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 27 May 2020
Reminder
This week's DfE data capture for the numbers of children currently accessing early years provision closes at midnight. Please use this link to complete your return, if you have not already done so.
Planning for broadening your offer to more children
We are sure that the government guidance has given you lots of food for thought in your planning. A summary of the key points in the government's "Planning Guide For Early years and Childcare Settings" published on 24 May can be found here.
Many of you will have already started carrying out risk assessments, reviewing your availability of staff and asking families what childcare they think they are likely to need over the coming weeks. We know that your offer to families is dependent on a range of factors so plans you make will be individual to each setting. Settings will need to work with managers, committees, owners, staff and parents to develop a plan that will work in their own context. Once you have completed your risk assessment, if you would like to discuss the model you are using, your EYCA can offer some support in discussing options. The final decision will be down to each setting to make a judgement based on the balancing of risks and benefits.
Communicating with parents about re-opening
As you prepare for change within your setting, making sure that you are clear and transparent in your communication with families is crucial to the success of your planning. Here are a few things you may wish to consider when communicating with families:
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Managing expectations - You may not be able to offer all of the hours and days that each family request. Let families know that you will do the best that you can and try to work with them to find a solution together, where possible. If you plan to expand your offer slowly, outline the reasons for this as well as how and when you plan to review your offer.
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Be clear and transparent - Share with them how you are going to make decisions about places. Develop a criteria for deciding on the hours each family can access and share this with families, making sure you apply it consistently. Make sure staff are aware of the procedures if their child, another child or a member of staff becomes ill.
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Prepare for change - make sure families understand the new arrangements at the setting - from drop-off and collection to the layout in the room and the experiences the children will have. Give time for them to ask questions so that they feel confident and know how they can support their child to manage the change.
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Planning for children's needs - Try to find out about the child's experience while they have not been attending the setting. This might help you to anticipate how they might respond to coming back so you can plan their transition more effectively. If you have children attending your setting with SEND or other children where you have previously adapted your provision to support them, think about how you will be able to offer this support when they return or you have more children attending. Talk to the child's family and plan together how you can make sure that the provision is ready for them.
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Keep parents up to date - However prepared you are, the unexpected will often happen. Make sure you keep parents informed of any changes you need to make as soon as you can. Children may respond unexpectedly to the change. If a child is struggling, remember that how they behave is communicating how they are feeling. Plan for how you can make time to support children's emotional needs and support them to adjust. If a child is finding it difficult, talk to parents as soon as you can and develop a plan together.
Maintaining a good partnership with parents is always key to your work with children and it's important to prioritise your communication with parents to support your business and ensure that children continue to get the support they need.
Letter sent to parents from FIS
In preparation for the re-opening of early years and childcare settings, the Family Information Service has recently provided this letter to parents via email and social media.
Celebrating Good Practice
Little Explorers in Pulborough and their sister setting, West Chiltington Montessori are joining forces to operate from the West Chiltington site from 1 June. To support families from both sites they have made a video using staff’s children to demonstrate that pre-school will still be fun and see all their usual adults and friends and maybe make some new friends; they will still be able to have a cuddle and get involved in lots of fun activities but it also demonstrates that staff may wear masks; leaving Mummy or Daddy may be a bit different; and lots of hand washing will happen.
This is a lovely way to reassure parents and to support children to be ready for the changes they may see when they return, or start to attend at a new venue.
All providers please complete a short online survey, once a week. The link to the survey is different each time. A link will be provided in each Monday broadcast, and the survey will be open for three full days each week from Monday to Wednesday, closing at midnight on the Wednesday. The latest link to the survey is also available on our website.
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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#44 26 May (early years planning guide)
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#43 22 May PM (changes to data capture, updated guidance, access to key work places for EY practitioners, staffing your provision and staff survey)
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#42 20 May (Expansion of testing with new symptom identified, SSP rebate scheme, updated guidance, transcript of speech by Gavin Williamson, EY training)
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#41 18 May (New guidance on safe working, planning to re-open)
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#40 15 May (Data capture frequency, LADO toolkit, re-opening tips, DfE vodcast, training brochure)
- 15 Jun - Summer Term FE Actuals payments released (week commencing)
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