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 15 July 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. Please note: From next week (20 July), only settings who are remaining open throughout the summer holidays are required to complete the DfE return.
Contact details for first two weeks of summer holidays
For those settings who are term-time only, and therefore about to close for the summer holidays, Public Health have asked that you provide contact details for the first two weeks of the holidays. This is so that, should a case be identified within your setting after you have closed, other families can still be notified. If you need to provide alternative contact details, from the ones usually held on your setting record, please email these to family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk. Your help with this is much appreciated.
Updated guidance for Out of School settings
The guidance Protective measures for out-of-school settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was updated on 10 July. The main change is to the paragraph around the small consistent groups, which now includes the additional wording as shown in bold:
'Providers should ensure, as far as it is possible, that they are keeping children and young people in small, consistent groups every time they attend.'
In addition, the guidance Protective measures for holiday or after-school clubs and other out-of-school settings for children during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was also updated on 10 July.
The changes made include:
- Updated content on considering group sizes (including the position for early years settings which provide care for both those under and over the age of 5).
- Added information on the opening of indoor sports facilities, and when providers will be able to use these venues.
- Clarity that providers should only be operating in premises legally able to open.
- Added links to further relevant guidance providers may need to have regard to.
You should read all the government guidance, in full, to inform your planning. However we have pulled out some key points and considerations for you which can be read.
For parents accessing the out of school section the Guidance for parents and carers of children attending out-of-school settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was also updated on 10 July. The changes made relate to types of dance classes and that clubs and activities for children will only be able to operate in those premises legally able to open.
Updated info about staggered start in September
While it is important to support children to settle in to early years provision, this needs to be carried out within a reasonable timeframe to ensure that children do not miss out on their entitlement to education. Where children are in receipt of government funded hours (Free Entitlement), any staggered start should not exceed two weeks. If there are any exceptional circumstances where a longer staggered start is being considered, this would need to be discussed and agreed with the child’s parents and your EYCA.
Children attending more than one setting
There have been many queries from providers and parents about the government guidance around children attending more than one setting.
The guidance states that 'Parents and carers should be encouraged to limit the number of settings their child attends, ideally ensuring their child only attends the same setting consistently'.
There cannot be a parental expectation that you will accommodate requests where the child attends more than one setting. However, if you choose to do so, you must carry out a robust risk assessment to minimise the risk of transmission that both providers, parents and staff are in agreement with. You should evidence your decisions based on the guidance available to you at that time.
Advice regarding the number of funded weeks in term
To assist providers with future claims we have set out the maximum weeks that can be claimed for each term for the coming academic year as below:
 Settings that stretch their funding that would have claimed 21 or 22 weeks during the Summer Term will see the biggest change to the way they will claim as those extra weeks fall into the Spring Term. This will help to avoid mis-claims for children who became of eligible age during the Spring Term as they only become eligible to access funding in the Summer Term which starts after the Easter Holidays.
For settings that claim term-time only, but for example would claim 13 weeks in Autumn Term in order to claim 13 weeks in the Summer Term, unfortunately this will no longer be possible due to reconfiguration of the system which is outside of our control. You will need to claim the standard term length. Please remember, it is important that you only claim what you can deliver.
We have updated the Provider Declaration to reflect this clarification and it will be available on the WSCC website shortly. If you have any queries regarding this change, please email free.entitlement@westsussex.gov.uk.
Face coverings
Guidance was published late yesterday evening 14, July on Face coverings: when to wear one and how to make your own. It explains when to wear a face covering and how to make one.
Planned IT Upgrade
As previously announced, please be advised that the Online Provider Portal (OPP) will be unavailable from midnight tonight whilst we upgrade our technology. It will re-open on Wednesday 22 July. This will affect all tasks within the OPP (including submission of Termly Provider Update forms 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.
Diabetes in Children
The South East Coast and London Diabetes Network would like to us to share their letter and flyer to help promote messages to parents about the signs of diabetes in children as part of their 4T’s campaign. We realise that the letter is targeted at schools but the information is equally relevant for all early years and childcare providers. If you able to promote the key messages to parents either through your setting newsletter or by displaying the information on noticeboards it would be greatly appreciated.
Early Years Foundation Stage Forum
As you are probably aware, West Sussex County Council has a subscription to the Foundation Stage Forum which means that practitioners can sign up at no cost to access this resource. Joining is simple, just go to www.eyfs.info and click on "Join us" at the top of the screen to find out how. New content this month includes an article by Julian Grenier, Reflecting on the EYFS Curriculum. Julian is headteacher of Sheringham Nursery School and Children's Centre, which is also a Research School where practice and research meet and evolve together. He is currently working with the Department for Education on the update to Development Matters. There is also a piece by early years consultant Leslie Patterson, The 3Rs Re-imagined. Leslie shares her 3Rs, Resilience, Relationships and CReativity.
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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#66 13 July (Autumn term FE estimates, CJRS Calculator, updated FAQs, vulnerable children over the summer break)
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#65 10 July (Government plan for jobs, updated guidance: financial support for early years, COVID secure workplaces, scams reminder)
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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)
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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