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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Thursday 3 September 2020
Advance notice - next week's DfE data capture
Next week's DfE data capture for the numbers of children currently accessing early years provision will be open from Monday, and will close at the end of Wednesday (midnight). Please use this link to complete your return.
Suspected cases of COVID-19 - update
Further to our broadcast on Tuesday 01/09/20 informing you of changes in the reporting of suspected COVID-19 cases, unfortunately there was a technical delay with the new email address suspectedcase@westsussex.gov.uk. This should be resolved by tomorrow 04/09/20 but if you have tried to report any suspected cases since Monday please can you resubmit. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
COVID-19 early outbreak management
On the 1 September, the government published a new concise summary of the steps early years providers should take to manage possible COVID-19 outbreaks.
Disability Access Fund – Autumn term claims
Remember, you can claim the Disability Access Fund (DAF) for 3 and 4 year old children who are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), if they are receiving Free Entitlement funding. The DAF is a one off payment of £615 per year for each eligible child. Please note, providers can claim for a second DAF payment three terms after the initial DAF payment was received.
For further information please visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/ecsfreeentitlement and refer to the document entitled ‘Disability Access Fund (DAF)’.
You must e-mail a copy of the DLA award letter and signed Parent Declaration form to free.entitlement@westsussex.gov.uk and follow the FE actuals guidance which covers how to submit a DAF claim www.westsussex.gov.uk/ecsportal
Early Years Pupil Premium Autumn term claims
A reminder that Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) claims must be submitted at the same time as your Free Entitlement actuals data via the Online Provider Portal.
In order for a child’s EYPP eligibility to be checked, you must submit the following information as part of your actuals claim:
- Enter Parent/Carer details,
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And tick the consent box under the ‘Parent/Carer details’ section of the funding claim.
Please refer to the ‘Provider portal help and guidance’ document at www.westsussex.gov.uk/ecsportal and view the Actuals help guide, step 10 for detailed guidance.
For further information regarding EYPP and identifying eligible children go to www.westsussex.gov.uk/ecsfreeentitlement and refer to the document entitled ‘Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) pdf’.
If you have any queries please email free.entitlement@westsussex.gov.uk
Autumn Setting Visits from Early Years and Childcare Advisors (EYCA)
Section 3.5 of the Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak guidance covers visitors and other professionals attending the setting.
"Wherever possible, settings are encouraged to avoid visitors entering their premises. In instances where settings need to use other essential professionals such as social workers, speech and language therapists or counsellors, or professionals to support delivery of a child’s EHC plan, settings should assess whether the professionals need to attend in person or can do so virtually. If they need to attend in person, they should closely follow the protective measures in the setting, and the number of attendances should be kept to a minimum. Where possible to do so, social distancing should be maintained."
When considering if an EYCA should visit the setting, West Sussex County Council will follow the following principles:
- Where contact can be virtual then this will be the preferred approach.
- Any planned setting visits must be agreed between the EYCA and the setting.
- If it is felt that a setting visit is needed, the EYCA will in the first instance discuss the rationale for visiting and agree whether or not a visit is appropriate with their manager.
- If a visit is agreed by a manager, the EYCA will contact you to discuss the arrangements you have in place to ensure that appropriate mitigations are in place and the risk of spreading infection is low.
- EYCAs will not carry out more than one visit in a day to minimise the risk of the spread of infection.
- In most cases, Early Help Consultations in the autumn term will take place virtually.
- We will keep this under review and update you should the process change.
Autumn term 2020 additional payments – further information
As mentioned in setting update #81 (25 August), please see the further information on additional payments for the Autumn term 2020.
If you have any queries please email free.entitlement@westsussex.gov.uk
Early Years and Childcare Representatives Needed
Thank you to those of you that have already responded to request for representatives. If there are any more practitioners who would like to put their names forward please refer to the setting update #78 (13 August) and respond by Friday 11 September.
Have you chosen to ‘Go Gigabit’?
Small and medium sized businesses in rural West Sussex areas can benefit from the fastest and most reliable broadband connectivity if they choose to ‘go gigabit’. Thanks to collaboration between the West Sussex councils, more money is now available to pay for gigabit-capable broadband connectivity through the Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.
There has been high levels of interest and vouchers are moving fast so why not check your eligibility now.
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 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 Thursday update for the following week, 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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#83 (Updated Local lockdown guidance, FE autumn term actuals, suspected COVID-19 cases, school readiness integrated review, inclusion funding for autumn)
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#82 (Next week's DfE data capture)
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#81 (FE actuals, autumn term additional payments, changes to parent guidance, changes to protective measures for OOS provision, statement from Chief Medical Officer, COVID-19 testing)
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#80 (Supervised Tooth brushing, Autumn Term Funding, Business rates)
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#79 (Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, Bookstart Treasure packs
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:
- 02 Sep - FE Actuals submissions open for Autumn term
- 17 Sep - Autumn Term headcount day (FE)
- 25 Sep - FE Actuals submissions close for Autumn term
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