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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Wednesday 22 April 2020
The days just seem to fly by so fast, it doesn't seem possible we are already in the middle of the week. It is fantastic to see the creative ways that many settings have responded to meet this COVID-19 challenge. All this on top of continuing with all the usual domestic demands and family life. It can feel exhausting so sometimes we all need a reminder to pace ourselves!
Reminder
The next DfE data capture for the numbers of children currently accessing early years provision is today. Please use this link to complete your return. The survey will close at midnight.
Summer Term Free Entitlement Actual Claims
The Online Provider Portal (OPP) opens today (Wednesday 22 April) for Summer term Free Entitlement (FE) actuals claims.
Your actuals should only contain claims for the following children:
- Any children who are now of eligible age.
- Any children who have moved providers on a permanent basis.
- Any planned increases or decreases of hours for individual children.
Please do not include any children who are in attendance on a temporary basis due to their usual setting being closed for COVID-19 reasons. Instead, please record these children on the ‘Summer Term 2020 – COVID-19 Headcount’ form, which is available in the ‘Forms’ section of the OPP.
To ensure you submit you claim correctly please refer to the updated Actuals help guide. This is particularly important for the settings which have remained open as there is a small extra step which has been added.
The help guide also covers how to submit Disability Access Fund (DAF) and Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) claims. Please refer to yesterday’s broadcast (Tuesday 21/04/20) regarding the update to claiming DAF.
Extended FE claims:
- Parents must have applied for their 30 hour code before 31 March in order to claim Extended FE in the Summer term.
- Codes are valid for the Summer term if the code ‘start date’ is before 1 April 2020 and the ‘Grace period end date’ covers the Summer term ending 31 August 2020.
- You can carry out an instant 30 hour code check using the ‘Online eligibility checker’ on the OPP. Watch our YouTube help guide which shows you how to instantly check if a 30 hour code is valid.
Important dates:
- Headcount day: Thursday 7 May 2020
- Final deadline for return: Friday 22 May 2020
For further information please read the document entitled ‘Claims process’ at www.westsussex.gov.uk/ecsfreeentitlement.
If you have any queries please email free.entitlement@westsussex.gov.uk.
Celebrating your fantastic work (part 2)
Following the broadcast we sent out on Friday last week, we have been receiving more amazing stories about the wonderful things West Sussex Early Years and Childcare providers have been doing to support families. As we said before, what you are doing is so important and will make such a difference to how young children look back on this unusual time in their lives.
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Cottis Pre-School in Hurstpierpoint arranged a delivery of “Playdoh pretend oven bakery sets” to their EYPP children. These were greatly appreciated, and the parents shared videos of the children playing with them.
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St Nicolas and St Mary CE Primary School in Shoreham-by-Sea sent us this: "Following on from the section on fantastic work in the last broadcast, we would like to celebrate our ‘Awesome Assemblies.’ St Nicolas and St Mary’s CE Primary School have been uploading daily, fun-packed, Awesome Assemblies to YouTube. When they check-in with vulnerable families over the phone, the assemblies have been a great talking point. Pupils and families from different schools, including former pupils from as far as Brazil, have racked up 12,000 views so far. They have also produced a Happy Birthday video which they have made available to parents on an unlisted link (so children can’t access in advance of their birthday!) which has proved very welcome when you can’t have a party with your friends."
- We also received a wonderful tribute from a childminder's husband. Mr Hubbert said: "I thought I would let you know, my wife does not know I am sending this, but she is a childminder who has stayed open. She reads a story each day, which is videoed, and put onto our settings blog on Facebook. Every day between 20 and 25 families watch this. The comments we are getting say, what a great way to stay in touch during these difficult times."
Please keep sharing with us all the wonderful things that are happening around the county so we can continue to share and celebrate these. Please send these to family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk. During these strange unchartered times, hearing all the positivity really helps keep us all motivated! Thank you to you all.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - including links to Gov.UK information
Please note: We are reviewing our FAQs and streamlining the document to make it easier for you to use, and will publish the new document when ready. Whilst we are reviewing the current FAQs, we will make any necessary updates to existing answers. You can still submit any new questions you have for us by email family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk, adding COVID-19 setting query to the subject line.
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 a short online survey, twice a week, every Wednesday and Friday. The link to the survey is different each time. A link will be provided in the morning broadcast on each of the days it is required. Each survey will only be open on the day it is required, and will close at midnight.
Links to our most recent COVID-19 setting updates:
21/4 Update 25 (FE Actuals, DAF, Inclusion Funding applications, SEND Champions)
20/4 Update 24 (CJRS; business rates; EYC closures guidance)
17/4 Update 23 (Lockdown extension, Friday survey open, celebrating work)
16/4 Update 22 (Starting school offers, furlough eligibility change)
15/4 Update 21 (update on keeping staff safe, employment and furloughing)
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