  Join us at our FREE Early Years Conference to celebrate practitioners who are working to improve outcomes for children in Staffordshire.
Hear from: Darrell Woodman - The Art of Being Brilliant - workshop focusing on learning new habits of thinking and behaviour that will sustain personal ‘brilliance’.
Greg Bottrill - author of the bestselling ’Can I Go And Play Now?’, ‘School of the Magic of Children’ and ‘Love Letters To Play’.
Laura Henri-Allain MBE - international award-winning producer, storyteller, educationalist, keynote speaker and consultant and creator of the award-winning first Black British animation, JoJo and Gran Gran.
Catherine McLeod MBE - Chief Executive of Dingley’s Promise since 2015, growing the organisation to a national one that delivers training and influences policy.
This invitation is open to all practitioners from nurseries, pre-schools, childminders and managers and will support you to:
- celebrate early years practice across Staffordshire,
- respond in innovative ways to nurture the unique child,
- recognise the commitment practitioners have made to their own professional development, including through the Early Years Professional Development Programme and Dingley’s Promise,
- develop knowledge and skills to support personal wellbeing both in and out of work,
- stimulate your professional learning and understanding of young children,
- network with other practitioners and learn more about services in Staffordshire.
Click the link below for more details and to book your place on the EY Practitioner Hub. Max 2 delegates per setting. We look forward to welcoming you.
Safeguarding news
Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework - safeguarding and welfare requirements
Safer sleep practices
Safety and suitability of premises, environment and equipment: this section covers a wide range of health and safety consideration for all early years providers. Pg 35- 38.
Sleeping arrangements: the EYFS states that sleeping children should be frequently checked to ensure that they are safe.
3.69 - Group and school-based provision
3.69 - Childminders
Points to consider:
- When was the last time the provision completed safer sleep training?
- How is staff and assistants understanding of safer sleep training checked?
- How often are sleeping children checked to ensure they are safe?
- Are the cots, sleep mattresses and bedding used in good working order and suitable for the age of the babies and children?
- Are babies placed down to sleep safely in line with latest government safety guidance?
- Are you physically checking the sleeping children and recording it?
- Does your procedure include removing bibs, head bands and dummy clips before the children go to sleep?
- Do you monitor the temperature of the room and keep it at steady temperature?
- If in a large mixed age group room, do you ensure that the sleeping children are not at risk of being trampled on by waking children
Safer sleep advice for babies - Start for Life - NHS
Sleeping position | The Lullaby Trust
Free training opportunities
SSCP Safer Sleep Practitioner events - learning from local modifiable factors
This session is for multiagency practitioners who are experienced in delivering safer sleep messages to new parents, with the aims to:
- refresh and update prior knowledge, in relation to both the local picture and “Out of routine: A review of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) in families where the children are considered at risk of significant harm.” (DfE 2020),
- learn from trends, local modifiable factors and 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, to suggest tools and resources that might aid this, wider strategies.
Wednesday 25 June 2025 9:30am to 1pm via MS Teams
For more details and to book your place click the link below. Please note this course is free to attend but non attendance is charged as per SSCP's cancellation policy.
SSCP Multi-agency Level 3 Role of Designated/Deputy Safeguarding Lead Training
This session is aimed at members of staff who have:
- Lead responsibility for Safeguarding including Designated/Lead Officers, e.g. Designated teachers, managers responsible for child protection in EY setting.
- Operational responsibility for receiving concerns about the safety and welfare of children and young people, who make decisions about what action needs to be taken.
- Strategic responsibilities in addition to the operational role.
Participants must have undertaken Level 1 Child Protection training and Multi-agency Level 2 Working Together to Safeguard Children training before attending this course.
The session is aimed to increase your understanding of:
- day-to-day role of the DSL/DDSL
- key legislation
- creating a safeguarding culture
- having courageous conversations including professional curiosity and the importance of language
- multi-agency working including professional challenge and escalation
- learning from CSPR’s
Thursday 15 May 2025 9:30am to 4:30pm via MS Teams
For more details and and to book your place click the link below. Please note this course is free to attend but non attendance is charged as per SSCP's cancellation policy.
SSCP Multi-agency Early Help Assessment Training
This session is aimed at Designated Leads and other practitioners who will be undertaking an Early Help assessment. Participants must have undertaken SSCP Level 1 Child Protection training before attending this course.
The programme is aimed to increase your understanding of Early Help:
- to be able to complete the Outcome Star collaboratively with families/Parents/carers,
- to use the Outcome Star for effective gathering of Family information to inform the Early Help Assessment,
- to understand the Journey of Change,
- using the Outcome Star to support Action Planning,
- to revisit the Threshold framework.
Thursday 15 May 2025 9:30am to 4:30pm via MS Teams
For more details and to book your place click the link below. Please note this course is free to attend but non attendance is charged as per SSCP's cancellation policy.
Safeguarding and welfare workshops – EYFS safeguarding reforms
These online workshops, aimed at PVI day nurseries, childminders, pre-schools and school run early years provision, aims to provide an opportunity to focus on the latest updates to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, with a specific focus on safeguarding and welfare.
They provide valuable opportunities for practitioners to share good practice, enabling an opportunity for everyone to bring along and exchange ideas, openly discussing strategies to implement the updated guidance effectively.
The workshop aims to help you:
- understand the latest changes to the EYFS statutory framework safeguarding and welfare requirements,
- understand the key role of leadership and management of staff relating to the EYFS statutory changes
- reflect on current practice and provision and any changes that may be required.
Click you chosen date below to book your place through the EY Practitioner Hub. Sessions are the same so you only need to book on one.
Tuesday 1st July 10am to 11:30am via MS Teams
Tuesday 1st July 4pm to 5:30pm via MS Teams
Wednesday 2nd July 6:30pm to 8pm via MS Teams
All places must be booked through the EY Practitioner Hub. Maximum 2 attendees per setting. We would advise you to book early as places are limited.
Level 3 EY SENCO Award Training delivered by SCC Early Years Team
Staffordshire County Council's Early Years team is thrilled to announce they will be delivering the Level 3 Early Years SENCO Award, a fully funded FREE training programme.
This accredited course offers comprehensive training over 12 days, spanning the Autumn and Spring terms of 2025-2026. Participants will benefit from a blend of virtual and face-to-face sessions, ensuring a flexible and engaging learning experience.
Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to enhance your skills and make a difference to the lives of young children with SEND in your setting.
Email for more details and to express your interest.
Unintentional injuries among children under 5
This session aims to increase awareness and knowledge of unintentional injuries among children under 5 and raise awareness of deliberate injuries that may occur. It explores your role in the prevention and reduction of injuries. This session focusses on childhood accidents.
Monday 14 July 2025 9:30am to 1pm via MS Teams OR
Wednesday 15 October 2025 9:30am to 1pm via MS Teams
For more details and to book your place click the link below. Please note this course is free to attend but non attendance is charged as per SSCP's cancellation policy.
Wraparound Childcare Programme - more funding available
Are you considering expanding or creating more before and after school places? Funding is now available for September 2025 start.
Over 50 providers have already benefited, creating over 1000 places for Staffordshire children and families. Here are some of their comments:
'It’s removed the worry that we are going to lose money. We can continue to invest in resources, we continue to upskill our wraparound team, and we continue to push promotion'.
'We have been able to upskill our workers and fund the playworker partnerships which would never have been possible without funding'.
'We have been able to offer extended hours which we would not have been able to offer without the funding'.
'Staff’s jobs were saved and secured by being able to offer additional hours'.
'Reliable and dependable service that enhances and improves the extension of the day'.
Click the link below for more information on our webpage or contact sarah.atkins@staffordshire.gov.uk to arrange an informal chat.
Free Wraparound training
Training is available for all those delivering before and after school provision in Staffordshire. Benefit from free resources and bespoke support for your before and after school club.
Working closely with children, parents, and providers across Staffordshire we have developed training sessions to ensure that everyone feels confident and happy in their wraparound childcare.
Book onto one of our short Information Sessions via MS Teams to learn more about the Wraparound Pathway. Sessions are the same so you only need to book on one:
All places must be booked through the EY Practitioner Hub. Click your chosen date above to book your place on the EY Practitioner Hub.
Click here to watch our journey in developing the training (YouTube)
Complement this with national training developed by NASAN and Childcare Works SEND and Inclusive Practice - childcareworks.org.uk
If you have any questions email wraptraining@staffordshire.gov.uk
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The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is offering free access to Maths Champions, a professional development programme that has demonstrated positive impact on children’s mathematical attainment.
Delivered by the National Day Nurseries Association, Maths Champions builds the knowledge of nursery practitioners to support children’s early mathematical development. A senior member of staff will receive one-to-one support to drive improvement in maths practice across their setting, in addition to bespoke online training and resources.
Click the link below for more details and to register your interest.
Ofsted blog: EYPP
Ofsted have recently published their blog to discuss how they look at the use of EYPP when inspecting early years providers.
Ofsted are tasked during an inspection with finding out what it is like to be a child at their early years setting. In practice, this means that they must consider what it is typically like, giving particular consideration to disadvantaged children and those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This always includes children eligible for EYPP.
Click the link below to read the blog on the GOV.uk website.
West Midlands Ofsted Big Conversation
All EY providers are invited to the next West Midlands Ofsted Big Conversation:
Friday 16 May 2025 10am to 1pm (Tickets cost £20 each)
Birmingham City Football club, Cattell Road, Birmingham, B9 4RL
This event is a fantastic opportunity to:
Stay Updated: Receive the latest updates and regulatory changes from Ofsted, including changes to the Inspection Handbook.
Learn from Experts: Gain valuable knowledge from industry experts. Hear from speakers like Nicole Ratcliffe, who will share tips on improving sleep, and Imogen Edmunds, who will provide insights into the latest employment law updates.
Network: Connect with other professionals in the sector, share experiences, and discuss common challenges.
Engage: Participate in interactive sessions with Ofsted representatives during the Ofsted Speakers Corner.
Click the link below for more details and to book your place on Eventbrite.
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