The new CambsEYC Local Agreement for 2024-25 has now been published on the Learn Together website. Parts 2 and 3 of the agreement cover the key aspects of claiming funding for early years places from the local authority. They have been updated to reflect the revised statutory guidance published in January 2024 and to include the new entitlements.
All funded providers are required to sign up to the new Local Provider Agreement and will have received an email with a link to an electronic document to complete and sign. The document is a templated with mandatory fields to be filled in. Each return is managed securely and confidentially and returned directly to the CambsEYC operations team.
Please ensure the electronic form is signed by Friday, 24 May 2024. Failure to complete the form in time may lead to delays in final payments for summer 2024 and/or subsequent payments.
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The new CambsEYC annual Membership Offer is now available on the Learn Together website.
There are membership options available for all types of providers, including new additional packages specifically designed to support expanding providers, with discounts available for multi-package membership, and a combined package available for schools running early years provision for two to five years olds.
Many of the membership packages also include credits which can be exchanged for places on essential (mandatory) courses free of charge. Further details about these courses can be found in the Professional Development Programme which will be published in June 2024.
Please note, previous membership packages do not roll over automatically. So, make sure to sign up for support.
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Do you have staff wishing to get a full and recognised qualification or know people wishing to start a new career? Now is the time to start considering staff progression.
The Cambridgeshire Early Childhood Qualifications Centre (CECQC) delivers introductory courses fully funded, and part funded for people considering or already working within Cambridgeshire early years. CECQC are currently enrolling for the following courses:
We have two Funding Pathways:
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Pathway One - For people considering Early Childhood careers in Cambridgeshire
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Pathway Two - For people already working in Childhood careers in Cambridgeshire
To find out more visit cecqc.co.uk.
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As part of the early years extended entitlements, the Business and Governance team have developed a simple Q & A style checklist to help existing providers plan for expansion, by understanding their current position and what they need to think about to meet the changing needs of the market.
It will help providers to establish:
- Where are we now?
- What do we need to consider?
- What action do we need to take to offer expanded entitlements?
The checklist is broken down into four key sections, Preparation, Finance and Business Planning, Staffing and Registered Providers. It can be completed in bitesize chunks and signposts to business and financial toolkits, local and national advice, and guidance, as well as relevant training for staff and registered providers.
The checklist can be found on the Learn Together Sustainability / Legal webpage and in dedicated Knowledge Hub groups.
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The Department for Education (DfE) has added a new module to their early years child development training.
The Module 7: Effective curriculum and assessment training can be accessed easily and flexibly. The ability to stop and resume the training when convenient means that it can be completed in bitesize pieces to suit the learner.
For newer practitioners this will give a good depth of information around what a curriculum is, what it should include, and how it can be delivered.
The training delves into the different methods of teaching, the importance of knowing what it is the provider wants children to learn, know, and do, as well as the role of observation, and assessment.
It also provides a good refresher for more experienced practitioners or managers, as it looks at wider aspects of the curriculum, including what makes it progressive and inclusive.
As well as looking at the theory behind curriculum and assessment, the module includes practical ideas and guidance.
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The DfE in collaboration with the London Early Years Foundation and Anaphylaxis UK have developed new nutrition content on the Help for early years providers platform.
We are asking for your help to promote this content to your early years settings. Please reach out to make them aware of this new resource.
To help you with this, we have created an example message you may want to use for early years settings:
Within the Early Years Foundation Stage framework there is a requirement that states: ‘Where children are provided with meals, snacks, and drinks, these must be healthy, balanced and nutritious.’
Establishing healthy eating habits at a young age is important for long-term health. As early years practitioners you can help set solid foundations for children’s future health by providing them with nutritious food in your settings.
Help for early years providers has added new nutrition content including videos to help you fulfil the requirement to provide healthy, balanced and nutritious food for the children in your care.
The content:
- Explains the importance of introducing good food habits from birth
- Includes information on the dietary requirements of babies and young children and how to plan a balanced menu
- Provides recipe cards for tasty, cost effective, nutritious recipes you can use in your settings
- Gives tips on how to introduce solid foods safely to babies
- Provides information on food safety
- Links to further reading and resources.
For more guidance on supporting children in the early years, visit Help for early years providers : Get help for your setting (education.gov.uk).
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The Cambridgeshire Families Information Service (FIS) provide information, advice and guidance to families across Cambridgeshire.
They manage the Cambridgeshire Childcare Directory and offer one-to-one support for families with children and young people aged 0 to 25.
