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.
Monday 22 June 2020
We hope that you managed to find a bit of time to rest and rejuvenate over the weekend, where possible. We appreciate that there are still areas of government guidance some settings are waiting for and understand the uncertainty and frustration this can create. We will endeavour to provide you with these updates as soon as they become available and thank you for your patience.
Reminder
This week's Department for Education (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. If, through this survey, you have indicated that your setting has re-opened then we would really appreciate it if you could please also notify us by emailing family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk
Please note, that due to a change in the way the DfE are asking for information, there is a small change in the breakdown of the children attending who meet the vulnerability criteria. From today we will now be asking you to record the number of children currently attending under the following categories:
-
Children with a social worker – children who are assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children and young people who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are children looked-after.
- Children with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP)
- Children identified by the provider as vulnerable for another reason but who do not have a social worker or an EHCP
The DfE are also including two additional questions around requests for childcare.
- We would like to know if you have had any requests for a childcare place this week that you have been unable to accommodate. This request could relate to children already registered with the setting, or it could be for a child that has been unable to access their usual childcare place elsewhere. This question is to help us understand how many settings are facing more demand for places than they can currently offer.
- We would also like to know how many children wanted to take-up a place this week but could not e.g. because you did not have sufficient capacity or you have had to prioritise places. Please do not count children where a place has been offered but you have been unable to accommodate the attendance pattern/hours requested. We are trying to understand the number of children that would like a childcare place now but haven’t been able to access one at all.
We hugely appreciate you taking the time to complete this, as this information is required by the DfE. It also helps inform our planning to ensure we can continue to meet our duties around sufficiency and identify areas where more support may be needed.
Over the last week we have seen the number of children attending provision increase to 6440. This includes 445 vulnerable children and 2249 children of critical workers. Thank you again for everything you are doing to support these families and the amazing way you have risen to the ever changing challenges.
Free Entitlement Estimates open today
The Online Provider Portal will open from 3pm today 22 June, for you to submit your Autumn term estimates for Free Entitlement for 2, 3 and 4 Year Olds:
- Headcount Day for Autumn term is 17 September 2020
- The deadline for estimate submissions is 3 July 2020
We appreciate that submitting an Autumn estimate claim may be tricky, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. If you are unsure how many children will be accessing an FE place during Autumn term Headcount week, you must submit your estimate claim based on fully completed and signed Parent Declaration forms (please note, electronic signatures can be accepted during COVID-19). When it comes to submitting your actuals claim in September you will be able to adjust your claim to reflect the actual hours attended by children.
If your setting is closed, you will have already submitted your COVID-19 Recovery Plan (as requested in the broadcast on Monday 15 June) and your Autumn term estimate payment will be subject to these being reviewed. Your Early Years and Childcare Advisor will contact you to support you to overcome any barriers you have identified to re-opening. This process is being put in place in order for us to be able to meet our sufficiency duty and to satisfy ourselves that public funds are being used appropriately. In exceptional circumstances, and when all other options have been exhausted, local authorities may consider using their flexibility to redistribute FE funding in a clearly focused and targeted way from providers who have closed. We will use your COVID-19 Recovery Plan to identify where support can be given to you to re-open and support your long-term sustainability as well as ensure that families have access to sufficient childcare.
You can access our quick and easy Estimate video guide, or refer to the Estimate help guide PDF version.
If you have any questions, please email free.entitlement@westsussex.gov.uk or phone the Family Information Service on 01243 777807.
Paediatric First Aid Blended - now available to book
Paediatric First Aid Blended courses consist of an online learning session followed by a face to face practical. We have weekdays and Saturdays available. For further information and dates please see this flyer. Places can be booked via the Learning and Development Gateway. If you have any questions, please contact early.years.training@westsussex.gov.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 at this time, 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.
-
#55 19 June (Transitions, funding temporary children, updated Gov.UK guidance, termly update process, FAQs updated)
-
#54 17 June (Free Entitlement Summer term payments, updated Safe Working guidance, Change4Life shake ups)
-
#53 15 June (Numbers currently accessing, ICON, recovery plans, CJRS)
-
#52 12 June (Maternity/Paternity furlough, HPS, notifying DfE, Business recovery webinar, PFA)
-
#51 10 June (CJRS deadline today, statement re OOS provision, transitions booklet, infant mental health awareness)
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:
| 
