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PLEASE SHARE THESE UPDATES INTERNALLY WITH ALL STAFF.
Working Together to Safeguard Children - updated guidance
The DfE have recently released a new illustrated guide and short animation to help children and young people understand the Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance.
These resources explain how people work together to help, support and protect children. Designed for independent use or with an adult, they promote clear, open communication so young people know what to expect, what support is available and how to access it.
Click the link below to find out more.
Dingley's Promise feedback sessions
We are hosting two sessions for you to give your feedback about Early Years SEND systems across Staffordshire.
Get involved in making sure the Early Years SEND systems in Staffordshire are as simple and accessible as possible.
Link up with Dingley’s Promise Head of Quality who can provide support on any Early Years SEND questions or challenges you have.
Share your voice with Dingley’s Promise CEO to raise with MPs and Ministers in Westminster as they consider reforms to the SEND system.
Thursday 26 June 2025
Newcastle Family Hub, Cemetery Rd, Knutton, ST5 6DH 9:30 to 11:30am
Stafford Family Hub, Faraday Rd, Stafford, ST16 3NQ 1:30 to 3:30pm
To express an interest in taking part, email eeac@staffordshire.gov.uk
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Check an early years qualification service
This new free digital tool from the DfE helps early years managers quickly check whether staff qualifications meet the requirements for staff:child ratios in England.
The service aims to simplify qualification checks, reduce administrative burden and save valuable time during recruitment and workforce planning. Early years managers can enter details about the qualification such as the course start date, level and awarding organisation, and receive a clear outcome that can be printed for their records.
It supports the sector in preparing for the expansion of funded childcare entitlements in September 2025.
Click the link below to access the service.
Free training opportunities
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.
Transitioning into Reception – support for schools
This workshop is aimed at school settings only who are due to receive children from EY settings, and aims to help you:
- understand the importance of Transition in the Early Years,
- support children with additional needs / SEND into Reception,
- support parents and families through transition,
- understand what information to receive to support the child’s transition and how to utilise it,
- information on funding and further training.
Wednesday 11 June 2025 6pm to 7:30pm via MS Teams or
Wednesday 18 June 2025 9:30 to 11am via MS Teams
All places must be booked through the Practitioner Hub. Click the link below to book your place via the EY Practitioner Hub.
Early Years update for schools
These sessions, aimed at teachers and practitioners working in nursery and reception classes, offer an opportunity to collaborate with other school-based Early Years colleagues to discuss and share practice. Stay informed with the latest insights and updates from the Early Years sector.
- Develop a deeper understanding of the latest national updates in early years and reflect on their impact on the sector.
- Discuss local developments in early years across Staffordshire.
- Network with other schools and foster a community of knowledge and improvement.
Monday 23 June 2025 3:30 to 4:30pm via MS teams
All places must be booked through the Practitioner Hub. Click the link below to book your place via the EY Practitioner Hub.
Brilliant Baby Brains
This training was written by the speech and language therapy service in the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and is aimed at practitioners working in nurseries and preschools with babies from 0-18 months with a key focus around 9 months.
By the end of the 3 part course you will:
- feel more confident in the ages and stages of development in the first 18 months of life,
- understand the key role practitioners play in enhancing children’s development,
- feel more confident in knowing what activities to try to enhance baby development,
- feel more confident in knowing what activities to advise parents to use,
- have a range of strategies and activities to use in the workplace.
This course is in 3 parts, practitioners must attend all 3 sessions.
- Thursday 26 June 2025 9:30am to 12pm
- Thursday 3 July 2025 9:30am to 12pm
- Thursday 10 July 2025 9:30am to 12pm
All places must be booked through the Practitioner Hub. Click the link below to book your place via the EY Practitioner Hub.
Childminder Network- Childminding and the wonder of teaching and learning
During this online network session, together we will consider:
- our role as Childminders and our shared definition of teaching and learning,
- how we effectively design and join children in play and learning,
- how we capture meaningful learning in action,
- how we can build an effective curriculum that meets the needs of children, families and local community.
Tuesday 1 July 2025 6.30 to 7.15pm via Zoom
Email n.davies@ryders-hayes.co.uk or call 07561 219613 to book your place.
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Community Family Support Service
The free service is for families with children aged 0-18 years who require one-to-one support with managing challenges they are experiencing which are preventing them from improving their children’s health, wellbeing and outcomes.
Support can be delivered in the family home, as well as community settings like schools or Family Hubs, ensuring families get the right support, at the right time and in the right place.
- Parenting skills and strategies, such bedtime and morning routines
- Understanding your child's behaviour and how to respond
- Children being ready for starting school well
- Building healthy family relationships
- Child's personal, social and emotional development
- Experiencing improved family relationships
- Meeting children's needs where impacted by cost of living pressures
- Staying and feeling safe in the community
Community Family Support Services are delivered by district:-
Moorlands and Newcastle - The Gingerbread Centre
South Staffordshire and Stafford - Family Support by SCTSP
Cannock and Lichfield - Malachi Specialist Family Support Services
Tamworth and East Staffs - Malachi Specialist Family Support Services
For more details and how to access the service, click the link below.
Wraparound Childcare programme - more funding is available
Are you considering expanding or creating more before and after school places? Funding is now available for a September 2025 start.
Over 50 providers have already benefitted, creating over 1000 places for Staffordshire children and families.
For more information visit Wraparound childcare programme or contact sarah.atkins@staffordshire.gov.uk
The expansion of funded childcare for working parents is supporting families and helping parents to enter work or increase their hours. To meet demand for the expanded entitlements, additional childcare places are required. However, one of the barriers to expanding childcare provision is the indoor space requirements in the EYFS frameworks.
The DfE is consulting on potential options for amending the EYFS indoor space requirements, which is in addition to other initiatives planned to increase places by September 2025.
Click the link below to submit your response to the consultation, which closes on 11 July 2025.
Co-production in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent - survey
In Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, as a system partnership we have made commitments to adopt co-production as an engagement approach where it is feasible and appropriate to do so. Co-production is the equivalent of platinum standard engagement and should therefore adhere to some high and strict standards. Co-production is not just a catch-all term for working together better.
In this survey, we'd like you to assess your level of awareness (i.e. whether you have heard of co-production as a term), your understanding (i.e. how much you actually know about co-production as a term, for example, where it fits within the wider term of engagement). Your confidence rating is about how you would feel about adopting/leading a co-production approach to relevant areas of your work if asked to do so today.
You can find out more about co-production in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent on the SCVYS website.
Click here to book your place (via Eventbrite) for a free online Lunch and Learn session on Wednesday 9 July 2025 12:00 to 1:30pm, where you can find out more.
Click the link below to complete the survey.
Invitation to participate in a research interview
The DfE is keen to hear from early years job applicants. If you have applied for a new role between April 2024 and March 2025 working with children aged up to five, they would like to learn more about your job search experience.
They are also interested in hearing from staff who have been working in an early years setting for longer to understand more about your experiences and the challenges you face.
To express your interest in taking part in an interview, email eyfiqueries@iffresearch.com with your name, contact details and the names of any local authorities you have applied for early years roles in since April 2024. If you are currently working in an early years role, please provide the name of the local authority you are working in.
If selected, you will receive a £35 voucher as a thank you for your time.
Your feedback will help DfE to learn more about what attracts people like you to work in early education. They will use this information to make decisions about working conditions and pay.
If you know others working in early years settings, feel free to forward this invitation on to them.
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