This article explains how the Updates Available button works in Manage Budgets when a nationally agreed change is released for a pay scale or pay rate. It also helps you understand which scenarios are affected and what to consider before applying an update.
⚠️Important: Updates released through Updates Available can affect eligible scenarios in the current budget year. If you are unsure how an update will affect your data, review the update carefully before applying it, or lock your scenarios first.
Understand What the Updates Available Button Does
If there is a nationally agreed change to a Pay Scale or Pay Rate for all schools and academies, an update is released into the software.
You can find these updates in Manage Budgets under the blue Updates Available button.
If updates are available, you can review them and decide whether to:
Apply the update to eligible scenarios.
Ignore the update if you do not want it applied.
Understand Why the Updates Available Button Might Be Missing
The Updates Available button does not always appear.
It will be missing if:
There are no updates available at that time.
The available update has already been applied.
There are no scenarios in the budget year.
If there are no scenarios in the budget year:
Upgrade a scenario from the previous year.
Return to Manage Budgets.
Check whether the Updates Available button is now shown.
Understand Which Scenarios Are Affected
Only scenarios that are already present in the budget year when the Updates Available button is released will be updated.
This means:
Scenarios that exist at the time the update is released can be affected.
Scenarios upgraded after the update is released will not receive that update automatically.
📌Note: The Published On Date shown against an update is the date the update was made available in the software. It is not the date from which the pay change applies.
Understand What Happens If You Apply or Ignore an Update
Once an update has been applied or ignored:
It cannot be re-released to the software.
This means you should make the decision carefully before selecting either option.
If you are unsure whether the update is suitable for your scenarios:
Review the affected budget year and scenarios.
Decide whether the update should be applied now.
If you do not want it applied, select Ignore.
Protect Scenarios From Updates
If you are concerned that an update could adversely affect your scenarios, you can protect them by locking them before the update is applied.
Locked scenarios are not affected by updates.
To safeguard your data:
Identify the scenarios you do not want updated.
Lock those scenarios before applying any update.
Return to Manage Budgets and review the available update.
📌Note: Updates do not affect Locked Scenarios.
Video Resources
We also have a Webinar recording for What does the Updates Available button do guidance. Please click here to go to the webinar.