Important - EY portal news regarding some 30 hour codes
It has come to light that there is an issue with the funding portal which is preventing providers from claiming the Extended/Expanded hours in some circumstances.
The exact circumstances where this is happening are where a parent correctly claimed the Extended/Expanded hours with a provider in the Summer Term and are continuing with the same provider in the Autumn Term, and the code expired before 31 August 2024 with a Grace Period to 31 December 2024 but the parents did not reconfirm the code with Childcare Choices until after 1 September 2024.
In these unique circumstances the child should be able to continue to claim these hours using the Grace Period, but the portal is preventing providers from entering the Extended/Expanded hours on the funding screen.
If you have scenarios that match these circumstances, email details to eefportal@staffordshire.gov.uk as soon as possible, clearly detailing the provider ID and child details so that the funding team can add these hours into your claim.
There will be a further opportunity to correct any claim after the payment has been made should they come to light at a later date.
Please accept our apologies for this system error and for any inconvenience this may cause. We are working with the software provider to ensure that it is corrected in time for the next task.
New Early Years Practitioner Hub
We are pleased to launch the new Early Years Practitioner Hub for use by practitioners working in Staffordshire based early years settings. This learning platform will be the central place for advertising free learning events, courses, network meetings and workshops to help with Continued Professional Development. (E-learning and webinars will be available from 2025-further updates will be provided at a later date.)
- Practitioners (including childminders) can register and manage their own account.
- It allows practitioners to search for and book onto upcoming events and learning.
- Practitioners booking onto events as ‘delegates’ can manage their events such as cancelling a booking.
- Event course materials, evaluations and certificates can be downloaded by delegates via their registered account.
- It allows designated setting managers to manage their own staff bookings. (Managers still need to register and can request manager access by contacting ey.adminsupport@staffordshire.gov.uk)
Important information for delegates:
- Although events are free, we also want events to be well attended. There has been an increase of practitioners booking onto events but not attending. If you cannot attend, this is ok, but delegates need to cancel their booking to free up the place for those on waiting lists and to avoid any charges for delegate or the setting.
- The delegate booked onto the event must be the person attending. If a different person needs to attend in their place, they will be required to register and book onto the event or contact our Admin Team for help. All delegates need to register for data protection compliance.
- Any practitioner who has not booked onto an event will not be guaranteed a place or be allowed to attend.
Full terms and conditions are available on the website. Click the link below to learn more.
Safeguarding training
Intra-familial child sexual abuse multi-agency training
All agencies that have responsibility for assessing the needs of children via Early Help, Child in Need and Child Protection, and for those organisation and delegates who have a designated role for safeguarding and those who are named in Working Together 2023 as a relevant partner.
The course will increase participants’ awareness of and response to protecting children who are both at risk of or currently experiencing Intra-familial child sexual abuse. The course will help you:
- Understand the typology and prevalence of both intra and extra-familial child sexual abuse.
- Understand and promote the importance of hearing the child’s voice creating opportunities for children to disclose.
- Overview the legal and statutory guidance as well as local protocols in relation to safeguarding and child sexual abuse,
- Recognise the indicators of intra-familial child sexual abuse including behavioural and physical markers.
- Promote the importance of multi-agency working and cooperation.
- Highlight lessons learnt from national and local child safeguarding practice reviews, including rapid reviews.
Several dates are available. Click the link below to book your chosen date.
- Monday 25 November 2024 9.30 am - 4.30 pm via Zoom
- Tuesday 17 December 2024 9.30 am - 4.30 pm via Zoom
- Friday 24 January 2025 9.30 am - 4.30 pm via Zoom
- Friday 28 February 2025 9.30 am - 4.30 pm via Zoom
- Monday 24 March 2025 9.30 am - 4.30 pm via Zoom
A mandatory prerequisite free online eLearning must be completed first; to book click here: https://staffsscp.event-booking.org.uk/elearning-detail/%3DgDM2gjM/Intra-familial-Child-Sexual-Abuse-e-learning
Check SSCP charging policy before booking onto SSCP training here:https://www.staffsscp.org.uk/learning-zone/training-costs/
FREE - Safer sleep practitioner event: Learning from local modifiable factors
- Refresh and update prior knowledge, in relation to both the local picture and out of routine.
- Learn from trends, local modifiable factors, vulnerable groups and how these can support new parents and carers.
- Allow frontline practitioners to talk about their experiences in practice including themes, barriers, difficulties in engagement, and concerns.
