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 6 May 2020
It is a short but still busy week for many. As this Friday is a bank holiday (VE Day Celebrations - please see more information below) there will be no setting update or data capture that day. For many of you we hope this means a chance for a three day weekend. With the COVID-19 restrictions forcing more things to be done digitally maybe the longer weekend will provide an opportunity to put your phone away or switch your laptop/tablet off to give yourself some time to refresh and recharge. Hopefully by the beginning of next week we may start to know more about what any relaxing of restrictions may look like. Thank you again for all your hard work in ensuring that childcare is available in these challenging times for those children who need it.
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. Note that as Friday of this week is a bank holiday, a survey will not be required on that day. The next will be open for completion on Wednesday 13 May.
Cyber Security
You may have seen on yesterday's government briefing, and the news, there are concerns about cyber security during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov.UK has the following guidance which may be helpful to you when considering how to keep your data/information safe:
Children in Early Years with EHCPs in place
Following Monday's broadcast requesting settings to complete a form outlining the current provision for children with EHCPs, the DfE has asked for an amendment to be made to the form shared with you. Therefore, please use this revised form rather than the one circulated on Monday. Please note that, in addition to the provision described in Section F, the new document now also asks you to add the description of provision in Sections G and H. For all children with EHCPs, it is crucial to review the current provision against the description in all three of these sections.
Testing for COVID-19
We are sure you are all aware that the issue of testing is continuing to receive a lot of news coverage with the cohort and mechanisms for testing being expanded. As childcare workers you are included in the list of essential workers. You can find out more about getting tested here.
Furloughing Staff
We know there has been lots of confusing messages around the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and how you calculate your claims. It is important that you read all the government guidance and use information provided by national bodies to ensure that your claims are made correctly within the conditions of the scheme. You can access the CJRS calculator here.
You will find further Coronavirus guidance through the Foundations Years, Early Years Alliance, the National Day Nurseries Association, and PACEY.
Foundation Years hosted a video podcast with the DfE, which you might find useful to watch, to answer your questions on the current funding arrangements. The vodcast was recorded on 1 May and covers:
- DSG funding flexibility for local authorities
- Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme calculations, including a worked example
- Interaction between DSG funding flexibility and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
ACAS have also produced lots of useful information to help you make decisions around furloughing which can be found here.
ACAS are also running free webinars you can sign up to which explain HMRC's scheme for employers who have furloughed their workers, or who are planning to. The webinars cover subjects such as:
- Who can claim?
- What can be claimed and what's excluded?
- What to consider in relation to maternity leave?
- What National Minimum Wage considerations are there?
- What effects are there on holiday entitlement?
- How to select employees for furlough and gaining agreement?
- What to consider around shielding and furlough?
Celebrating your fantastic work (part 4)
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Childminder in Felpham: I have taken the difficult decision to close as my husband has a serious health condition. That said, I am keeping in touch with all my families, we have a group messaging app, set up so we can all keep in contact with each other and share ideas, I have made gift bags for each of the children and recorded story and singing times for them.
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Shoreham Pre-school: staff have recorded story times for the children to access at home, using sign within their story telling to support the children’s understanding. Staff have sent ideas for parents and children to try together and they have also taken books and junk modelling resources to some families to support their learning experiences at home.
VE Day Celebrations
There are many parallels between the struggles of the Second World War and what we are going through today. As we face some of the most challenging times since the end of the Second World War, now more than ever it is important to unite, however we can, just as communities did 75 years ago.
As members of the public are no longer able to attend the national and regional VE Day 75 commemorations or events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Royal British Legion is playing a central role in the delivery of a range of remote activities for people to participate in from home. This includes a VE Day 75 livestream, national moments of remembrance and thanksgiving and a learning pack for young people. Perhaps you could have some VE Day themed activities within your settings such as making flags or bunting for children to take home.
More information on how you can get involved can be found on the Royal British Legion website, and further details of how the day will be covered can also be found on BBC News.
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.
If a family you know are struggling to ensure they have food for their family, collect medication, or are in need of any additional support, contact West Sussex County Council Community hub.
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#34 4 May (FE Actuals reminder; amended regulations for EHCP timescales)
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#33 1 May (Celebrating your work pt3; Libraries; Bookstart)
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#32 30 April (Briefing re the use of Free Entitlement funding)
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#31 29 April (PM) (updated guidance on use of entitlements funding)
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#30 29 April (AM) (EYFS temporary disapplications; cluster/hub models)
- 8 May - Bank holiday
- 22 May - Summer Term FE Actuals submissions close
- 15 Jun - Summer Term FE Actuals payments released (week commencing)
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