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Bulletin 247
3rd October 2022
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Latest Covid Figures for Cheshire East
The Covid figures are now being updated on a less frequent basis - for the latest figures see the link below.
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Join the People’s Panel to receive £150 worth of shopping vouchers
Last week Cheshire East Council launched our new People’s Panel – a series of upcoming feedback sessions throughout October, where residents can come along and their say on the rising cost of living on the weekends of 15-16 October and 22-23 October.
The purpose is to create a better understanding of the rising cost of living and how it affects people in the borough, and to hear from you, about what you think Cheshire East Council, local communities and government can do to help make life more affordable. The panel’s final recommendations will be delivered to the council, and we’ve committed to responding to each proposal by January 2023.
Members of the panel will receive £150 each in the form of shopping vouchers as a thank you for their participation, and travel expenses to the venues will be covered.
We need expressions of interest by 6th October, so please do let us know if you would like to participate by submitting your interest on our Cheshire East People’s Panel website. If you cannot attend, you can also submit your views on this topic in our online survey, which can also be found via the People’s Panel website.
More information can also be found in our media release: 22/09/2022 - Cheshire East Council launches People Panel on cost of living
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FEEE Autumn Term Data
The Provider Portal closed on Friday, 30 September for the Autumn term.
If you have any adjustments or new children to add for the Autumn term, please email them to the FEEE Team who will add these for you.
The Provider Portal closed on Friday, 30 September for the Autumn term.
If you have any adjustments or new children to add for the Autumn term, please email them to the FEEE Team who will add these for you.
New Department for Education early years blog
The Department for Education launched a new early years blog, dedicated to everyone who works in the early years sector.
The DfE intent to use this page to help raise understanding of different types of early years and childcare providers, as well as bust myths in the sector about regulation and inspection.
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Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements |
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DadPad App now available across Cheshire East
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We are delighted to announce that we now have access to DadPad across Cheshire and Merseyside. The DadPad app is a free, downloadable easy to use essential resource developed with the NHS for new dads, partners, parents and dads to be.
New dads often feel excited, but may sometimes feel left out, unsure or overwhelmed. The DadPad can help by giving dads the knowledge and practical skills they need. The resource supports dads and their partners to give their baby(s) the best possible start in life.
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Please can providers encourage dads to be, new dads, and male carers (including grandparents) to download the free DadPad app. They will need to put in their postcode and choose the Cheshire Mersey Care option from the drop-down menu. It doesn’t matter if people in Cheshire East are under Cheshire Wirral Partnership areas (CWP) or any other trust, if their postcode is Cheshire East they will have access, but need to choose the Mersey Care option.
In Cheshire and Merseyside, the DadPad brings together information and advice and also provides details on local support groups and services.
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If you are aware of groups and services that support dads, please email: terri.quigley@merseycare.nhs.uk to arrange for them to be included in the app.
Please help us to support dads and male carers by sharing this information regarding DadPad, which also is in partnership with the ICON: Babies Cry You Can Cope Programme.
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Virtual School, the Early Years ePEP (electronic Personal Education Plan) and you
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We have been rolling out the new Early Years ePEP. We started with those settings who have cared for children in Pre-school and are now moving to include those with two year olds.
As we will require all settings to be signed up to our ePEP online system, you will be sent the relevant Information Governance Group data sharing the documentation that we require completing and signing to enable us to give access to our Cheshire East portal, so your setting can complete ePEPs in the future.
Once the relevant paperwork has been signed and returned to the virtual school our IT will confirm via email with login access details to the portal. Once you have login details you will be guided through the online ePEP form which is similar in format to the current paper copy of the EY PEP. There is an option to print the ePEP before returning it to the virtual school.
A training session on completing the Early Years ePEP will be held via Microsoft TEAMs on:
Tuesday 8th November from 1pm – 2.30pm
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To book on the training session contact Deborah Bradbury on VSTraining@cheshireeast.gov.uk. Closing date Tuesday 1st November 2022.
