As we come to the end of 2022, we wanted to take the opportunity to say a few words to you all. We have chosen to do this via the quotes below:
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” William Arthur Ward
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” JFK
“I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks.” William Shakespeare
"I feel a very unusual sensation - if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude." Benjamin Disraeli (This one made us chuckle!)
“You have influenced my life in such a positive way words cannot express my appreciation. You are truly an inspiration.” Catherine Pulsipher
Finally, some words of our own; thank you for all that you do for the children in your care and their families. Early education is so important and you are setting children up for life. It is such an important job and we are so proud and so grateful that you are doing that job for families in our borough.
We hope you all have a good festive break and find some time to to do whatever makes you happy.
Happy new year everybody!
Early Years & Childcare Service
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In the new year, the Training Team will be updating the Terms and Conditions for attending courses that are offered through our Universal Training Calendar.
Due to an increase in demand, a high number of courses are now being provided online rather than face to face. We will therefore be reviewing terms and conditions to ensure that training online is accessed in an appropriate way. The updated terms and conditions will be shared once finalised, but will cover issues such as
- Ensuring the link to access training is passed on by the manager to the booked delegate, and they save this somewhere to access on the day
- Appropriate use of videos during courses
- Logging in on time to the start of the course
- Children being present in the room where sensitive/unsuitable information is being discussed
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DfE are Recruiting for Experts to join the Experts and Mentors Programme from January!
The Department for Education (DfE) Early Years Experts and Mentors programme are looking for experienced early years professionals to apply for the role of Expert in London (across a range of boroughs).
If you are interested in applying for the role, you can find more information here: Apply for Expert Role | Pen Green Children's Centre
The deadline to submit an application is Friday 6 January 2023. Interviews will take place in mid-January and training for the role will commence in late January.
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The rising cost of living – helping you to help your families with the cost of childcare
Now is an ideal time to remind families of the financial support available to them.
Many families are missing out on financial support for childcare. They assume they are not eligible or cannot benefit from multiple schemes e.g. 30 hours and Tax Free Childcare.
The government’s childcare choices toolkit has recently been updated with more materials for you to attract parents to your setting. This includes posters and social media graphics. The link below will take you to further information and ideas to display in your setting.
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The DfE would like to collect staff perceptions and experiences of implementing the reforms, including any barriers they may have faced or additional support they think that they would have benefitted from. A survey has already been taken place at a leadership level and DfE are now seeking staff responses there will be reported in aggregate to the DfE, which means that nothing said will be attributable to a specific staff member or setting.
The DfE want the findings to be representative of different types of settings, so it is vital that staff from a wide range of providers take part to build a better understanding of the impact that the reforms have had. These insights will inform options for possible further action and support in the EYFS, and the findings from this research will be published on gov.uk in due course.
Please circulate the below link and encourage staff in your settings to take part.
North West London Health Protection Team (NWL HPT) is where cases are reported when there is a confirmed outbreak, e.g. if a GP has confirmed it is Scarlet fever and there are 2 or more cases in the same class/group that mix during the day.
At the moment this is likely to be a lot of settings, it is more important that you report if the children have chicken pox and flu circulating at the same time.
To report an outbreak you can email phe.nwl@nhs.net
There is also a phone line at the moment for settings who are concerned. The HPT phone line is 0344 225 0562 and you need to choose option 9. It is open Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm.
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The live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) is a nasal spray offered each season to most children aged 2 and 3 years old, and to school-aged children, to help protect against flu. It was first rolled out in England from 2013, adding a school year each calendar year. In some pilot areas, the vaccine was given to all primary school years from 2013 onwards.
The nasal spray flu vaccine given to school-aged children and pre-schoolers has an excellent safety record and has been given to millions of children in the UK and worldwide. It is not too late for children to get the flu vaccine.
Parents and guardians of children aged 2 and 3 and children in a high-risk groups can make an appointment through their GP surgery.
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