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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Monday 8 June 2020
It doesn't seem possible that this is our 50th setting update! There are a few key staff who contribute towards these updates and we will continue to keep providing you with information in a timely and positive manner for as long as it is needed. The weeks just seem to fly by and the weekends go even faster but we hope you were able to have a restful time with family, wherever you could.
Reminder
This week's DfE data capture for the numbers of children currently accessing early years provision is now open, and will close at the end of Wednesday (midnight). Please use this link to complete your return.
Refreshed FAQs and guidance for providers
We have recently reviewed our FAQs and removed any information that is no longer relevant as restrictions begin to ease. However, we have added extra guidance into the document so that everything is accessible in one place.
Summary reminder of the support that is available
As there has been a lot of information provided via these updates we have also produced a summary document. We hope this will provide a useful reminder of the support available to settings via the different teams and staff within Early Help. We are continuing to assess and develop the ways in which we can support Early Years and Childcare settings and will be sharing more information on what that will look like for the remainder of term and for the autumn term and beyond later this week. We anticipate that this will be a flexible plan that will be able to be reactive to any changes the government make as well as aiming to meet the changing needs identified by providers as we all move forward together
PPE
We have now received details, from within WSCC, of a few suppliers of PPE who currently have reasonable stocks levels:
The national stocks are a ‘last resort’ supply and are prioritised with clinical and care settings receiving priority. The same message is being given to schools as the DfE guidance is clear that additional PPE beyond what you would normally use is not required. This means the national stocks are not open to educational settings for business as usual supplies.
Early Help Services
Early Help are still providing the following key services. To access your local Early Help Hub duty line, view contact details online. Centre based delivery which includes the delivery of group work to children under 5 years of age and adolescents has currently stopped. However, Fareshare has continued to be received and delivered.
- Direct family work by the Hubs, Youth Emotional Support (YES) service, Domestic Abuse, Young Carers, Pause and the Accommodation teams continues to be delivered virtually with some limited exceptions.
- Early Help Hub duty teams are still open and responding to queries via the usual contact details and assessments are being conducted virtually.
- Enabling Families is operating and can be accessed via the duty line. It is delivered virtually but still in the same format of up to five sessions.
- Crisis payments are still available via the Early Help duty line and food parcels can be sourced from the community hubs and some of the districts.
- Whilst Early Help Consultations have been temporarily been put on hold, EYCAs are still in regular contact with settings. You should follow your normal processes if you have any concerns about children or families and can be discussed with your EYCA or via the duty line.
- We continue to provide staff to those areas of the service which are in greatest demand and to support the Community Hub effort, providing a response for food parcels, prescriptions and general support to those isolated, shielded or alone.
- There is an extended response for Domestic Abuse, including a duty offer at weekends.
- There is an emergency response for Early Help to directly respond to requests from the Emergency Duty Teams at weekends.
We would also like to remind you that any safeguarding concerns need to continue to be reported to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and for any other concerns contact the Early Help duty line for your area.
Family activities during lockdown
The council’s SEND commissioning team have partnered up with its Short Break providers to produce a public Wiki full of helpful information for families about COVID-19. As well as providing a wealth of useful resources, the interactive Wiki is also full of practical suggestions for activities for children, young people and their families and carers during these challenging times.
There are resources for young children to young adults, including YouTube videos, links to online activities and lots of ideas for keeping busy and learning new things.
The Wiki can be accessed by anyone so please consider sharing the following link with your families: https://wiki.rixwiki.org/west-sussex-mmm/home/short-breaks-6
Latest updates on insurance cover from the government
Section 3.13 of the guidance Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak was updated on Friday 5 June and includes information relating to insurance cover.
Business interruption insurance:
For childcare providers which have a policy that covers government-ordered closure and unspecified notifiable diseases, the government’s social distancing measures may be sufficient to allow businesses to make a claim against their insurance, provided the other terms and conditions in their policy are met.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules require insurers to treat customers fairly, including handling claims fairly and promptly; providing reasonable guidance to help a policyholder make a claim; not rejecting a claim unreasonably; and settling claims promptly once settlement terms are agreed. The government is working closely with the FCA to ensure that the rules are being upheld during this crisis and fully supports the regulator in its role and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and members have agreed a set of principles for handling claims to support and provide clarity to customers.
Customers who feel they have not been treated fairly should first make a formal complaint to their insurer. If they do not feel that their complaint has been dealt with satisfactorily, they can refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service, who can also help small businesses with turnover below £6.5 million.
However, businesses that have not purchased the appropriate level of cover should seek assistance through the government’s wider support package if they are in financial difficulty. This includes measures such as business rates holidays, small business grants, and the CJRS.
Public liability insurance:
Providers must carry the appropriate insurance (for example, public liability insurance) to cover all premises from which they provide childcare or childminding. Some existing public liability policies may have been written or adjusted during the term of the policy (where permitted) to exclude COVID-19 risks, and some insurers may choose to exclude COVID-19 when offering public liability policy renewals. Nurseries should check the terms and conditions of their public liability insurance policies and consult with their insurance providers and brokers to determine their coverage for COVID-19. It is worth noting that different insurers may take a different view, therefore nurseries are encouraged to shop around to seek the most suitable cover at the best price.
For general advice on insurance matters (not on specific policies) including those related to COVID-19, the ABI can be contacted by phone on 0207 600 3333 or email at info@abi.org.uk.
Please inform the Family Information Service if your current operating status changes. Email family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk and include your setting name, Ofsted URN, the date you intend to close/open, and any changes to your operating hours. If you inform us of re-opening, you will be reinstated on the public list and appear on our website www.westsussex.gov.uk/fis.
If you are unable to re-open following the COVID-19 restirctions, please complete a Recovery Plan and send a copy by email to family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk with your setting name and 'Recovery Plan' in the subject. This is so that we can look at the barriers you have identified and support you to re-open as soon as practicable.
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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#49 5 June (Responsibilities, Recovery Plan template, Inclusion, OSC, protective measures, Discretionary Fund)
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#48 3 June (Actions guidance, OSC provision, EYFS disapplications, Ofsted, PHE letter, resources, toothbrushing/fluoride varnish)
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#47 1 June (Data capture, Use of funding, Self-employment support, Stay at home guidance, Insurance)
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#46 29 May (confirmation of next phase of recovery strategy, testing for under 5's, new guidance for children with SEND, new Neglect Strategy)
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#45 27 May (planning for broadening your offer to more children, communicating with parents about re-opening)
We have a range of online training available for you to access for your staff to ensure they have the most up to date information to support them in their role:
- 15 Jun - Summer Term FE Actuals payments released (week commencing)
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