Cheshire East Safeguarding Children's Partnership training
CESCP have spaces on the following safeguarding training:
11th October 4.30pm-7.30pm - GCP Refresher – must have completed the GCP assessment previously.
18th October 9.30am-2pm – Sexual Violence
19th October 9.30am-4.30pm – Complex Neglect
If you would like a place on any of these courses please apply using the online booking form. https://form.cheshireeast.gov.uk/service/CESCP_Training_Booking_2022_23
All courses are virtual and a teams invite will be sent to you once CESCP receive your application.
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Antenatal and new baby offer for parents on the Parenting Journey.
This week we are looking at the antenatal and new baby offer for parents on the Parenting Journey.
Antenatal Stops 1 and 2 - This is useful for you to know what is available to expecting parents
- Stop 1 is the contact made by the midwifery and health visiting services looking at: Maternal mood, Birthing plan, Attachment, SID, Parents wellbeing, Immunisation and screening.
- Stop 2 welcomes expecting parents to their local children centre. Parents are always able to pop into their local centre for a show around so they can find out what is available to them as new parents. We also have some virtual tours available on the website. Parents that come into our centres for this stop reflect that is helpful in the early days to know what support is available and where this is.
Virtual tours of the some of the Children’s Centres
New Baby Stops 3 and 4 are the new birth home visits carried out by our health visiting team key themes that will be discussed during these visits are:
- Possible impact on relationship, expectations of baby, support mechanisms, breast feeding support, SID, play and Interaction, copying strategies, maternal mood and well-being, keeping safe, attachment
Our Children’s Centres all offer the following groups which are available for new babies
- Sensory room – all our centres have sensory rooms which can be booked free of charge
- Cherubs – breast feeding support from our health visiting team
- Babies Together – a weekly stay and play that we will focus on next week.
Find out more about the Parenting Journey and how it will support Parents
Find out about the role of a Health Visitor
Leaflets that are available at this time are:
Birth – 11 months Development leaflet –
https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/pdf/livewell/early-years-and-childcare/PJ-Developmental-Leaflets-Birth-to-11-months.pdf
Next week we will look at the Stop 5 – Babies Together which is a stay and play specially for babies.
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EYFS Learning and Development |
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Are you ready for Rhyme Time?
Launching our new ‘Are you Ready for Rhyme Time?’ document and supporting training. Explore the value of using songs and rhymes to promote children’s learning across the prime areas.
At each session you will receive an introduction to the whole document and then focus on a specific age range.
Rhyme Time for Preschool children – 17th Nov 1pm or 3pm at Oakenclough Children’s Centre or 29th Nov 1.30pm or 4pm at Oak Tree Children’s Centre
Rhyme Time for Toddlers – Ready 2 Rhyme – 12th Jan 23 1pm or 3pm at Oakenclough Children’s Centre or 17th Jan 23 1.30pm or 4pm at Oak Tree Children’s Centre
Rhyme Time for Babies – fun from the beginning – 14th Feb 23 1pm or 3pm at Oakenclough CC or 16th Feb 23 1.30pm or 4pm at Oak Tree Children’s Centre
We would encourage that you have at least one member of your team at each session who can then cascade back what they have learnt and coordinate the rollout across your setting.
You will need a copy of the document prior to each session. A discount is available if you purchase the full package which includes the document and 1 place at a Preschool, Toddlers and Babies session.
https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/pdf/livewell/early-years-and-childcare/Rhymetime-Flyer.pdf
For more information about each session please log onto the Online shop
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Top tips to support children’s emotional health and well-being - “The things I feel inside”
The pack includes 10 postcards with a top tip on each to use to support children’s personal, social and emotional development and share with parents.
Each postcard includes:
I like it when you… gives ideas of things to do with children
Remember…explains why children will benefit from this experience
Did you know?... provides useful information about how children learn and develop
Top Tip number 4 – Focus on what I can do now
“We need to be courageous and aspirational for all children, igniting curiosity, encouraging them to be all that they can be” (Anne Lowe, Nursery World, June 22)
Top tip number 4 highlights the importance of capturing the moment for children to progress based on what they are already deeply involved in. They will feel valued, important, capable and able to learn.