- Give practitioners opportunity to suggest ideas of how we can support families to understand and follow safer sleep advice.
11 December 2024 10am to 1pm at Stafford Family Hub, ST16 3NQ
24 January 2025 1pm to 4pm at Tamworth Family Hub, B77 2ER
or 25 February 2025 9:30 to 12:30 via MS Teams
Click the link below to book your place through SSCP.
Free - Training opportunities
1. Working with separated parents - practical tips
This session, aimed at frontline staff who work directly with parents, will provide the confidence and skills to work effectively in meeting outcomes for children where their parents are separated. It will:
- Explore the barriers and challenges in working with separated parents and those in conflict.
- Reflect on how we keep children at the centre of our practice
- Increase awareness of tools to work with separated co-parents in conflict
- Increase awareness of the legal context of parental responsibility.
3 December 2024 9:30 to 1pm via MS Teams, or
18 December 2024 9:30 to 1pm via MS Teams
Email children.families.training@staffordshire.gov.uk with the delegate name, setting name, email address, name of course and date, to book your place. (Please do not contact the EEAC team)
2. Working with dads and significant males
To increase knowledge and skills of the vital role fathers and male carers play in the lives of their children and to promote best practice from the workers supporting those children. This course is aimed at anyone who works directly with children and their parents.
- Understand the key research pertaining to fathers and male carers
- Be more reflective of their own approach to working with significant males and how their own values may influence their approach.
- Increase knowledge of some of the barriers to successful engagement of male carers
- Awareness of best practice when working with fathers and male carers
- Reflect upon how effective healthy relationship work with parents requires best practice with dads.
5 December 2024 9:30 to 1pm via MS Teams
Email children.families.training@staffordshire.gov.uk with the delegate name, setting name, email address, name of course and date, to book your place. (Please do not contact the EEAC team)
3. Having courageous conversations with parents and carers
This course, aimed at anyone who works directly with children, young people and their families, provides an opportunity to reflect upon and understand why some conversations can feel difficult. It offers a same space to explore the challenges of difficult conversations and the potential barriers to having open and transparent conversations about sensitive subjects. It aims to:-
- Explore why some conversations are difficult and the impact on practitioners
- Consider how a restorative approach can support effective discussion by us having empathy for the other parties position
- Explore how conflict can be avoided and minimised
- Discover tips to managing difficult conversations and increase confidence
10 December 2024 1pm to 4:30pm via MS Teams
Email children.families.training@staffordshire.gov.uk with the delegate name, setting name, email address, name of course and date, to book your place. (Please do not contact the EEAC team)
4. When couples become carers–parental relationships where children have SEND
This session, aimed at anyone who works directly with children & young people who have special educational needs, disabilities, long-term illness or are neurodiverse and their parents/families, explores how having a child with additional needs or disabilities may impact on the couple / co-parent relationship and consider what professionals can do to support effectively. The course aims to:-
- Consider the range of stressors on a co-parent relationship
- Explore the research around parental relationships and SEND
- Reflect upon the impact on relationships of having a child with SEND
- Consider what parents need from us and how we can acknowledge their relationship pressures.
11 December 2024 9:30 to 12:30pm via MS Teams
Email children.families.training@staffordshire.gov.uk with the delegate name, setting name, email address, name of course and date, to book your place. (Please do not contact the EEAC team)
Free Speech, Language and Communication Needs advice sessions
The Speech and Language Therapy Service in MPFT are holding a series of online speech, language and communication advice sessions for SENCO's and key workers in schools and PVI settings to discuss child specific concerns.
This is for children not currently accessing the service where you may be considering a referral to speech and language therapy or where you may just need a little guidance for individual children.
The sessions are online via MS teams and are one to one with an HCPC registered speech and language therapist from the Service.
Appointments are available on:
- Wednesday 29 January 2025
- Thursday 13 February 2025
- Thursday 13 March 2025
- Monday 7 April 2025
- Thursday 22 May 2025
To book a child specific advice session email stokespeaksout@mpft.nhs.uk quoting ‘SLCN advice session’ and state your preferred date.
Early Years Financial Incentive - 'Golden Hello'
A reminder that this is the final term to be part of Staffordshire’s Early Years Financial Incentive (EYFI) ‘Golden Hello’ pilot.
Funded by the DfE, the scheme offers a £1,000 incentive to those starting or returning to a career in early years, helping providers fill vacancies.
Click the link below for more details, eligibility and to submit and expression of interest.
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