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 17 July 2020
As we prepare for the summer break, we want to thank you on behalf of the parents, children and the County Council for your incredible efforts in dealing with the extraordinary situation that we have all found ourselves in.
When we consider some of the significant actions and changes in practice that have taken place over recent months, often at short notice and whilst national guidance is being developed, yourselves and your staff are to be highly commended. Whilst we know that the situation is far from over and we are likely to face new challenges, we know that much learning has taken place. The way you have developed new ideas and creative ways of working has been phenomenal and supported all families, whether they were physically attending or at home.
For both settings who will remain open over the summer and those who are term time only, we hope that you are able to find some time for you to reflect, spend time with loved ones and take pride in what you have achieved. For anyone needing support over the summer period you can still obtain help through your EYCA or by contacting the Family Information Service in the usual way.
Reminder - Contact details for first week of summer holidays
Please can we remind any settings that are due to close today/Monday, for the summer break, to please provide the Family Information Service with alternative contact details for the first two weeks of the holidays, as per setting update #67 on Wednesday 15 July. This is extremely important, in the event of a COVID-19 case within your setting, but being confirmed after you have closed.
In addition, we would encourage settings who are closed to continue to read these setting updates as it will provide you with useful information especially those settings preparing to return in September. We hope to be able to reduce the frequency of these emails over the summer but this will very much depend on the frequency of information being provided by central government.
Autumn term Extended Free Entitlement (FE) and 30 hour codes deadline
Here is a reminder that in order for children to access Extended FE in the Autumn term their 30 hour code must be issued by HMRC by 31 August 2020. Any existing codes with a grace period ending 31 August 2020, or earlier must also be reconfirmed by this date.
Please advise eligible parents to:
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apply now to ensure they have their 30 hours code by 31 August 2020;
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log in to their childcare account to check their details are up to date, and reconfirm their eligibility to ensure they continue to be eligible for Extended FE: gov.uk/sign-in-childcare-account
- contact the HMRC helpline if they are experiencing issues applying or reconfirming on 0300 1234 097.
How to check 30 hour codes are valid for the upcoming term:
The Online Provider Portal (OPP) has an instant eligibility checker for 30 hour codes which you can use at any time by logging into the OPP: www.westsussex.gov.uk/ecsportal. If you offer Extended FE places it is recommended that you use the online eligibility checker to check a child’s 30 hour code is valid for the upcoming term. When checking a code, please ensure that you only add the following mandatory details:
- Eligibility code
- Child’s date of birth
- Parent/Carer NI Number
Please note, if you add any other parental details, the system will come up with an error ‘Submission Failed’ (this is a bug and has been reported to our service provider, and will be fixed in a future database upgrade).
Our helpful video guide covers:
- How to use the online eligibility checker
- When to use the online eligibility checker
- How to instantly check a code is valid
COVID-19 temporary changes:
In cases where parents working hours may have changed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, temporary changes have been made to the income threshold. For further information please refer to the latest guidance 30 hours free childcare during coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Please encourage parents to apply for, or reconfirm their 30 hours code even if your setting is temporarily closed, or the child is not currently in attendance. For further information regarding Extended FE please see our webpage: www.westsussex.gov.uk/freechildcare or for any queries please email free.entitlement@westsussex.gov.uk.
Early Years Training Brochure 2020-21 now live
The Early Years Training Brochure, the Online Course Brochure and the Training Calendar, which is a list of courses on Excel which can be filtered by location, course etc., and the Early Years Network Flyer are now available on our webpage www.westsussex.gov.uk/eytraining. The brochure details all our 2020-21 courses, as well as payment details and some free events. Remember, there is no Training Subscription Scheme this year due to COVID-19, and that due to this situation, face to face dates may be subject to change.
Early Help summer offer
Early Help offers a range of services to support children and families across West Sussex which includes:
- Information and advice on activities, services and childcare;
- Online advice and information for young people relating to health, education, jobs and things to do;
- A same day response to those in crisis with crisis payment and food parcels;
- Face to face support for young people in crisis or worried about an issue affecting their wellbeing;
- Plus lots more…
With the current circumstances we feel it is more important than ever that all parents and carers are aware that they can access information on the Early Help offer by visiting the following link for contact details and further information via our Family Information Service website.
We would be extremely grateful if you could share this information and contact details with your parents and carers.
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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#67 15 July (contact details for summer - first two weeks, updates to OOS guidance, September staggered start, children attending more than one setting, number of funded weeks in term, face coverings, planned IT upgrade, diabetes in children, EYFS Forum)
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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)
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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