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 26 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.
From last week, we 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.
Many thanks to those of you who took the time to complete the survey. Around 60% of providers completed it this week. If your setting is not submitting this weekly, please ensure you do so. It should only take a few minutes to complete. As this information is so vital, we will begin to follow up with providers who are not completing this and ask them to do so.
We are looking at all the comments raised and will aim to answer any questions through the broadcasts as appropriate. Following last week's submission, we would like to reassure you that we are raising all the concerns around lateral flow testing and vaccines with the DfE on your behalf and working closely with Public Health on a way forward. We also appreciate your honesty around the financial picture for the sector and we are currently identifying how we secure funding for Early Years and Childcare providers through the West Sussex Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF). We hope to be able to release more information on this imminently.
Settings currently not open to all children
As a local authority, we have a responsibility to ensure that public funds are used appropriately and we want to ensure that all settings who are claiming government funding are following the government guidance in responding to COVID-19. The government guidance is clear that early years provision should be open for all children, unless they have to close or restrict access for reasons related to COVID-19, for example, staff members having to self-isolate or who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable. Where setting are not fully open and we do not have information about positive COVID-19 cases within the setting, EYCAs will be contacting you to discuss the reasons for your closure, or partial closure, which will inform funding decisions.
Local Offer
In setting update #121 (Thursday 21 January) we provided information about Local Offer, and a link to a guidance document designed to support you to think through what you would like to share with parents as part of your Local Offer. Unfortunately the link was broken – you can download a copy here in Microsoft Word format.
Stories and Songs from West Sussex Libraries
You may not be able to attend your local library for the regular Storytime and Rhyme Time sessions, but you and your families can still join in with them from home or in your childcare setting. The library staff love sharing stories and have been recording their favourites for children to enjoy. There are over 30 stories you can access on the YouTube Storytime Online playlist to enjoy now and more will be added soon. You can pick and choose your favourite songs from the Rhyme Time Online playlist with over 70 songs or settle down for a longer 20 minute session from the Rhyme Time Online Full length sessions playlist.
Keep up to date on all West Sussex Libraries have for you and your families on our Current Offer pages and get in touch with your local library for any further information.
The library service have written a newsletter that you might want to share with your families.
Compass Card
Amaze, the local disability charity that run the Compass Card scheme for children and young people with SEND would like your help in raising awareness of the scheme and the support it offers to families with children who have SEND.
About the Compass Card scheme:
The Compass scheme is run in West Sussex and Brighton and Hove by the charity Amaze. It includes the West Sussex Disability Register and a free leisure discount card for all children and young people on the Register. The Disability Register is for 0 to 25 year olds who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in school/college or are eligible for DLA/PIP. Other children and young people, who have a disability that has a major effect on their daily living, may also be eligible. Data from the Register is used to inform and shape SEND services.
When families register (for free) on the Compass scheme they receive a discount card giving access to leisure activities for local children and young people with a disability (at over 300 venues in non-COVID times). It Gets Me Out, an independent evaluation of the West Sussex Compass Project by the University of Brighton in May 2020, demonstrates that the Compass Card significantly improves children and young people’s physical fitness, mental health, and confidence.
How you can help:
Amaze would like more children and young people with SEND represented on the disability register so that their voices are heard and needs are ‘counted’ by service providers and commissioners as they are making tough budget decisions in coming months. The Compass Card records show that currently only 40% of those children and young people who are eligible are currently registered. With times being so tough and thresholds to access services increasingly high, the Compass Card provides a great universal ‘health and wellbeing’ offer, when families and childcare providers may otherwise struggle to identify other services to refer SEND families to. Please share this message with families that you have contact with who would benefit from this.
Grasping My World: A Look at Treasure Baskets for Babies - spaces now available
Following last year’s successful course, we have one last date of ‘Grasping My World: A Look at Treasure Baskets for Babies.’ Suitable for those working with the under 2's’, you will learn to create a responsive and stimulating learning environment using treasure baskets. Understand how to evaluate your current practice and provision regarding treasure baskets and identify existing strengths and ways forward. This live, online course costs £15. Log onto the Learning and Development Gateway and search for the course code to find out more, book and pay by card.
- Thursday 11 February - 10.00am to 11.30am - EYT 21/480
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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#121 (Updated funding letter for parents, reminder for mandatory EY Census, FE spring term actuals reminder, Local Offer, understanding parental conflict webinar, Recover and Rise business workshops, every mind matters)
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20 JAN Special broadcast - COVID-19 testing within early years and childcare settings
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#120 (Furloughing staff, update on EYFSP, Paediatric First Aid requalification, updated action cards, supporting children with self-regulation)
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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
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:
- 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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