The West Sussex approach puts the child first. We work with children, families, communities, our partners and schools in a restorative, strength based way. Strong relationships are at the heart of what we do.
Broadcast for Early Years and childcare providers in West Sussex from West Sussex County Council - Early Help Service
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Thursday 24 June 2021
PCR Tests for Close Contacts
Anyone who is displaying symptoms of COVID-19 and anyone who tests positive with a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) should book a PCR test to confirm whether or not they have COVID-19. Whilst waiting for the PCR test result all close contacts need to be identified and asked to self-isolate for ten days. As an extra precaution Public Health England (PHE) is now advising close contacts to get a COVID-19 PCR test as soon as the original case is confirmed COVID-19 positive by PCR testable. Guidance for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection who do not live with the person. If you do not wish to test your child then you, the adult carers of this child can alternatively take a PCR test. Note that the adult carer taking the test does not need to isolate unless they get a positive result as they are not a close contact. If your child/adult carer has had a positive PCR test within the last 90 days, you do not need to get another test unless they have new symptoms.
If you/your child/other household member test negative, your child attending nursery must still complete their ten days isolation until the date given above. If you/your child/other household member tests positive they need to isolate with their household following national guidance COVID-19: guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection - GOV.UK. All members of the household aged 11 and over should continue to do their regular LFD test twice a week (every three to four days). To help you to communicate this to parents, please use the appendices, provided by PHE, which includes
- details of the process to follow,
- associated letters setting should send to parents/staff in response to a positive LFD or PCR test result, and
- an information sheet for close contacts.
COVID-19 Contingency Framework
The Department for Education have updated the contingency framework following the government’s announcement on enhanced response packages to tackle the Delta variant in some areas.
The contingency framework describes the principles of managing local outbreaks of COVID-19 in education and childcare settings. It covers all types of measures that settings should be prepared for, which includes those that may be recommended as part of an enhanced response area.
All education and childcare settings should have outbreak management plans outlining how they would operate if any of the measures described within the contingency framework were recommended in their area for any reason.
If you are concerned about COVID-19 issues in your area and think additional measures in your setting may be required, you should discuss this with your Early Years and Childcare Adviser in the first instance.
Is your setting putting on a summer holiday club? Did you miss out on applying for funding from the Holiday Activities and Food Programme?
There is still some funding available, so if you have, or may have, school age children signed up to your club, that receive Free School Meals, then the council may still be able to support you through this fund.
West Sussex County Council are looking for providers who can offer four hours of activities for four days a week for four weeks of the summer holidays, with a meal, to children eligible for free school meals.
If you are interested in bidding for HAF Funding please download and complete the three forms below and email them along with a sample menu and activity timetable to HAF@westsussex.gov.uk by Thursday 1 July 2021.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss your proposal, please email and we will arrange for a member of the team to contact you.
SEND Under 5s
From September, children with SEND will be discussed by a multi-agency panel which replaces EYPARM. The aim of the SEND Under 5s is to give earlier support to children with SEND and their families. If there are any children within your setting that you feel need to be discussed by the panel, please speak to the family about this and then speak to your Early Years and Childcare Adviser. You may wish to share the information sheet with families to help them understand what SEND Under 5s is offering.
Enhance your nurturing techniques in our new courses
The Principles of Nurture (half day webinar) to learn strategies to bolster children’s emotional development and wellbeing in our new course. You will gain confidence to implement strategies which will help to nurture children and families and promote their wellbeing. Led by Tamsin Grimmer at Linden Learning. Cost is £25 per place.
- Thursday 8 July - 9.30am to 12.30pm - EYT 21/1809
- Tuesday 7 December - 1.00pm to 4.00pm - EYT 21/1925
- Saturday 12 March - 9.30am to 12.30pm - EYT 21/1926
Babies - Books, Baskets and Bonding (taster webinar) considers how to foster a love of books for the under 2's and the impact this has on later learning outcomes. Understand the benefits, practicalities and role of the adult in creating and using treasure baskets with sensory and natural objects and everyday items. Recognise the key priority of bonded relationships and how to promote them. This is a revised and updated version of ‘Grasping My World, a look at Treasure Baskets.’ Cost is £15 per place.
- Thursday 8 July – 10.00am to 11.30am - EYT 21/1922
To book, search for the course code on the Learning and Development Gateway. If you have any questions, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
All early years providers must follow a new reformed EYFS framework from September 2021. View the new framework and how the changes affect you.
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.
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:
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#164 (DfE data capture, large group activities during the summer term, final reminder - EY funding to support health and physical development, FE autumn term estimates now open, FE summer term payments, communication courses, supporting children in EY settings who may have experienced trauma)
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#163 (DfE data capture, transition day, large group activities during the summer term, EYFS reforms, INCO/SENCO training, meeting the needs of every child)
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#162 (Changes to the planned ending of COVID-19 restrictions and transition days in schools, reminder - EY funding to support health and physical development, changes to the EYFS and Development Matters)
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#161 (Reminder - HAF programme, early years transition webinars, newly published courses suitable for all staff)
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#160 (DfE data capture, early years funding to support health and physical development, infant mental health awareness week, ERIC's potty training package, fostering wellbeing in the early years - two new courses)
- w/c 21 Jun - Summer term Actuals payments expected (FE providers)
- 2 Jul - Autumn term Estimate submissions close (FE providers)
- w/c 12 Jul - Autumn term Estimate payments expected (FE providers)
- 1 Sep - Autumn term Actuals submissions open (FE providers)
- 1 Sep - New EYFS framework effective
- 16 Sep - Autumn term headcount day (FE providers)
- 24 Sep - Autumn term Actuals submissions close (FE providers)
- w/c 18 Oct - Autumn term Actuals payments expected (FE providers)
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