Early Years Bulletin 26.03.2018

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26 March 2018

The highly acclaimed Jenny Mosley is back in Portsmouth!

Early Years Seminar - Promoting Emotional Health and Wellbeing

Friday 25 May 2018

Portsmouth Academy Training & Learning Centre

Two identical sessions to choose from;

9.30am - 11.30am or 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Following her motivating key note and workshop at the recent Early Years Conference, we are excited to welcome Jenny back for an inspiring and interactive seminar.

If you want to have a positive impact on children's behaviour, emotional health and well-being, this is the seminar for you!

Jenny will help you to:

Explore how to develop children's emotional health and well-being though the use of traditional games and puppets
Understand how to develop children's moral values through the use of 'golden rules'
Develop an understanding of calmness through 'mindful moments' for your children and colleagues

Booking is open now!

Cost: £55 members, £60 non-members

Please visit the Portsmouth Services Network Website for further information and to book your place. Enquiries to eyworkforce@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

View examples of Jenny's work here

PSCB Safeguarding Module

We have added another summer term date due to high demand!

Date: Thursday 21 June 2018

Time: 6.00pm - 9.00pm

Venue: Portsmouth Academy Training & Learning Centre

Please book your place via the Portsmouth Services Network Website

Booking queries to eyworkforce@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Booking training and Visits

To book all Early Years training and visits please log in to the Portsmouth Services Network Website. If you have forgotten your log in details or aren't sure if you have any log in details, please contact Rachel Horler at Traded Services to be sent a reminder. The email will come from 'Portsmouth Services Network'. Remember to check your junk/spam file as emails from this address sometimes go there. All of our training is managed through this website including the universally centrally funded offer which you are all entitled to access.

Here is a quick re-cap on how to book an onsite visit...

This is the process to follow when using your visit from your package allowance, or when spot purchasing a visit. It also includes requests for onsite training.

Log into the Portsmouth Services Network Website (queries about log ins to be sent to traded.services@portsmouthcc.gov.uk)
Top blue bar - click on Services
Right hand side of the screen - Click 'View all management options'
Right hand side of the screen - Select 'Appointments and bookings'
Right hand side of the screen - Click 'Add new booking'
Select 'Early Years'
Select 'Package site visit' or 'purchase on onsite visit'

That should bring you to the screen where you fill in the visit details and click save. This request will be received by Early years and we will arrange an officer to get in touch to confirm details.

Provider Portal Support Session

Using the Provider Portal to submit your funding claims and receive payments

Date: 25 April 2018

Time: Half an hour bookable slots available from 3.30pm - 7.30pm

Venue: Landport Family Hub.

Please log in to the Portsmouth Services Network website to book your place.

Deserved thank you for the team

I recently received an email from a provider which I really felt should be shared…

"As a setting we would like to bring to your attention and highlight how supportive Ella Harbut and Sue Bowler have been to us. We have a child on an EHCP plan and deferred entry to school and Ella has supported our SENCO throughout and any concerns we have had with regards to behaviour have been supported by Sue Bowler. They have always been prompt and helpful and we cannot praise them highly enough"

If you have any positive feedback that you'd like to share I would welcome an email.

Anthony Harper, Early Years and Childcare Manager

Anthony.Harper@Portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Learning from case reviews

Summary of risk factors and learning for improved practice

The NSPCC Information Service has summarised the learning from case review reports, highlighting risk factors and key learning for improved practice.

The learning from these reviews highlight that professionals should work together to maintain a focus on the needs and experiences of very young children in vulnerable families.

See briefing here

Ensuring babies are kept safer when sleeping

Press release issued by Solent NHS Trust

Solent NHS Trust is working with the Lullaby Trust to promote #SaferSleepWeek – a campaign aiming to inform as many parents and carers as possible on how to significantly reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – the sudden and unexplained death of a baby.

Around four babies a week still die from SIDS, commonly known as cot death. If all parents were aware of safer sleep advice, many more lives could be saved.

Health Visitors from Solent NHS Trust are giving parents and carers important but simple steps they can take to keep their baby safer when sleeping.

Health Visitor, “We believe that parents should be able to enjoy this precious time with their young baby, so these quick tips give them peace of mind that their baby is as safe as possible when sleeping.”

Quick tips for safer sleep:

Place your baby to sleep in a separate cot or moses basket in the same room as you for the first six months
Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress in good condition
Always place your baby on their back to sleep with their feet to the bottom of the cot
Keep your baby smoke-free during pregnancy and after birth
Breastfeed your baby if you can

Things to avoid:

Never sleep on a sofa or armchair with your baby, day or night time
Don’t sleep in the same bed as your baby especially if you smoke, drink, take drugs, or if you are extremely tired or if your baby was born prematurely or was of low birth weight
Don’t let your baby get too hot
Don’t cover your baby’s face or head whilst sleeping or use loose bedding

Dr Jason Horsley, Director of Public Health at Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council, said; "Losing a child is devastating and so this campaign helping to raise awareness of safer sleeping advice is really important. There's often a lot going on following the birth of a new baby but by following the few simple sleep recommendations from Health Visitors, parents can significantly reduce the chance of losing their child to SIDS.

"In addition, we recognise that the first few weeks of being sleep deprived parents can be difficult and it's important that you look after yourself. If you're finding it tough you should seek help by speaking with your Health Visitor or GP. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Please contact your local Health Visiting Service for more information. Details can be found here or phone numbers can also be found in your Personal Child Health Record Book. More information on safer sleep and SIDS can be found at www.lullabytrust.org.uk.

Inclusion

At the recent SENCO cluster we welcomed Denise O'Flynn to the world of Early Years. Denise is the new MABS advisor. You can refer to MABS for behaviour support for children in your setting who are starting school in September.

New MABS referral form

Local Offer

Don’t forget to signpost parents to the Local Offer webpage. If you have not seen it yourself, visit http://www.portsmouthlocaloffer.org/ and go to 'before school', 'education' to view a wide range of information about SEND. You can find the Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) guidance, Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) information and a wealth of other documents to support you in advising parents.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) resources

With new laws being implemented from 25 May 2018 we advise all providers to begin preparing now.

PACEY has released a series of easy-to-use resources to help support the early years and childcare sector in understanding and implementing the changes around General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Access the PACEY resources here.

We will be issuing a revised Parent Declaration Form to comply with the new laws. Please email us if you have any specific queries at eydelivery@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.

Updated Ofsted inspection myths

Ofsted have updated their inspection myths to reflect the fact that they are removing their template for self-evaluation and have also clarified that the onus is on the setting to show how they manage risk rather than having a checklist of items that providers need to comply with. Myths 4, 8 and 9 around self-evaluation and risk assessment have all been amended.

See updated guidance here

A day in the life of a QSO: Layla Riches

There are three Early Years Quality and Sufficiency Officers (QSOs) on the team who are managed by the Quality and Sufficiency Coordinator, Justine Greenfield.

My role is varied and very rewarding - and very busy! We benefit from having a supportive service around us and find great satisfaction from seeing new childcare providers set up and our local providers being recognised by Ofsted as offering good or above care and education to our early years children and families.

Every day is different. As well as running training and attending meetings, I respond to lots of emails and phone calls from providers which can be on any aspect of their provision including Ofsted registration requirements, Early Years Foundation Stage requirements, early education funding processes and safeguarding procedures including LADO referrals and how to respond.

My area of the city is the North Locality so I work predominantly with group settings and childminders in this area, but I sometimes work in other areas alongside my colleagues on the team.

If you would like to discuss your provision and get any advice or support, please get in touch by emailing eydelivery@portsmouthcc.gov.uk