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Welcome back! We hope you had an enjoyable summer break, spending quality time with friends and family.
Looking ahead, the upcoming year promises its share of challenges and achievements. Our childcare provision stands as a testament to your dedication and hard work, and for that, we thank you.
Here's to a productive and successful year ahead!
 The latest Caerphilly Early Years and Childcare training timetable is now available to view on our website. Click the link below for details and to access the training request form.
 With the new National Minimum Standards that have come into force, one change is that they now require all Safeguarding Leads to complete a 12-hour Advanced Safeguarding Training course.
This training must be completed by all those in contact with children and have ultimate safeguarding responsibility for the provision.
- Setting Leaders
- Setting Deputy Leaders
- Managers
- Persons in Charge (PIC)
- Childminders
- Designated Safeguarding Persons
- Responsible individuals (RI)
It is a 2 day course and participants must attend both sessions to complete the course successfully.
Day 1 will be delivered via TEAM’s, day 2 will be delivered In Person at a CCBC building.
This new course will be available to book in September 2023 and information will be made available on our Early Years website.
Training must be completed by the end of November 2024.
For further information on the new requirements please click on the following link:
National Minimum Standards for Regulated Childcare (NMS) (gov.wales)
 The Speech, Language and Communication (SLC) training pathway is a tool that practitioners working with children aged 0 to 4 years 11 months can use to identify their training needs to best support children with the speech, language and communication. It has been designed to align with both the Speech, Language and Communication Framework (SLCF) and the Additional Learning Needs Transformation Programme.
There are three levels of skill development in the training pathway: Core, Advanced and Specialist. The level and pathway to follow will depend on your role, and best practice is to undertake the recommended training listed which will be available to you through eLearning, virtual or in person via the Caerphilly Early Years training Programme starting this Autumn.
A copy of the Caerphilly SLC training pathway will be circulated in the coming weeks and will be available on our Caerphilly Early Years Website.
 Applications are open for parents to apply for a Rising 3’s place for their child for both spring and summer terms 2024. The closing date for both terms is Friday 20 October.
Please can you encourage parents to apply for their place with you (or school) if that is their preference by visiting the council's website at https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/schooladmissions.
Please note that we will soon be opening applications for Flying Start childcare for eligible children with a date of birth 01/09/2021 to 31/12/2021.
The preferred application window is 25 September to 13 October but applications can be made after this period.
Please encourage any eligible parents you are working with to apply.
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 We are pleased to announce that the promotional materials you requested, designed to highlight your role as a Flying Start provider, have been received from the suppliers. (see above)
We will soon be arranging for them to be delivered to you. You will receive three sizes: A4, A5, and A6. These can be attached to windows, doors, or even vehicle windows, to promote to families that you offer Flying Start funded childcare. Simply peel off and attached to the inside of any window or glass door.
Parents can scan the QR code for more information about Flying Start and how to apply.
As you will be aware, we hosted an exciting series of Play in the Park sessions across the borough during August.
We are delighted to be able to share that approximately 752 children and 575 adults attended these sessions across various green spaces during those weeks.
The feedback we have received from families has been very positive and it was great to see many of our childcare providers in attendance also.
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The national digital Childcare Offer service have produced a quick guide for providers on receiving timely Childcare Offer payments.
Tips to receive timely payments
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All children aged 2 and 3 years (age on 31 August 2023) are eligible for a free flu vaccination in the form of a LAIV nasal spray. However, not all parents are aware of this or take up the offer.
Flu can be very serious for children. Please help to raise awareness of the importance of flu vaccination by talking to the parents you work with. Parents can talk to their Health Visitor, GP or practice nurse for information.
You can print our poster to display at your setting or hand out to parents.
More info: https://phw.nhs.wales/fluvaccine
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Every two years we are required by the Welsh Government to complete an audit of our childcare workforce. This helps us understand the skills and qualifications you have, as well as figure out what training we should focus on for the next 2 years.
We are currently preparing the survey and you can expect to see it in your inbox soon. We'd really appreciate your help with this important task by taking the time to fill out the survey once you get it. Many thanks!
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 Did you know that clapping out syllables in words can help children with their talking and literacy?
Break down words into syllables or ‘beats’. Start with words made up of two words that the child knows like ‘snow-ball’ and ‘hair-brush’, then move onto more complicated words like ‘te-le-phone’ or ‘he-li-cop-ter’. This can support children to:
- Recognise where sounds come in words which helps them recognise words that are written down.
- Notice words that rhyme.
- Have a better awareness of sounds.
- Understand where one word stops and another begins.
This is phonological awareness: an important building block for clear speech and learning to read and write.
For more information on phonological awareness, visit https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2022-11/phonological-awareness-factsheet.pdf
For more information on interacting with young children, visit https://gov.wales/talk-with-me
 We would like to welcome Jamie Williams, who has joined our team as a Childcare Advisory Teacher. I'm sure many of you will get to meet and work with Jamie over the coming months.
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