With you, with the child. Every step of the way.
Broadcast for Early Years and childcare providers in West Sussex from West Sussex County Council - Early Help Service
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Tuesday 7 April 2020
Yesterday was another busy start to the week but we hope everyone is still managing to stay safe. Thank you for your ongoing support in these unprecedented times.
Update on Business Support for Early Years Providers
West Sussex County Council has created a webpage for business support which gives further details about the local arrangements for delivering the support promised by the government.
Please refer to this alongside the information provided by central government on the schemes available to support your business.
Volunteers needed to support settings remaining open
We are aware that for various reasons, some settings have needed to close for a time. However, they may have staff who could be available to support settings that are remaining open to provide the childcare needed to vulnerable children and the children of the critical workers involved in the COVID-19 response.
We are hugely appreciative of all those settings who are remaining open to support their communities. This comes with many complications, one of which is staffing the provision adequately. To help support those setting who are continuing to operate, we would like to know which practitioners are currently able to work at other providers on a temporary basis, as a volunteer. Following current guidance, practitioners can volunteer at another provider, even if they are furloughed.
Practitioners who are able to support in this way will remain employed by their current employer but would work on a temporary basis with a new setting. They would still be eligible to receive pay from their current employer or through the government furlough scheme so they would, in effect, be a volunteer with the new provider.
The setting will need to carry out their usual checks and induction procedures to ensure that children are kept safe and well cared for. When working in a new setting, practitioners will need to abide by that setting’s policies and procedures.
Practitioners who are able to support in this way, should complete the questionnaire as soon as possible so that they can be contacted and linked with a setting in need of support. Your details will not be published, but we will share these with providers who may be needing support within their provision. This information will be deleted once the COVID-19 response has ended, or sooner if you request us to delete this for you before that.
Please share this information with any staff from your setting to whom this might apply. Thank you so much for your willingness to get involved and support in this way.
For currently open settings that would like to know about staff that may be available to support them, please speak to your EYCA who will be able to link you with available practitioners, once we have collated these responses.
There may be other options you would like to explore to increase staffing at your setting, including agency staff, temporarily increasing the hours of part time staff, and employing new staff. Please ensure you consider all the implications of these, including impact on benefits, employment law and the current government guidance.
We still encourage you to work locally to share resources, where you can, and hope that by us carrying out this task we can give you further options to keep your provision running during this time.
Amended FAQs
Please note that FAQs 3.5 and 6.2 have had amendments made to the answers. You can read the full questions and answers by accessing the FAQs link at the bottom of this update.
Communicating with parents
We appreciate that making decisions around balancing the needs of families alongside the well-being of your staff and your businesses isn’t easy. Whether you’re able to continue providing high quality early learning and childcare for key worker and vulnerable children or had to close, we strongly advise that you stay in regular contact with your parents during this time. Communication will help to support your relationships when the time is right for everyone to return to your setting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - including links to Gov.UK information
Note: All our FAQs for West Sussex settings are in one document. You will always be opening the latest version by clicking the link below in this, and future broadcasts.
Please ensure that you additionally refer to the latest Government FAQs on Gov.UK
Reminder: Data capture survey required every Wednesday and Friday
All providers please complete this short online survey, twice a week, every Wednesday and Friday:
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Link to data capture survey (Only open on a Wed and Fri, closing at midnight. Commences Wednesday 8 April. No survey required on bank holiday Friday 10 April)
Links to our most recent COVID-19 setting updates:
6/4 PM Update 16 (About the 'data capture survey')
6/4 AM Update 15 (FE estimate payments)
3/4 Update 14 (updated 'EY and childcare closures' guidance on Gov.UK)
2/4 Update 13 (FAQs now on the web, and alert for scams)
1/4 Update 12 (contact with vulnerable children, Ofsted updates and supporting children’s mental health)
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