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 12 November 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.
Reminder - IT maintenance 4.00pm Friday 13 November to end of Sunday 15 November.
Please be advised that maintenance has been scheduled for the above dates that will affect the following:
- Online Provider Portal
- Family Information Service website (parents searching for childcare)
- 2 year old Free Entitlement applications (parents applying for funding)
Additionally, the West Sussex County Council website may be unavailable at times during the work.
Note: this work is taking place within the Free Entitlement estimate submissions window. Therefore, please refrain from trying to submit your estimate between these dates.
Informing Ofsted of Positive cases of COVID-19
Ofsted have confirmed that you need to tell them if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 at your nursery, childminder business or other day care, including out of school provision. You should also tell them if you have to close your setting as a result. Details of how to report and what information you need to include can be found on their website. The flowchart for early years and childcare settings for managing suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 will be updated to include an action to inform Ofsted when you have a confirmed case.
Updated Action Cards for Early Years
Following the changes in COVID-19 measures, the Action Cards for early years settings has been updated. Please note that the actions cards provide national information and the flowchart is the local implementation process. Please use this updated version of the early years action card alongside the flowchart for early years and childcare settings to support you in dealing with any suspected or confirmed cases within your provision. Please note that the Education Setting Status form mentioned on the action card does not need to be completed by early years providers.
Use of the NHS COVID-19 app in education and childcare settings
The government guidance has been updated and provides information for leaders and staff in education and childcare settings in England about the NHS COVID-19 app, how it works, and how to use it within their setting. The guidance does not include any new legal obligations.
Ofsted COVID-19 series: briefing on early years, October 2020
During the autumn term, Ofsted is carrying out a programme of research interviews with early years providers. This briefing note reports on the first two weeks of data collection outlining the impact reported by early years providers of the first national restrictions for children, families and early years providers. This report is part of a wider review of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Information about all of the areas reviewed can be found on the government website.
Using Microsoft Teams for Early Years Training and Networks.
This year webinars delivered by Enable Children and all Network meetings are being delivered via Microsoft Teams. We have created a handy user guide to make accessing these courses and meetings easy.
Price reduction - Attachment and Trauma in Early Years Webinar
To support more settings to access this stimulating course, we have reduced the price to £50. This training will enhance your understanding of attachment and trauma and their effects on development and behaviour. It will enable you to develop strategies to support children with healing and building resilience.
- Tuesday 01 December - 1.30pm to 4.30pm - EYT 20/2019
- Thursday 14 January 2021 - 9.30am to 12.30pm - EYT 21/290
- Wednesday 24 February 2021 - 9.30am to 12.30pm - EYT 21/339
Please log onto the Learning and Development Gateway and search for the course code to book and pay by card.
Compass Card
The Compass Card is a leisure incentive card for children and young people, with special educational needs and/or a disability (SEND) up to the age of 25 living or going to school in West Sussex. It gives a child or young person access to hundreds of discounts and offers across West Sussex and Brighton and Hove on all things leisure related. Registering on the Compass is simple and free. If a child or young person receives Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments or has an Education Health and Care Plan then they are automatically eligible. Find out more about the Compass Card and how to apply.
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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#103 (Updated guidance, support for vulnerable children, professionals visiting EY settings, foundation years COVID-19 FAQs, FE spring term estimates, FE autumn additional payments, starting school questionnaire, safeguarding training, research project)
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#102 (National restrictions, out of school activities/wraparound care, guidance clarification, furlough, Ofsted update, notice of IT maintenance, additional webinars)
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#101 (National restrictions, changes to how we collect sufficiency data, termly updates reminder, new webinars)
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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
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 opened
- 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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