Increasing childcare places in Staffordshire
As expected, the latest provider survey indicates that demand for childcare places has increased in line with the roll out of the expansion of funded childcare. Demand is likely to increase further from September 2025 when all working parents with children over 9 months old will be eligible to 30 hours of funded childcare.
The further increase in demand is expected across all Staffordshire districts. Therefore, we would like to hear from providers who are expecting to see increased demand, and have potential to increase the number of places at your setting, or at new premises.
Capital funding may be available to support projects that can increase the number of places available. We are interested in discussing projects where providers can show evidence of a need for additional childcare, and provide good value for money. We are particularly interested in projects that can create places for children aged 0-2.
If you are interested or would like to discuss any potential projects with us confidentially, then please email eeac@staffordshire.gov.uk.
Family Hub newsletters
Family Hubs bring together different services for families. They provide a single place to go for support and information from a variety of services; it's a network of physical spaces, as well as online services.
Family hubs offer:
- physical and mental health
- housing and debt advice
- youth services
- domestic abuse support
- parenting classes
- midwifery
- health visiting
- infant feeding advice
- perinatal mental health support
- other services run by charities and local groups
For more details and to find you nearest Family Hub, visit the webpage by clicking the link below.
Click here to keep up to date with what's happening within the Family Hubs across Staffordshire by signing up to the Family Hub newsletter.
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Speech, Language, Communication network advice sessions
The speech and language therapy child specific advice sessions have proven very popular, and January and February dates are now full.
Next bookable sessions are 13 March, 7 April and 22 May 2025. These are online sessions with a speech and language therapist to discuss children’s needs where they are NOT already known to the service.
For any children already accessing speech therapy you will need to discuss these with their individual therapist. Sessions are bookable by emailing stokespeaksout@mpft.nhs.uk quoting ‘child specific advice’.
Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel: annual report 2023 to 2024
The Panel published its fifth Annual Report in December 2024; this seeks to analyse and understand the patterns in practice that can be discerned through analysis of the 330 rapid reviews with incidents falling between April 2023 and March 2024, and 82 Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews considered by the Panel in this same period.
Three spotlight themes were selected to provide a focus for this year’s annual report:
- safeguarding children with mental health needs
- safeguarding pre-school children with parents with mental health needs
- extrafamilial harm.
These themes were chosen in part because of the regularity with which safeguarding partnerships have highlighted the importance of these issues in local reviews. All three themes illustrate how at times professionals struggle to find the best and right resources that are needed to help keep children safe.
All safeguarding partners and those who work directly with children are encouraged to read the report and reflect on the key findings. Click the link below to read the report.
Last month, the Government published a new policy paper ‘Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’ that sets out a swathe of reforms to the multi-agency child safeguarding system.
Lunch & Learn online webinars
The Panel is hosting two webinars to cascade the key messages from the Annual Report. These 1-hour ‘lunch and learn’ online events will include an overview of the key learning and local recommendations for safeguarding partners. Each event will focus on a different ‘spotlight’ theme in order to facilitate discussion and generate feedback on each topic:-
Wednesday 12 February 12pm to 1pm - safeguarding children with mental health needs and safeguarding pre-school children with parents with mental health needs.
Wednesday 19 February 12pm to 1pm - extra-familial harm (safeguarding children from risks outside of the home).
Click your chosen date above to book your place via Eventbrite. Places are limited and are allocated on a first come first served basis. Both webinars will be conducted via MS Teams and participants will be sent joining instructions and a full agenda via email one week before the event.
Free training opportunities
Developing early phonological awareness training
This free training is open to all provider types for practitioners working with children aged 2-4 years and will enable practitioners to use a range of evidenced based approaches and key practices to:-
- explicitly and implicitly teach sound discrimination and manipulation through intentional opportunities in play and small groups, across the pedagogical continuum.
- plan and deliver sequential learning of phonological knowledge and skills for nursery age children.
The training will clarify age-related expectations around early phonological development, identify key approaches and practical strategies to support:-
- Auditory (sound) discrimination,
- Awareness of rhythm, rhyme and alliteration,
- Hearing and matching initial sounds,
- Oral blending and segmenting.
There will be opportunities to see the approaches in action and rehearse new strategies, reflect on how phonological awareness can be taught through guided play and targeted group time.
Thursday 13 March 10am to 1pm, Rudyard and Trentham rooms, Staffordshire Place 1, Tipping Street, Stafford, ST16 2DH
Places are limited and offered on a first come first served basis (max 2 per setting). To express your interest email n.davies@ryders-hayes.co.uk or call 07561 219613.
Understanding parental conflict
This one-day course, aimed at anyone who works directly with children, young people & their parents including school pastoral staff, will give delegates an overview of the key principles of healthy parental relationships and the impact of parental conflict. It will provide practical tools and resources to help delegates identify, explore and support parents in conflict. The course aims to:-
• explore the key research and evidence linked to parental conflict in the UK, the effects on children and young people
• be able to confidently define parental conflict and understand the difference between that and domestic abuse
• understand the key principles of conflict and how it manifests
• have knowledge of a range of practical tools to identify, explore and support parents in conflict.
• consider the importance of our approach and how we build effective relationships with parents
• have an understating of referral and signposting options for further support.
25 February 2025 9:30 to 4pm at Families First, Faraday Road, Stafford, ST16 3NQ
To book, email children.families.training@staffordshire.gov.uk with the delegate name, setting name, email address, name of course and date. (Please do not contact the EEAC team).
Working with Dads and Significant Males
This course is aimed at anyone who works directly with children and their parents, and aims 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. It aims to:
• 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.
26 February 2025 1pm to 4:30pm via MS Teams
To book, email children.families.training@staffordshire.gov.uk with the delegate name, setting name, email address, name of course and date. (Please do not contact the EEAC team).
The HUB resources for providers
The HUB, developed by Childcare Works, is a one stop shop for childcare providers for all currently available resources relating to the new childcare entitlements and wraparound care programme, including Vodcasts, Case Studies, Templates and Top Tips. It also includes:
Click here to sign up to access the resources via the LAB. Click the link below to take you to the HUB.
Finance news
Spring actual task
A reminder that the Spring actual task closes Tuesday 21 January. As this task informs the Early Years Census it is a requirement that all providers registered for funding complete this claim. (If no funded children, return a nil claim or inform the Finance team). See last weeks EEAC Update issue 41 for more details and guidance notes on how to complete the new 'Entitlement Weeks' field.
Validity start date error - update
Last week, we reported an issue which meant some parents who had applied for their code in time before the deadline of 31 December, were incorrectly showing as not eligible for Spring term.
We are pleased to report that the Eligibility Checking Service have now rectified this error. Please ensure all codes are checked on your EY Portal before offering a place.
If you have any queries on a parents' eligibility, contact the Finance team on 01785 854009 email eefportal@staffordshire.gov.uk or the EEAC team on 01785 278201 eeac@staffordshire.gov.uk and we will be happy to advise.
Funded entitlements - Communications Toolkit
With many families facing challenges because of the increase in the cost of living, we wanted to make sure all eligible parents (and professionals working with parents) know about our offer of funded early education, childcare sessions and additional funding entitlements such as EYPP, DAF and Tax Free Childcare.
Our Guide to Funded Education and Childcare sets out what’s available at each age and when and how to apply. You can help us reach more parents by:
- Forwarding the leaflet for parents on to Staffordshire parents, or printing a hard copy for them to take away.
- Sharing resources by:-
- putting posters up in high foot fall areas
- sharing graphics through your social media accounts
- adding information to your newsletters and emails
If you have any questions please email eeac@staffordshire.gov.uk
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