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 19 January 2021
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.
We have added a free text box for you to share the issues that are currently impacting on you and your setting so we can take all of this into consideration when planning support. But also very importantly we will use this information as evidence to help us with lobbying the government on your behalf around funding, guidance and support.
Furloughing Staff
With the guidance changing so rapidly, we have received a number of queries around using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and how providers can use this to support their long term sustainability. The current guidance includes the information you should follow from 1 January 2021. This states:
"We recognise that many early years providers rely on a mix of DSG* funding and other income streams such as parental fees. Where DSG funding has reduced, or non-public income has ceased or reduced, it may be appropriate for providers to seek support from the CJRS to furlough staff. Providers should only furlough employees if they meet the following conditions:
- the employee works in an area of business where services are temporarily not required and whose salary is not covered by public funding
- the employee would otherwise be made redundant or laid off
- the employee is not involved in delivering provision that has already been funded
- the employee is not required to deliver provision for an attending child
- the grant from CJRS would not duplicate other public grants received and would not lead to financial reserves being created
If it is difficult to distinguish whether staff are funded through continuing public funding, for the purposes of meeting the first three conditions listed above, then the total proportion of staff (based on gross payroll) that are retained (for example, not furloughed) should, as a minimum, be equivalent to the continuing DSG funding, as a proportion of all income that the provider usually receives. For example, if the current DSG funding is equivalent to 25% of normal total income, then this should be the proportion of staff (based on gross payroll) that could not be furloughed".
Please remember that where a provider is counting a child on the Early Year Census (spring term actuals headcount), the place must be genuinely ‘available’. This means a provider must not count a child where they have furloughed the staff who would be required to deliver the child’s place.
When making any business decisions, including those around furlough, we strongly advise that you read the most current guidance in full. Due to the continuously changing guidance, it can be helpful to keep an evidence trail on how you made your decisions based on the information that was available to you at the time.
The Early Years Alliance have published some FAQs on the CJRS on their website which you may find useful to refer to.
* The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is the same as the Free Entitlement funding.
Early Years Foundation Stage Profile
Ministers have decided it will not be mandatory to complete the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) assessment in 2021 but instead will be asking schools to make ‘best endeavours’ to undertake it.
This is in recognition of the additional pressures and uncertainties that teachers are facing during this challenging time. This also aligns with the approach on KS1 and KS2 assessments this year. However, the Department for Education (DfE) recognise that the EYFSP is a valued assessment by teachers and early years professionals and is a crucial tool in supporting children’s development and the transition from Reception to Year 1.
It is for that reason the DfE will be asking teachers and early years practitioners to use their best endeavours to still complete the EYFSP for children in the summer term if at all possible and to provide this important information to parents and to Year 1 teachers, should the situation at the time allow. This will be a judgement for schools and teachers depending on their individual circumstances and will in many cases depend on the coming weeks and months.
Paediatric First Aid requalification training
The Department for Education has also taken the decision that if Paediatric First Aid certificate requalification training is prevented for reasons associated directly with the COVID-19 pandemic, or by complying with related government advice, the validity of current certificates can be extended to 31 March 2021 at the latest. This applies to certificates expiring on or after 1 October 2020.
This is in recognition of the fact that some practitioners are facing difficulties in accessing requalification training due to courses being cancelled. If asked to do so, providers should be able to explain why the first aider has not been able to requalify and demonstrate what steps have been taken to access the training.
Employers or certificate holders must do their best to arrange requalification training at the earliest opportunity.
Updated COVID-19 Actions Cards
The Public Health England Action Cards were updated on 7 January 2021 and can be downloaded and printed for use in your setting.
Supporting Children with Self-Regulation Webinar (2 part)
You will explore how to provide better outcomes for children’s emotional health and wellbeing. You will gain an awareness of the principles of self-regulation, identify links within the Early Years Foundation Stage to promote and support behaviour choices and explore the importance of language, role modelling and communication. Cost is £25 per place. Please log onto the Learning and Development Gateway and search for the course code to book and pay by card. Only five places remaining on the last date this year.
- Thursday 4 February - 9.30am to 12.00pm and Thursday 11 February 9.30am to 11.30am - EYT 21/442
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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#119 (New EY Census guidance, DfE data capture, Urgent - FE funding consultation closing soon, COVID-19 testing kits, update on Ofsted inspections, ELIM training, EY networks dates)
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13 JAN Special broadcast - Free Entitlement funding for 2, 3 and 4 year old children - spring term 2021
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#118 - (DfE data capture, updated guidance, protective measures for out of school provision, foundation years - new FAQs, HSE checks, informing DfE of cases, new online form to report cases to Ofsted, maths webinar)
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#117 (DfE data capture, DAF spring claims, EYPP spring claims, starting school applications - one week to go, springtime crafts, ICON)
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#116 (Urgent reminder - DfE data capture, updated guidance, PH seminars, DSG consultation, mandatory EY census, FE Spring actuals, OAIP, business map webinars, Makaton taster)
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:
- 21 Jan - Spring term FE headcount day
- 29 Jan - Annual EY Census submissions close (mandatory for FE providers)
- 29 Jan - Spring term FE Actuals submissions close
- w/c 22 Feb - Spring term Actuals payments expected
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