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 17 December 2020
Our last planned update will be provided on Tuesday 22 December and will recommence on Tuesday 5 January 2021. However, any urgent/important information will still be provided as a Special Broadcast, should the need arise.
As you prepare for the Christmas break, whether you run a term-time only setting or operate all year round, we would like to extend our best wishes to you all. We know how intense the last 11 months has been and how much you have worked to secure continuity for children, maintain the confidence of parents, and also support each other.
Please take the Christmas break to have some breathing space and to spend time with your families, wherever you can. There is no doubt this has been an extremely challenging year.
Reminder - DfE data capture
There is no data capture required until the New Year, restarting on 4 January 2021 at which point they will become fortnightly.
Important: Early Years Census 2021 - advance notice (FE providers only)
As you may know, every year we carry out the Early Years Census for the Department for Education (DfE). The Early Years Census is crucial because it is used to calculate the amount of funding West Sussex County Council receives for free early education.
The Early Years Census is mandatory for all Free Entitlement (FE) providers claiming funding for at least one child in Spring Term 2021. If you are registered to provide FE but are not claiming for any children in Spring Term, you do not need to complete the Early Years Census.
Providers will need to do the following via the Online Provider Portal:
- Submit your Spring Term actuals claim between 4-29 January 2021
- Complete your annual Early Years Census return between 4-29 January 2021
For your information: Headcount day is Thursday 21 January 2021. Dates for all FE tasks can be found in the help-guide www.westsussex.gov.uk/ecsportal. Further instructions will be provided in the setting update email on Tuesday 5 January 2021.
Public Health seminars
To support early years providers to manage cases of COVID-19 and to reduce the risk of outbreaks within their setting, our local public health team are hosting some more small group seminars for up to 15 leaders and managers of early years settings. These webinars will provide the chance to raise issues and ask questions as well as to share good practice between providers. These webinars are available to book via the links for each date:
Ofsted COVID-19 research
Ofsted have published the following report on the impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 isolation having detrimental impact on children’s education and welfare, particularly the most vulnerable and COVID-19 series: briefing on early years, November 2020
Spring term Extended Free Entitlement (FE) and 30 hour code deadline reminder
In order for children to access an Extended FE place in the Spring term their 30 hour code must be issued by HMRC by 31 December 2020. Any existing codes with a grace period ending 31 December 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 December 2020,
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log in to their childcare account to check their details are up to date, and reconfirm their eligibility by 31 December 2020 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.
Please note:
- Where a parent no longer meets the eligibility criteria for 30 hours, and their child is already in a 30 hours place at your setting, they can continue to access their funded place for the duration of the code’s grace period.
- Parents may still be eligible if their working hours have changed due to COVID-19.
- Parents who are on furlough or are claiming a Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant may still be eligible if their working hours have temporarily reduced.
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. View our helpful video guide for step by step guidance.
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.
Consultation on Birth To 5 Matters
Birth to 5 Matters is the new non-statutory guidance being developed by the sector for the sector, in response to the government’s reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in England. This work is being led by a coalition of early years sector bodies. It is the coalition’s intention that Birth to 5 Matters will take the best of previous guidance and update and extend it in line with what practitioners tell us they want and need.
If you would like to take part in this consultation, please respond via the website. The deadline is 11 January 2021.
‘Business Map’ - Free national business support Zoom webinar for early years and childcare providers
The Department for Education has funded Hempsall’s to deliver a new national webinar for all types of early years and childcare provider. Managing an early years and childcare setting, whether it be a homebased childminder, out of school club, a small voluntary playgroup, a nursery or a chain, a school or children’s centre, is a complex task. It is one of balancing quality, health and safety, with parents’ and children’s needs, funding and fees, and business sustainability.
The webinar will outline steps providers could take to business plan for now, summer term and across 2021. Developed around a six-step Business Map process, the webinar will assist anyone thinking about necessary business decisions to support business change and sustainability, whether they are new to the role or an experienced manager.
You can book your free place(s) today by clicking the links for each time slot on 19 January 2021:
Save the date - Nurturing and supporting children's wellbeing post lockdown
This new webinar, led by Tamsin of Linden Learning, will explore the principles of nurture and relate them to early years providers post lockdown. You will investigate strategies which will help to nurture children and families and promote their wellbeing. You will gain confidence in supporting children’s emotional development.
Cost per person is only £15. Places will be available to book shortly, log onto the Learning and Development Gateway and search for the course code to book and pay by card.
- Monday 18 January - 09:30am to 12:00pm - Code TBC
- Monday 18 January - 7.00pm to 9.30pm - EYT 21/603
Please inform the Family Information Service if your setting needs to close or is re-opening. 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 closing due to COVID-19 please ensure you read and follow all the steps in the PHE South East Health Protection Team ' Managing Suspected and Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Early Years and Childcare settings' flowchart.
In the event of your setting having a confirmed COVID-19 case, if Public Health or the Department for Education 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.
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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#113 (Updated 'Actions' guidance, change to self-isolation period, DfE helpline Christmas opening hours, Competitions and Markets Authority update, collecting sufficiency data, results of SEND/Inclusion funding consultation, starting school applications, Paediatric first aid)
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#112 (Update PH flowcharts, positive cases whilst closed, Ofsted inspections update, taking children's records off site, transitions survey, Putting wellbeing at the heart of practice, EYFS and Development Matters from September 2021)
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#111 (DfE data collection frequency, public health seminars, information sharing, LADO myth busting, SEND strategy update, springtime crafts, online sessions for children from West Sussex libraries)
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#110 (Public health seminars, updating your sufficiency data, IT maintenance 7 December, DfE research, Ofsted research, Makaton training, EYTS training)
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#109 (Updated guidance, contingency framework, OOS guidance, planning for Spring 21 FE, transitions survey, future EY training programme, celebrating inclusion)
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:
- 31 Dec - Deadline for Sufficiency information for Autumn 2020
- 04 Jan - Annual Census submissions* open (*mandatory for FE providers)
- 04 Jan - Spring Term FE Actuals submissions open
- 21 Jan - Spring FE headcount day
- 29 Jan - Annual Census submissions* close (*mandatory for FE providers)
- 29 Jan - Spring Term FE Actuals submissions close
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