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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Tuesday 3 November 2020
Reminder - this week's DfE data capture
This week's DfE data capture for the numbers of children currently accessing early years provision is open now, and will close at the end of Wednesday (midnight). Please use this link to complete your return.
National Restrictions
On Saturday 31 October, the Prime Minister announced a four-week period of national restrictions in England from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December. In his statement the Prime Minister (PM) announced that childcare and early years settings will be kept open to all children. Read more about the government announcement and the new rules coming into force on Thursday, if approved by Parliament, and the guidance for education settings.
It has been highlighted that section 8 of the guidance states that 'parents will still be able to access some registered childcare and other childcare activities (including wraparound care) where reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, or for the purposes of respite care'. We have logged a query with the Department for Education to request further clarification as this statement could be seen to contradict the PM's statement around settings remaining open for all children. We will update you on their response or any updates to the guidance.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will be extended for the full duration of these national restrictions with furloughed staff to be paid at least 80% of their salary up to £2500 a month.
There is also increased support for the self-employed to mirror the extension to the CJRS, with people receiving 80% of average trading profits for November.
During this period, where early years settings are unable to deliver early years foundation stage (EYFS) requirements in full due to national restrictions, settings can disapply some of the requirements of the EYFS statutory framework as per the Department for Education's (DfE) guidance. The DfE will provide further information over the coming days which we will of course share with you via these broadcasts. However, if you have any questions, please submit these to foundationyears@ncb.org.uk.
Early Years Alliance - useful information
You may wish to read the useful information on the Early Years Alliance website relating to operation, including FAQs which cover the new national restrictions from 5 November. In addition, we will of course provide a link in our broadcasts for you, when any further guidance from the DfE is published.
Changes to how we collect sufficiency data - now live
Sections 6 and 11 of the Childcare Act 2006 place a duty on the Local Authority (LA) to secure sufficient childcare, so far as is reasonably practicable, for working parents, or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged 0-14 (or up to 18 for children with a disability).
To support us with this, we previously have asked you to provide us with information on the number of places and vacancies you have at least termly via the Termly Provider Update form. This is a condition of funding as per the Free Entitlement for 2, 3 and 4 year olds Provider Declaration (4.2 supply any additional information requested by the LA or partner organisations, including WSCC annual Census return on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE), in order to support monitoring the use of public funds and childcare sufficiency planning).
Due to some improvements to functionality of the database we use, we are updating how we do this so we can get a clearer picture and make it easier for you to complete. The new form is now live - view guidance on how to access and complete it.. We expect all providers to complete this by the 31 December 2020.
This will continue to be a termly task to allow us to build a picture of sufficiency across the county and identify any areas we are concerned about.
Note: this is our normal sufficiency monitoring process and will not replace the information we currently ask you for as part of the COVID-19 response on behalf of the DfE, which requires weekly detailed information on the breakdown of the children currently attending. The DfE submission will be reviewed by the government by 30 November to determine if it is still required to continue. We thank you for your continued support in sharing this information.
Reminder - submit your termly provider update
During the first wave of COVID-19 restrictions we changed our website to only show providers that were open. We subsequently invited you to tell us when you re-opened and asked you to submit a provider update form to update your information. The Family Information Service website is now operating as normal, and we remind all providers to submit an update form at least once per term, via the Online Provider Portal (OPP). The Early Education and Childcare statutory guidance (March 2018) requires local authorities to update setting information at least once a term.
As mentioned in the article above, we no longer ask for sufficiency data within your provider update form, this is now a separate task. However, you may wish to do both tasks on your same visit to the OPP.
You must update this information, even if you are full. Updating is about more than just free advertising. Out of date information can directly affect your business. If you have not updated your details in the last year we remove you from our public list. This is to prevent a breach to the data protection policy, which you agree to when submitting your profile update.
Reasons you should submit a form:
- It benefits your business. When new businesses or housing developments are proposed in your local area we use your profile and vacancy information to help identify if new early years provision is required. New settings may open unnecessarily if your information is out of date and wrong. Your information helps families find suitable childcare for their children across the county. Free advertisement on our website which has received, on average, just under 10,000 hits a month.
- It benefits families. Families call us for help to find childcare that meets their individual needs. One of the biggest complaints the FIS receives from parents is that setting vacancy information is wrong. It wastes their time and is frustrating for parents when searching for childcare. Our information is only as good as the information you can give us. They use our website to find childcare. The details you provide help them to make informed decisions on which providers to contact.
New webinar dates scheduled for this term
- Understanding Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Essentials
For returning staff or those new to the EYFS. Develop your knowledge and understanding of the key elements of the EYFS using video, slides and activities. Wednesday 01 December, 1.30pm to 4.00pm. EYT 20/2611.
- A Look at Writing Readiness and Pencil Grip
You will learn the typical developmental stages of writing progress. You will strengthen your professional knowledge and ability to provide appropriate and enjoyable mark making resources and activities. Thursday 03 December, 7.00pm to 8.30pm. EYT 20/2610.
Only £15 per place. Please log onto the Learning and Development Gateway and search for the course code to find out more, book and pay by card.
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.
In the event of your setting having a confirmed COVID-19 case, if Public Health have stated you must close for any period of time you must inform the Family Information Service. However, if Public Heath have not explicitly stated in correspondence to you that the setting must close, we would expect you to make contact with your Early Years and Childcare Adviser (EYCA) to talk through your circumstances, where possible, before making the decision to close the setting. If you are not able to make immediate contact with your EYCA then please email your nearest Early Help Hub using the following email addresses:
Where there are not clearly evidenced reasons why the setting had no option to close, there could be implications for funding received as per the government guidance.
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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#100 (Heating and ventilation, and pedagogical leadership webinar)
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#99 (EYPARM Outcomes, supporting children with self-regulation, WSSCP newsletter)
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EYC Special Broadcast 23/10 - 'Managing Confirmed Cases of COVID-19' Update
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#98 (updated outbreak action cards and guidance, upcoming changes to collection of sufficiency data, updated early help offer, track and trace, understanding positive, pro-active and effective leadership)
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#97 (DfE data capture - key questions, FE autumn term payments, Flu immunisation, Foundation Years newsletter, writing readiness and pencil grip 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:
- 11 Nov - Spring Term FE Estimates submissions open
- 13-15 Nov - Online Provider Portal downtime (planned maintenance)
- 27 Nov - Spring Term FE Estimates submissions close
- 07 Dec - Spring Term FE Estimates submissions payment expected
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