Look out for next week’s bulletin Top Tip number 5 : ‘Remind me of the good things that have happened today’
To purchase the full set of Top Tip postcards, log onto the Online shop
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Requests for consultation
Please note that advice on the web page has been updated SEN and disability in the early years (cheshireeast.gov.uk)
From Monday 3rd October all requests for SEN advice and support must be requested through the online training directory.
New Foundation Years blog
The Foundation Years website have published a new blog on the role of the early years workforce in supporting communication and language skills
Amy Loxley, Lead Speech and Language Advisor at I CAN, the children's communication charity, looks at the importance of good quality universal provision, identification, targeted support and more.
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Continuous Professional Development |
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Autumn training dates
We have the following training and CPD opportunities coming up:
Good Autism Practice 04-Oct-22 and 11-Oct-22 9am-12pm – online
Co-delivered over 2 half-day sessions by Cheshire East Autism Team (CEAT) and the Early Start Team, this course will enable practitioners to develop their understanding of good autism practice, reflect and improve on their own practice, understand strategies they can draw on when working with autistic children and consider how to support children and their family in their development.
Safeguarding Basic Awareness 06-Oct-22 6.15-8.30pm – online
This course has been specifically written to address safeguarding in Early Years and Childcare Settings and covers practice and procedures used within Cheshire East. It will provide basic information and understanding about safeguarding children and enable you to identify, understand and respond appropriately to signs of possible abuse and neglect.
Delivering Small Groups Language Interventions 07-Oct-22 9.30am-12.00pm - online
Explore ways to set up small groups within your settings, look at the development of attention, listening and language skills, learn about how to identify children for the groups as well as ideas around using a total communication approach to support children to engage with the activities.
Safer Recruitment 10-Oct-22 9.30-3.30pm – Oakenclough Children’s Centre
Gain information and understanding needed to recruit safely and comply with relevant statutory guidance. During this course you will learn about safer recruitment and the wider context of safeguarding, prevalence of abuse and profile of abusers, making the right decisions during interview and selection, setting acceptable standards of behaviour and maintaining an ongoing culture of vigilance.
Supporting Speech Sounds 12-Oct-22 9.30-12.30 – Oakenclough Children’s Centre
Introducing our new course which is designed to help you support children’s communication and language development. This session will discuss typical speech sound development in the early years and give you practical ideas for strategies to implement in your setting. You will also get the chance to have a go at some sound awareness activities to increase your confidence in carrying them out with children in your setting.
To book your place on these or any of our training courses, please log onto the Online shop
Calling all Wellbeing Champions
If you are passionate about children’s emotional health and well-being and want to support the children in your setting then join us on Teams for the launch of our Wellbeing Champion network:
11st October 2022 at 3.30-5.00pm
or
13th October 2022 at 2.00-3.30pm
The aim of these networks is to break down the education programmes in the EYFS and help you to build up a curriculum that is right to support the personal, social and emotional health of the children in your setting.
To book your place, log onto the Online Shop now
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FEEE – Afghan and Ukrainian children
Afghan and Ukrainian children aged 3 and 4 years old living in Cheshire East are entitled to 15 hours early education irrespective of the immigration status of the child or their parent(s). Afghan and Ukrainian 2 year olds may also be eligible to 15 hours early education irrespective of their immigration status. To claim FEEE funding for children from Afghanistan or Ukraine, please add their details to the Provider Portal in the usual way, including the 2YO voucher code for eligible 2 year olds. Should the Provider Portal be closed, please email the FEEE Team (FEEE@cheshireeast.gov.uk) who will update your funding claim.
In addition, please also complete the short form (link below), enabling the authority to monitor take-up of the free entitlement. Please complete this form each time an Afghan or Ukrainian child starts or leaves your setting. If any Afghan or Ukrainian children currently attend your setting, please retrospectively complete this form and continue to use the form as you have any new starters or leavers.
https://forms.office.com/r/RN5KbkKrzL
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