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
Difficulty viewing this bulletin? Click here to view in your browser.
Wednesday 10 June 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.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme - DEADLINE TODAY for any additional staff to be furloughed
On 29 May the Chancellor announced upcoming changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). These changes include new flexibility for employers to agree any working arrangements with previously furloughed employees from 1 July. HMRC will publish further detailed guidance on this, and the Department for Education (DfE) guidance will be updated accordingly.
As previously instructed, providers should now only access the CJRS if necessary, and only if the conditions set out in DfE’s guidance continue to be met, where there is a lack of demand for places that requires a continued full or partial closure.
The latest date that providers can furlough staff, that have not been furloughed before, is today 10 June. All staff that have been furloughed at least once by this date – whether or not they are on furlough as of 10 June – will continue to be eligible for the scheme after 1 July. In the great majority of instances the DfE expect that providers will be removing some or all of their staff from furlough, given the wider opening that is now possible. However, they recommend that providers consider their own circumstances and whether it is necessary to furlough additional staff by 10 June (while continuing to ensure the conditions set out in DfE’s guidance are met).
The DfE would expect providers to bring staff off furlough and back to work as demand increases. For example, if a provider has furloughed six members of staff, and they need three back at work in order to meet demand for childcare, then they should bring three staff off furlough and back to work, reducing their claim on the CJRS accordingly.
Update from Local Government Association (LGA) regarding Out of School provision
The recent guidance around wraparound care has raised a number of issues for out of school providers and we know you are all keen for updated guidance. The LGA has announced that information is now with ministers and that DfE colleagues are very aware of the challenges this is posing and are working hard to get something through as quickly as government processes allow.
There is current guidance for:
The DfE have stated: "As education settings open to more pupils, it is crucial that we are minimising the risks to the nation’s health, and in particular the risk of a second peak that overwhelms the healthcare system. It is for this reason that we are asking schools to ensure children are kept in small consistent groups throughout the school day, and why we want to ensure children are as far as possible kept in the same consistent groups in any wraparound provision they attend. Currently the department has stated that provision can only open if it is on a school site and only for children attending the same provision/school. We are however becoming increasingly aware of some of the issues surrounding this approach, and are therefore reviewing our current position."
As soon as we have any update regarding this situation we will inform you via these setting updates.
Booklet for Supporting Early Years Transitions to School
A booklet has been put together by professionals from West Sussex County Council's Autism and Social Communication Team and Learning and Behaviour Advisory Team, in collaboration with Early Help and the Speech and Language Therapy Service. The aim is to demonstrate good practice for transitions between settings and schools. The booklet is organised in the following way:
- Quality Universal Transitions - between settings and schools for all children.
- Targeted Transition Support - for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and/ or other identified additional needs.
- Specific Transition Support - regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can also find information on Transitions in our COVID-19 FAQs for West Sussex EY settings.
Nurturing Healthy Minds Together
COVID-19 is likely to increase the strain on very young children and their parents. Emotional wellbeing needs to be a priority, especially through support that enables sronger parent-child relationships.
To mark the start of Infant Mental Health Awareness Week, National Children's Bureau have published “Nurturing Healthy Minds Together” - an analysis of research and policy relating to the mental health of under-5s. You can access the following documents:
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.
-
#50 8 June (updated FAQs/guidance, PPE, EH Services, family activities, insurance)
-
#49 5 June (Responsibilities, Recovery Plan template, Inclusion, OSC, protective measures, Discretionary Fund)
-
#48 3 June (Actions guidance, OSC provision, EYFS disapplications, Ofsted, PHE letter, resources, toothbrushing/fluoride varnish)
-
#47 1 June (Data capture, Use of funding, Self-employment support, Stay at home guidance, Insurance)
-
#46 29 May (confirmation of next phase of recovery strategy, testing for under 5's, new guidance for children with SEND, new Neglect Strategy)
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)
| 
