Getting Started with Cover Manager

Use Manage Cover Settings to setup the Cover Manager module for use. An example of Manage Cover Settings is shown below:

There are a number of tabs available for you to work with:

Tab	Use this to...
Module Settings	Setup the Cover Manager module for use. See Module Settings for more information.
Cover Settings	Setup the use of cover cycles and the settings applied to these cycles. You must setup cover cycles for the module to function correctly. See Cover Settings for more information.
Timing Settings	Setup a default time to start arranging the next day's cover. See Timing Settings for more information.
Sister Module	This tab is not currently in use.

Module Settings

To setup the Cover Manager module for use, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Cover Manager module and select the Configuration tab.
2. Select Manage Cover Settings and choose the Module Settings tab.
3. In Enable Cover Manager, select Yes to start using the module.
4. Complete the Cover Administrator details. All e-mails sent from the module are sent from the administrator.
5. Click Save Settings to save your selections. Click Reload Settings to reset the tab to the last saved settings.

Cover Settings

To setup the use of cover cycles and the settings applied to these cycles, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Cover Manager module and select the Configuration tab.
2. Select Manage Cover Settings from the right hand menu and choose the Cover Settings tab.
3. Select 'Manual'. This is the only option available.

4. Use the drop down lists to select settings for the module. A number of settings are available to work with:

   Settings	Explanation
   Cover Variables	Multiple Cover Per Period. Select whether teachers can cover multiple lessons in the same period. This may be necessary when you are very short staffed. Max Cover Per Day. Use the drop down list to select a maximum amount of cover to be allocated to each teacher per day. Max Cover Per Week. Use the drop down list to select a maximum amount of cover to be allocated to each teacher per week. Selecting a number of covers which is less than the 'max cover per day' overrides your 'max cover per day' selection.
   Cover Bias Options	More Bias to Subject. Select whether staff teaching the same subject as that to be covered are listed in preference over other staff. This helps you choose the most suitable member of staff for teaching cover. More Bias to Department. Select whether staff teaching within the same department as a lesson are listed in preference over other staff. This helps you choose the most suitable member of staff for teaching cover. Agency Staff Always Top. Select whether agency staff are always listed first when covering lessons. This ensures that the use of agency staff is maximised when they are booked in for the day.

5. Click Save Settings to save your selections. Click Reload Settings to reset the tab to the last saved settings.

Timing Settings

To setup a default time to start arranging the next day's cover, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Cover Manager module and select the Configuration tab.
2. Select Manage Cover Settings from the right hand menu and choose the Timing Settings tab.
3. Select Yes to Timing Options. This enables the function to work.

4. Use the drop down lists to set timing deadlines in the module. A number of options are available:

   Publication Options	Use the drop down lists to...
   Cover Start Time	Set a time when you can start arranging cover for tomorrow. This changes the default day selected when you are using the Teacher Cover Timetable. For example, select 11:00 and tomorrow defaults to display in the Teacher Cover Timetable at 11am. You can still change the default day displayed, if required.
   Cover Deadline	This is not currently in use.
   Cover Publication	This is not currently in use.

5. Click Save Settings to save your selections. Click Reload Settings to reset the tab to the last saved settings.