account will become inactive.
Home Screen
Once you have logged in – you should see a series of icons in the body of the screen. You will also have the option to change either your password or 6-digit code using the links on the right.
Care Package Line Items
Care Package Line Items (CPLI) – these are the service or cost provisions that our Finance Officers add in our finance system. The CPLI triggers the payment in our finance system. These provisions will be for accommodation, retainer fees, carer costs, and so forth.
The portal therefore allows you to view all the Young People you are supporting or hosting and the payments associated with each person. The information you see in the portal is a direct copy of what is in our finance system. This screen confirms that we have set up your payments.
On the screen you will see the following:
- SSRef – this is the Young Person’s reference number, our identifier
- Client – the name of the Young Person
- Service – this would be you, the carer or host
- Service Level – this will relate to what the payment is for, you can filter by service level as well
- Start Date – when the service or payment has been commissioned to start
- End Date – if applicable
- Cost – the weekly or one-off payment amount
- Care Package Ref – unique ID for that CPLI, automatically generated by our finance system
- Authorised – this shows if the CPLI has been authorised (in our finance system) and not still a draft provision
By default, the system will only show active or open CPLIs, so if you want to view historical CPLIs, ensure you tick the Include Historical box.
Deductions: there may be a deduction to the amount paid and therefore the final amount that is paid out. If you are in receipt of universal credit, student finance, in work or now have settled status – you may have a deduction applied.
| Deduction type | Description |
| Settling In – In Work | The service user is receiving income from work. Used for Settling in Schemes. |
| Settling In – Universal Credit | The service user is receiving the benefit universal credit from the DWP. Used for Settling in Schemes. |
| Settling In – Settled Status | The service user is now of a settled status, so the amount they are eligible for is to be reduced. |
| Staying Put – In Work | The service user is receiving income from work. Used for Staying Put. |
| Staying Put – Student Finance | The service user is receiving support from Student Finance. |
| Staying Put – Universal Credit | The service user is receiving the benefit universal credit from the DWP. Used for Staying Put. |
| Staying Put – Settled Status | The service user is now of a settled status, so the amount they are eligible for is to be reduced. |
| Staying Put – Service Charge | The service user pays a “service charge” and that is their contribution to electric, gas, water, Wi-Fi etc, to get them used to paying bills. |
| Supported Lodgings – In Work | The service user is receiving income from work. Used for Supported Lodgings. |
| Supported Lodgings – Student Finance | The service user is receiving support from Student Finance. |
| Supported Lodgings – Universal Credit | The service user is receiving the benefit universal credit from the DWP. Used for Supported. |
| Supported Lodgings – Settled Status | The service user is now of a settled status, so the amount they are eligible for is to be reduced. |
You can view these deductions within the Scheduled Payments section of the portal.
Scheduled Payments
This screen will give you total payments per young person within a set payment period – both payments which have already been made and any awaiting payment on the next pay run.
You would need to select the payment period of interest from the left; it will select the current financial year by default:
Contract dropdown: if you are a dual carer or use to be a foster carer – you will need to select the correct contract from the dropdown to view the relevant payments.
Deductions: there may be a deduction to the amount and therefore the final amount that is paid out. These are noted by the prefix ‘Income’. You can view these deductions within the Scheduled Payments section of the portal.
The example above shows:
- ‘Staying Put – In Work’ deduction
- £150.00 / 2 weeks = £75 per week deduction
If you scroll to the bottom of the page there is a button to download a remittance advice report in PDF format:
Our finance officers may add remittance notes, if it helps to explain certain payment items or payment adjustments. You can see these notes at the top of the screen:
Expense Claims (Supported Lodgings Host)
As a Supported Lodgings host, there may be some expenses that you can be reimbursed for. Please get in touch with your allocated Personal Advisor at the Trust to discuss this.
You can then claim for these expenses via the Provider Portal, which will be reviewed by the team. If approved, you should see the expense reimbursed in the next available pay run.
