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 1 July 2020
With the start of July now here, thoughts may begin to turn towards the summer holidays or end of term. However, we recognise there is still much to be done across the whole of the sector and thank you for your ongoing hard work and the support given to children and families.
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.
Holiday Provision
The government updated their guidance What parents and carers need to know about nurseries, childminders, schools and colleges during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak yesterday 30 June.
Included in this guidance is an update on Summer provision which states that:
'Providers of community activities, summer clubs, tuition and other out-of-school activities will be able to open over the summer, with safety measures in place.
Adjustments to the current restrictions on these providers will be made as part of step 3 of the government’s recovery strategy (from 4 July). Providers who open should follow the guidance on protective measures for providers of:
- community activities
- holiday or after-school clubs
- tuition
- other out-of-school settings
Providers that open before 4 July should only offer outdoor provision. In doing so, providers should ensure they can keep children socially distanced and in a group of no more than six, including staff members, in line with guidance on staying alert and safe (social distancing).'
We are expecting further guidance on what the adjustments will be to the current restrictions imminently and will share these with you as soon as possible to aid your planning.
Please keep the Family Information Service updated on your operating status by emailing family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk. Please include your setting name, Ofsted number, the date you intend to re-open, and if you are planning to make any changes to your operating hours including what these will be. Once you have informed us of your re-opening, you will be reinstated on the public list and appear on our website.
New guidance for multi-purpose community facilities
The Government published guidance COVID-19: Guidance for the safe use of multi-purpose community facilities on 30 June.
The information is for those managing community centres, village halls and other community facilities on safely re-opening multi-purpose buildings. It signposts to relevant guidance on a range of different activities that can take place in these spaces, in line with the government’s roadmap to ease the existing measures to tackle COVID-19.
Advance Notice of Planned IT Upgrades
Please be advised that the Online Provider Portal (OPP) will be unavailable between Thursday 16 July and Tuesday 21 July 2020 whilst we upgrade our technology. This will affect all tasks within the OPP (including submission of Termly Provider and Staff Update forms). Please note that parents and carers will not be able to submit 2 year old Free Entitlement applications on Tuesday 21 July, and our FIS childcare website will also be unavailable to the public on that day.
Free Webinar - COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control
To support the childcare sector through the pandemic, WSCC will be hosting a webinar for schools and early years settings focusing on measures that can be put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This one hour webinar will be hosted by a Public Health Expert and is free. It offers information and advice about COVID-19 infection and prevention control and is aimed at the person responsible for infection control standards within the school/setting. The aim is to support you to deliver best practice around COVID-19 infection and prevention control.
This webinar will explore:
- the transmission of the virus
- principles of environmental cleaning
- the process of good hand hygiene
- the use of PPE including putting on/taking off protocol
If you apply what you have learnt in this course, you will be able to:
- discuss current Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) principles and their role in preventing transmission of COVID-19 in settings and schools,
- recognize the importance of risk assessment and its role in driving local practice in support of reducing transmission of COVID-19, and
- develop strategies to enable the gradual process of re-opening to all pupils and staff.
You must have access to a computer, the internet, a web camera with microphone and have set up a free Zoom account to be able to participate. You will be sent the course resources and login instructions two days before the webinar. Ensure the person you book onto the webinar is the one who will attend and that their email is the one they will use to join the session.
Details will be published on the Learning and Development Gateway by Friday 3 July. Please book as soon as possible as places are limited to 20 per webinar. Log onto the Gateway and search for Keyword COVID, Event Code EYT 20/2127 to book. If you do not have a Gateway account, complete this short form. It takes 24-48 hours to be processed.
Dates and times:
- Monday 06/07/2020 14:30 - 15:30, or 16:00 - 17:00, or 17:30 - 18:30
- Wednesday 08/07/2020 14:30 - 15:30, or 16:00 - 17:00, or 17:30 - 18:30
- Monday 13/07/2020 14:30 - 15:30, or 16:00 - 17:00, or 17:30 - 18:30
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 have not been able to open at this time, you should already have submitted a COVID-19 Recovery Plan and sent a copy by email to the FIS. This is so that we can look at the barriers you have identified and support you to re-open as soon as practicable. If we have not received your plan, you will be contacted by your EYCA to support you further.
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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#59 29 June (CJRS errors with claiming, FE Estimates reminder, PHE flowchart, broadband boost)
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#58 26 June (FE Parent Declaration Form - Word version)
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#57 24 June (updated FE Briefing Note, updates on OOS and HPS provision, Inclusion funding, safeguarding is everyone's business)
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#56 22 June (changes to data capture, FE estimates open, Paediatric First Aid)
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#55 19 June (Transitions, funding temporary children, updated Gov.UK guidance, termly update process, FAQs updated)
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:
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