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

Difficulty viewing this bulletin? Click here to view in your browser.

Tuesday 24 November 2020

COVID-19 setting update 107 (IT maintenance, Foundation Years FAQs, Attachment and Trauma webinar)

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.

Reminder - IT maintenance 5pm Tuesday 24 November to end of Wednesday 25 November

Please be reminded that essential 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)

Note that this work is taking place within the Free Entitlement estimate submissions window. Please refrain from trying to submit your estimate between these dates.

Foundation Years - new FAQs

This second FAQ document answers questions from the early years sector on the national restrictions. These answers have been checked with the Department for Education and cover:

• visits
• EYFS disapplications
• workforce
• funding and financial support
• safety measures in settings, and more.

You can view the first set of FAQs here. If you have any further questions, please submit these to foundationyears@ncb.org.uk.

Attachment and Trauma in Early Years Webinar - last date this term

Discuss attachment and its relevance in Early Years. Explore how childhood trauma impacts behaviour in later years and review Relationship-Based Approaches that Support Healing and Build Resilience. £50 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.

• Tuesday 1 December 1.30pm to 4.30pm EYT 20/2019

Reminder - updating FIS if you open or close

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:

• SettingSupportCrawley@westsussex.gov.uk
• SettingSupportHorsham@westsussex.gov.uk
• SettingSupportMidSussex@westussex.gov.uk
• SettingSupportChichester@westsussex.gov.uk
• SettingSupportAdurWorthing@westsussex.gov.uk
• SettingSupportArun@westsussex.gov.uk

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. 

Reminder - data capture survey required weekly

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.

Links to COVID-19 guidance on GovUK

• Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak (Includes links to other relevant Gov.UK guidance)
• Protective measures for holiday or after-school clubs and other out-of-school settings for children during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
• What parents and carers need to know about nurseries, childminders, schools and colleges during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
• Guidance for parents and carers of children attending out-of-school settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
• List of online education resources for home education
• Safe working in education, childcare and children’s social care
• Check if you can claim back Statutory Sick Pay paid to employees due to coronavirus
• Safeguarding in schools, colleges and other providers
• Guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

• COVID-19 FAQs for West Sussex EY settings (Updated 13 July)

Support for vulnerable families

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.

Links to our most recent setting updates

• #106 (Advance notice of IT maintenance, FE spring term estimates, reminder to submit sufficiency data)
• #105 (Clarifying guidance, Ofsted inspections, heating and ventilation, aerosol generated procedures guidance, world nursery rhyme week)
• #104 (IT maintenance, informing Ofsted of cases, updated action cards, use of COVID-19 app, Ofsted briefing, using MS teams, attachment and trauma webinar, Compass Card)
• #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)
• #102 (National restrictions, out of school activities/wraparound care, guidance clarification, furlough, Ofsted update, notice of IT maintenance, additional webinars)

Early Years and Childcare Training and Support

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:

• View our Early Years Training Brochure
• Contact us: early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk

Upcoming key dates

• NOW - Spring Term FE Estimates submissions (opened 11 Nov)
• 27 Nov - Spring Term FE Estimates submissions close
• 07 Dec - Spring Term FE Estimates submissions payment expected
• 04 Jan - Annual Census submissions open (mandatory for FE providers)
• 04 Jan - Spring Term FE Actuals submissions open
• 21 Jan - Spring FE headcount day
• 22 Jan - Annual Census submissions close
• 29 Jan - Spring Term FE Actuals submissions close

Please do NOT reply to this broadcast

If you have any queries with the broadcast email EarlyHelpCentral@westsussex.gov.uk

Please note that it is the setting's responsibility to forward this broadcast to all staff working within your organisation.

Central Operations Team

Early Help Service | Children's Services | People Services

First Floor, The Grange, County Hall, Chichester, PO19 1RG
www.westsussex.gov.uk/earlyyearsandchildcare

01243 777807  |  family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk