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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Friday 10 July 2020
With continuing government announcements and updates to guidance it can be hard to keep on top of all the information. Therefore, we hope you are able to take some time to escape from it all. Why not turn off your phone, TV or laptop and spend some time reading, listening to music, gardening or just being outside in nature, whatever you enjoy. It's good to take your mind off all the news and allow yourself some 'me' space, where you possibly can. We thank you for all your efforts since the onset of the pandemic and value the work of you and your teams.
Government plan for jobs
A policy paper 'A Plan for Jobs 2020' was published 8 July, which sets out the government's plans around economic recovery and securing the UK's long term prosperity. There is a lot of information included within this for you to read through, and digest what is relevant to you and your business. However, we would like to highlight some key information for you:
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3.1 Job Retention Bonus: The government will introduce a one-off payment of £1,000 to UK employers for every furloughed employee who remains continuously employed through to the end of January 2021. Further detail about the scheme will be announced by the end of July.
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3.2 Supporting Jobs: Payments for employers who hire new apprentices – The government will introduce a new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over, from 1 August 2020 to 31 January 2021. These payments will be in addition to the existing £1,000 payment the government already provides for new 16-18 year-old apprentices, and those aged under 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan – where that applies.
Updated guidance - Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
The guidance on financial support for education, early years and children's social care was updated yesterday 9 July, to reflect the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) flexibilities that the Chancellor announced on 12 May to support employers bringing employees back to work whilst still receiving support from the scheme. The changes made yesterday include a section on the interaction between CJRS and the reopening of early years settings.
COVID Secure Workplaces
We recognise how hard it has been to implement the myriad of ever changing guidance documents, ensuring your setting is COVID secure for children and your staff. Should you have any concerns about your workplace these should be raised with the setting manager in the first instance. For any staff member who feels issues remain unresolved your local Environmental Health department will regulate the setting for health and safety including social distancing issues and COVID-19 secure issues, except in domestic premises. For settings on a school site, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be the regulator, whether or not it is run by the Local Authority, a School or an independent company.
Concerns can be reported to the HSE online, or if it relates to settings, not on school sites, you can contact your local district or borough council and ask to speak to Environmental Health.
Reminder about scams
We have received information from a setting that had received a text message on their work phone to complete a survey for the DfE but from some of the spelling and contact details they think it may have been a scam. Unfortunately, the current situation has led to a whole range of scams so please check out the information from Citizens Advice about how to spot them.
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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#64 8 July (Ofsted update, vulnerable children over the summer, Early Years Alliance update, shielding updates, going back to school)
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#63 6 July (data reminder, update on holiday club bubbles, WSSCP procedure on fabricated or induced illness)
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#62 3 July (local lockdowns, staggered school starts, FE estimates deadline today, EYFS reforms - government response, information for childminders)
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#61 2 July (removal of the requirement for 'bubbles', guidance for out of school provision)
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#60 1 July (Holiday provision, community facilities, OPP downtime, infection prevention and control webinar)
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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