To raise a claim, make sure you select the yellow cog on the bottom left corner which has the initials SPL in it (stands for Supported Lodgings):
Then click on the New Claim button – top left:
Next, click on the Add New Provider Item button on the right:
This will bring up a form that you need to fill out:
- Description: this box is free text. Please enter as much detail as possible about the claim, so that claim is not held up.
- Service Level: this will be a dropdown list of items you can reasonably claim for such as a Gas Certificate.
- Quantity: set this to 1 always.
- Unit Cost: enter the total amount you are claiming for.
- Attachment: attach any evidence you have of this expense such as receipts, invoices etc. Make sure the attachment is already saved on your device before you try to upload it. (Tip: you can always save this claim and come back to it to attach your evidence).
Then click the Create button:
You will see your claim listed. However, it is still only there as a draft, you can still edit or remove the claim:
To finally submit the claim, click on the Submit Claim button at the top:
On the left-hand side, you will see your claims, and their status:
The status will change when the Supported Lodgings Team have either accepted or rejected the claim. You will be able to see the outcome of the claim here
If you click on a claim, from the left, you will be able to see any notes from the team as to:
- why a claim may have been rejected
- why the original claim amount has changed
Hover over the Yes hyperlink, to view the note or click on the View Client Items link:
Additional Information Requested
If you have not supplied evidence or given enough information for the team to process the claim – they will add a note at the top of your claim requesting the detail they require.
In order to respond – you will need to send an email into the team as you can no longer edit the expense claim.
Please send the requested evidence to supported.lodgings@bradfordcft.org.uk.
I am a Dual Carer
If you are or have been a different type of carer – and we have given access to the Provider Portal to that type of carer – you will be able to see payments and data for both.
Example: you are both a Mainstream Foster Carer as well as a Staying Put Carer.
You will need to make sure you select the right contract/service in the portal when viewing payments, downloading remittances, raising expense claims. You will see a dropdown on various icons.
You may see the following abbreviations in the naming conventions we use:
- CAO = Child Arrangement Order
- RO = Residence Order
- MFC = Mainstream Foster Carer
- KC = Kinship Carer
- MBC = Mockingbird Carer
- PTC = Part Time Carer
- REG24 = Regulation 24 Carer
- SGO = Special Guardianship Order
- STP = Staying Put
- SPL = Supported Lodgings
- SIS = Settling in Scheme
Some examples of where you will see these dropdowns, are below:
Remittance Advice
When you select ‘Reports’ from the portal home screen, you have the option of two reports. Select the Remittance Advice report.
This screen will give you detailed breakdowns of payments made within a defined payment period. You can select a payment period using the Finalisation dropdown.
If you receive more than one type of payment e.g., you are a Mainstream Carer as well as a Staying Put Carer, the Contract dropdown will allow you to view each type of payment separately.
- Excel: If you wish to download this data into a spreadsheet, click the ‘Download Data’ button.
- PDF: If you wish to download an electronic copy in a PDF format, click on the Floppy Disk Icon (save button) and this will allow you to save as a PDF file to your computer.
PLEASE NOTE: If any of the reporting parameters are changed whilst looking at a different report e.g., changing the payment period, the portal WILL NOT update itself and you will need to click the ‘View’ button once again to refresh the report.
Our finance officers may add remittance notes, if it helps to explain certain payment items or payment adjustments. You can see these notes at the bottom of the remittance report.
At the bottom of the Remittance Advice, you will find details of the team to contact should you have any payment queries:
Annual Carer Statement
When you select ‘Reports’ from the portal home screen, you have the option of two reports. Select the Annual Statement of Carer report.
You can select the tax year from the dropdown, and then click View. The information will generate in a window below this section.
- Excel: If you wish to download this data into a spreadsheet, click the ‘Download Data’ button.
- PDF: If you wish to download an electronic copy in a PDF format, click on the Floppy Disk Icon (save button) and this will allow you to save as a PDF file to your computer.
Email Notifications
This section allows you to decide what things you would like to be notified of by email. You can update this as and when you like. Your options are based on the icons you see on the home screen:
Tick the areas you would like to be notified of, when there is a change or something new to view – then click the Save button.