Their advice is free, confidential, and impartial.
They can help with finding childcare, understanding childcare funding options, childcare for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and the SEND Local Offer SEND Local Offer.
Find information on childcare and early learning and on Facebook - please like, follow and share the FIS page.
The FIS team are:
- Lisa Watson - Families Information Coordinator
- Tracey-Ann Grant - Childcare Brokerage Adviser - SEND
Email fis@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Telephone 0345 045 1360
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Cambridgeshire County Council’s (CCC) Family Hubs have launched a new campaign to highlight the often-invisible nature of maternal mental health issues.
Perinatal mental health spans from conception and the first few years after birth. Maternal mental health impacts both mums and dads and it can be difficult to spot the signs.
The campaign, which was first launched on the CCC Facebook page at the start of May, was designed and produced alongside local organisations who provide support for parents, including from the NHS, The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Network, NCT, Maternity Voices, CPSL Mind and Barnardo's, using insights, research, comments and feedback from local people who have experienced perinatal mental health problems.
You can find perinatal mental health links and resources on the CCC website and watch one of the campaign videos on the CCC YouTube channel: Perinatal Mental Health - Dinner Party.
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Latest figures from Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care System show that sadly, in the first quarter of 2024 (January to March), there have been five infant deaths from whooping cough.
Vaccination remains the best defence against whooping cough, and it is vital that pregnant people and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time.
You can get the vaccine from 16 weeks up to 32 weeks pregnant. If you miss having the vaccine, you can still have it up until you go into labour.
The whooping cough vaccine is routinely given as part of the '6-in-1' vaccine for babies at eight, 12 and 16 weeks.
It is important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection, but if you or your child missed a vaccine, contact your GP to catch up.
For more information, please see NHS vaccinations and when to have them.
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From next month, June 2024 the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), will launch a new children’s dental health campaign, to raise awareness and provide instruction for good oral hygiene in children and pregnant women, with a particular focus on children from birth to two years.
The campaign will work to address the impact of poor dental health and will feature new content with tips and advice on the Better Health Start for Life - NHS website.
Ahead of the launch, a range of free downloadable and orderable resources, including social media assets, posters, and 'Top Tips for Teeth’ leaflets will be available on the DHSC Campaign Resource Centre.
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Child Accident Prevention Trust’s (CAPT) annual community education campaign, Child Safety Week runs from Monday, 3 to Sunday, 9 June 2024.
CAPT help families build confidence and skills in managing the real risks to children’s safety.
Families should feel confident that, with one small change, they can stop a serious accident. And be clear what they need to do to keep their children safe. That is why, for Child Safety Week 2024, the theme is 'Safety. Sorted!'
To get involved, visit the CAPT resource centre for free educational resources and help spread the word on social media using #ChildSafetyWeek.
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As warmer weather approaches, we start think about how to cool down and often water play, paddling pools and dipping toes in cool water becomes the go to. However, we always need to be mindful of risks involved in water play especially paddling pools, ponds, the seaside, rivers, and lakes. Drowning happens silently so when a child is in this situation and we are not observing, we will not know it is happening.
CAPT have produced useful child drowning prevention information for parents to have in mind when they access water play with their children and their 'Watch out in water'* factsheet might be helpful to print, share and display.
*Size: 113KB File format: pdf
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It is that time when we start thinking about asking parent to provide sunscreen for their children and for good reason.
The British Skin Foundation bust several myths around being safe in the sun such as sun damage can happen on a cloudy day and that ‘once a day’ sunscreen does need reapplying regularly, not just once.
To help you provide the best advice and guidance to parents, the British Skin Foundation have a number of sun safety advice for parents that you can share with families. It is also important to help our practitioners to stay sun safe. So, check out information for adults as a reminder of how to stay safe in the sun when working with our children outdoors.
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Peterborough Family Hubs Team will be delivering 'Getting it Right for Children' via Teams for parents who would like to improve the relationship with their separated partner.
The course is scheduled to run on:
- Tuesday, 11 June 2024, 12 pm to 1 pm
- Tuesday, 18 June 2024 12 pm to 1 pm
This a free course designed to support separated parents, helping them to avoid the harmful situation of their children getting caught up in the middle of their conflict. This course is designed for parents who are separated.
For more information please email rpctraining@cambridgeshire.gov.uk and to book, please use the online workshop booking form.
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Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) is asking people who can offer a child or young person a safe, stable, and loving home to come forward and join our fostering community this Foster Care Fortnight (Monday, 13 to Thursday, 26 May 2024).
