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 25 February 2021
Advance notice - next week's DfE data capture
Next week's Department for Education 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.
Final Chance to apply: Contain Outbreak Management Fund
If you have not already, please ensure you submit your application by midnight on Sunday 28 February 2021.
The application should only take a few minutes and will provide your setting with vital financial support. If you have been open during the last 12 months, you could be missing out on funding that will support the financial sustainability of your business as a contribution towards the additional costs you have faced as a result of the pandemic.
As announced on 3 February, West Sussex County Council have secured £500,000 for early years and childcare providers who are registered to provide Free Entitlement (FE) places to help with the challenges of operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a temporary package of financial support in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Please refer to the special broadcast for more details and to apply.
Managing COVID-19 in Early Years Setting - Public Health Webinar
Public Health have previously run a series of webinars for early years providers to receive up to date information and guidance around managing COVID-19 in their settings. These webinars offer you a chance to hear key messages and ask questions directly to Public Health colleagues. One further webinar has been organised for Thursday 4 March 1-2pm. Places can be booked via the Learning and Development Gateway, event code PH 21/1084.
Planning for Positive Transitions (Free)
This webinar is limited to one person per setting and is for those new to transition planning. Please book according to your area where possible. You will focus on a child centred approach, ensuring the well-being of children is at the heart of the transition process. You will consider the importance of proactive transition planning for all children and strategies to support transitions within and between schools/settings. You will be given an overview of the tools and resources that you can use. There is no charge. Log onto the Learning and Development Gateway and search for the course code to find out more and book.
- 03 March - 1.00pm to 4.30pm - West (Chichester/Arun) - EYT 21/578
- 10 March - 1.00pm to 4.30pm - South (Adur and Worthing area) - EYT 21/579
- 24 March - 1.00pm to 4.30pm - East (Mid Sussex/east area) - EYT 21/580
- 31 March - 1.00pm to 4.30pm - North (Crawley/Horsham area) - EYT 21/581
New webpage on healthy eating and safe food preparation
As those working in the early years sector will be aware, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework requires providers to take all necessary steps to keep children safe and well - and providers must be confident that those responsible for preparing and handling food in their setting are competent to do so.
This includes preparing food hygienically, providing meals that are healthy, balanced and nutritious, as well as making sure that food is prepared appropriately for babies and children of different ages, for example mashed, pureed or cut into appropriately sized and shaped pieces where it could be a choking hazard. The EYFS learning and development requirements also state that children must be helped to make healthy choices in relation to food.
A number of organisations have produced guidance that supports providers, parents and carers in building a sound knowledge of how to prepare food for children in the early years - and how to make sure that meals provided are healthy and safe. Early years practitioners may find it useful to refer to this guidance when reviewing policies surrounding food and drink in their setting, or when inducting new members of staff to the EYFS requirements.
This guidance has been brought together on the Foundation Years website and they have set out further details on the content to support providers and practitioners in meeting the food and drink requirements set out in the EYFS. You can send your feedback and resources to foundationyears@ncb.org.uk.
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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#130 (Information transferred in government guidance, deadline approaching for Contain Outbreak Management Fund, FE spring term payments released, FIS Website and OPP down today, EYFS revised draft consultation, stories with symbols)
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#129 (Vaccinations for early years and childcare practitioners, planned IT upgrade, free early years virtual conference)
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#128 (Contain Outbreak Management Fund reminder, updated public health action cards, autism aware in early years)
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#127 (COVID cases during half-term, notifying Ofsted of COVID cases - updated information, planned IT upgrade, SEND and Inclusion newsletter, Tools for Schools surveys, Inclusion Framework free peer support sessions, Business Map webinars, Makaton new dates, international research project on child poverty)
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#126 (Updated Actions for Early Years Providers, safeguarding and child protection for the designated person, library service online offer)
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:
- w/c 22 Feb - Spring term Actuals payments expected (FE providers)
- 23 Feb - Online Provider Portal closed today. Reopens on 24 Feb
- 28 Feb - Contain Outbreak Management Fund application deadline (FE providers)
- 10 Mar - Summer term Estimate submissions open (FE providers)
- 12 Mar - West Sussex Virtual Early Years Conference
- 26 Mar - Summer term Estimate submissions close (FE providers)
- 31 Mar - deadline for completing termly Sufficiency data (all providers)
- w/c 5 Apr - Summer term Estimate payments expected (FE providers)
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