 This year has been particularly challenging for everyone, managing the increasing complexities of our children and families causing increasing pressures on our time as well as managing absences and vacancies in the teams. However, we have worked together to develop the opportunities in the childcare workforce and look forward to further expanding in the future.
Thank you to everyone working in childcare settings across the borough this past year for your commitment to doing the best we can for all our families and supporting each other through those challenging moments. Have a well earned rest over the holiday period and lets look forward to an even more successful 2024.
Sarah Mutch
Early Years And Partnerships Manager
After 10 years of working in the Early Years and Childcare Team, our friend and colleague Denise Kier will be leaving us to enjoy the next chapter of her life. Not only is she leaving our team, but she is also leaving Wales and setting up her new life in Norfolk.
Denise has sent this message: "While I am excited about my upcoming journey ahead of me, I just wanted to thank everyone I have worked with over the years and will miss my team very much. I have enjoyed my time at Early years and will miss all the banter with my colleagues. I have learnt many skills and gained lots of knowledge and experience, it has been a privilege to be part of a lovely team. A massive thankyou to the Childcare team and Officers who have made my job a pleasure. Wish you all the very best and take care. Denise xx".
The Caerphilly Early Years and Childcare service, alongside our colleagues in the schools service are launching a borough wide campaign to improve attendance both in schools and in funded childcare placements.
As an integral part of this campaign we have reviewed our Admissions, Attendance and Transition policies and brought them together to create one over arching policy. All contracted childcare settings who deliver funded childcare places, including Flying Start, Early Years Education and Assisted/Supported Places will be expected to adopt the policy and the principles within it.
We will be hosting a Teams meeting on 16 January 2024 at 6 pm for one hour to introduce the new policy and what it means for you. Please keep your eyes open for a Teams invite which will be circulated later this week.
 For contracted Flying Start Settings, the term dates for January 2024 to Easter 2024 are as follows:
- Term starts: Monday 8 January 2024
- Half term holiday starts: Monday 12 February 2024
- Half term holiday ends: Friday 16 February 2024
- Term ends: Friday 22 March 2024
If you have any planned closure days where you are not operational (this includes school inset days if you are a setting based on a school site) or cannot offer children their full Flying Start entitlement on any day during the term, it is essential that you discuss the closure dates with your Childcare Officer and update the Early Years Hub team on 01443 863232 or email earlyyearshub@caerphilly.gov.uk.
 The Deputy Minister for Social Services has announced the launch of the Welsh Government consultation on professional registration of the childcare and playwork workforce.
The consultation asks whether the childcare and playwork sector should have a workforce register and if so, who should be included in that register.
The consultation runs from 30 November 2023 to 7 March 2024. We encourage you to respond.
Please Join us for The Splendour of Spring Saturday 3 February, 9am - 3.30pm at St James Primary School where we we will be hosting a spring Healthy Early Years Network Event.
Please keep an eye out for our special bulletin, which will provide you with further details on how you book your place.
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Did you know children find it really hard to listen to 2 things at once? They can listen to your talking so much easier if there’s no distractions, so it can really help to turn the TV off and have quiet play time together, with lots of chatting to join in with! If you are watching a screen together, make sure to enjoy it together by:
- Talking about what the characters are doing.
- Using real life toys to join in with what’s happening on the screen. Match items on the screen with your toys if you can, ‘look it’s a pig, this is a pig too’.
- Pause and wonder what might happen next ‘I think they might get muddy on their walk!’.
- Sit somewhere where you can see each others faces.
- Make sure to include screen free play time before and after.
For more information on interacting with young children, visit https://gov.wales/talk-with-me
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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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