Every year, the CCC fostering service takes part in Foster Care Fortnight to help raise awareness of fostering. This year’s theme is #FosteringMoments which focuses on the moments, big and small, along people’s fostering journeys.
To find out more and how you could help make a difference by becoming a foster carer, please visit the Fostering in Cambridgeshire website, email fostering@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, and/or call 0800 052 0078.
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Prospective foster carers wanting to learn more about fostering in Cambridgeshire are invited to attend an informal presentation to find out what's involved in becoming a foster carer.
Free information sessions take place online each month, and they are a great opportunity to hear from experienced foster carers, along with fostering recruitment officers, and social workers. The next couple of sessions are scheduled to take place on:
- Thursday, 13 June 12 noon to 1 pm
- Thursday, 11 July 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm
You can book your free place through the Fostering Service Me Learning portal. For more details, please email fostering@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, or telephone 0800 052 0078.
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A Day of Welcome, Friday, 14 June 2024 is an annual day of solidarity and learning, which aims to build a culture of welcome for asylum seekers and refugees seeking sanctuary.
Developed in partnership with UK Schools of Sanctuary and Anglia Ruskin University, A Day of Welcome is open to any school, from nursery to Sixth Form across, the UK. It is designed to support teachers in kickstarting Refugee Week (Monday, 17 to Sunday, 23 June 2024) by providing free resources and activities for pupils of all ages, free live events for pupils and teacher CPD with International Rescue Committee.
Follow the link to register for A Day of Welcome 2024 (office.com).
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Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) is a proud sponsor of Cambridge Pride, taking place on Saturday, 15 June 2024 at Jesus Green, Cambridge.
This is the third year running that CCC has sponsored the event, highlighting the organisation as an inclusive employer of choice for the county and beyond. Tell your friends and family.
Last year, 15,000 of you wonderful people filled the park with joy and inspiration. We hope to see you there again this year. Keep a watch out on the official Cambridge Pride socials, Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) for more details of forthcoming events and activities.
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Be part of the Great Big Green Week, taking place in communities nationwide from Saturday, 8 to Sunday, 16 June 2024.
Across the country, people and communities are making swaps every day to help create a safer, greener future.
There are so many ways to take part in the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. Find out how you can get involved and inspire others.
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Over the last year TTiC have run a pilot funding programme with some of the community groups they had previously worked with, which has supported parents and carers to learn more about the early literacy skills which underpin young children’s word reading and writing.
TTiC are now looking to open their funding programme to other groups to run events for families of young children aged two to five over the period September 2024 to March 2025. They will be releasing further information though the TTiC newsletter and Facebook page, including details of their Funding Information sessions in June.
If you represent an organisation which supports families of young children across Cambridgeshire, and you are interested in learning more about TTiC funding, please contact community.literacy@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
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Looking for fun, educational, and low-cost activities for your young children in Cambridgeshire?
Explore the new 50 Things to Do Local Events listings page and discover fantastic and experiences in your community.
From indoor games to outdoor adventures, these activities are designed to help your child develop confidence, language, and vocabulary, and support them in being ready for the next stage in their education.
These events are designed for young children and their families, with costs ranging from free to a small fee, and many offer self-weigh facilities for babies. Childminders have specific pricing, and booking details are provided for each event.
Join in together with your children to make lasting memories and establish healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
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The new CambsEYC service logo
The Cambridgeshire Early Years, Childcare, and School Readiness Service (CambsEYC) has recently revised its service logo and refreshed all public-facing branding.
The new 'hand-in-hand' logo reflects the service's evolved mission, vision, and values over time, and presents a fresh and updated image to the sector and serves to strengthen our connection with the community.
The new imagery represents themes of collaboration, partnership, unity, and mutual support, and the design concept can be interpreted as follows:
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Guidance and Care: The larger hand represents the nurturing role that adults, such as parents, teachers, and caregivers, play in offering guidance and support to children.
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Growth and Development: The smaller hand symbolises children in their growth and learning phases, indicating the service's emphasis on early childhood development.
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Working in Partnership: The interlocking hands symbolises a collaborative partnership between the service and families, jointly preparing children for school.
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Community and Support: The image also reflects a community-focused approach, where everyone works hand-in-hand, collaborating closely to create a supportive environment for the early education of children and school readiness.
We trust you will agree, that the new iconography effectively conveys our service’s commitment to nurturing and preparing young children on their educational journey, and our mission supporting early childhood development through collaborative efforts.
Please feel free to share your feedback via eycinfo@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
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