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Broadcast for Early Years and childcare providers in West Sussex from West Sussex County Council
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Wednesday 12 January 2022
Update from DfE - EYFS Flexibility
We have been asked to share with you the following update from the Department for Education (DfE) to support you as you deal with COVID-related workforce absences.
"It remains a priority to continue providing face to face education and childcare, but we know that COVID-19 continues to put early years settings under significant pressure, particularly in relation to workforce absence.
Government considers COVID-19 to be an exceptional circumstance in which the staff-to-child ratios set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) can temporarily be changed if necessary, for example to respond to COVID-related workforce absences. This relates to paragraph 3.31 in the EYFS.
In some cases, providers may choose to respond to staff and child absences by temporarily mixing age groups of children who would otherwise be educated or cared for separately. Ratios should be guided by all relevant requirements and by the needs of individual children within the group. For the purposes of meeting EYFS ratio and qualification requirements, all staff educating or caring for a mixed age group of children can be considered ‘available to work directly with’ all the children who have been grouped together.
In all circumstances, settings remain responsible for maintaining the quality of care, safety and security of children."
Update to COVID-19 Guidance
On 6 January, the Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and Protective measures for holiday or after-school clubs and other out-of-school settings for children during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak guidance was updated. This is in line with the UKHSA announcement about confirmatory PCR tests, clarification that children can return to the setting on day seven if they have had two negative Lateral Flow Device tests and guidance on testing under 5s for household contacts.
Confirmatory PCR tests to be temporarily suspended for positive Lateral Flow Device test results
As of yesterday 11 January, in England people who receive positive Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test results for COVID-19 will be required to self-isolate immediately and will not be required to take a confirmatory PCR test. This is a temporary measure while COVID-19 rates remain high across the UK as the vast majority of people with positive LFD results can be confident that they have COVID-19.
LFD tests are taken by people who do not have COVID-19 symptoms. Anyone who develops one of the three main COVID-19 symptoms should stay at home, self-isolate and take a PCR test. They must self-isolate if they get a positive test result, even if they have had a recent negative LFD test – these rules have not changed.
UKHSA advice service opening hours
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advice service (for information and advice on dealing with outbreaks in settings) opening hours have changed. The advice service is available between 8.00am and 4.00pm Monday to Friday and 10.00am to 4.00pm Saturday and Sunday. If settings think they have an outbreak of COVID-19 and need help taking action, they should call the helpline on 0800 046 8687 (during these hours) and press option 1, then option 1 again.
Additional Relief Grants
On 21 December 2021, the government announced a discretionary grant to Local Authorities to support local businesses that may potentially be impacted financially because of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Use of this funding is at the individual LA’s discretion but is intended to support businesses who are impacted by COVID-19 but may not be eligible for the hospitality, leisure and culture grants.
In West Sussex we have been made aware that this funding is being distributed via the District and Borough Councils. For further information on how this and other funding streams are being managed in your area, please see the relevant link below and contact your local council for further information on how this could benefit your business:
Adur and Worthing
Arun
Chichester
Crawley
Horsham
Mid Sussex
DfE Pulse Survey
We have been informed by the Department for Education (DfE) that they are currently inviting all group-based early years settings, for whom they have an email address, to take part in a weekly ‘pulse’ survey. The survey is to help DfE understand the impact of COVID-19 on early years settings, focusing on workforce and child absences. The DfE knows that there is concern about workforce absence as part of the latest wave of the pandemic but has limited regular, up-to-date data about this. The survey will help obtain an accurate picture of the issues that the childcare and early years sector are facing on a regular basis gathering information about operating status, the impact of workforce issues and children’s attendance. It is a short weekly survey that will run during January and February and an overall summary of results should be published regularly.
Applications to start school close this weekend
Further to the information in last week's broadcast #196, this is a final reminder that families with children due to start at primary or infant school this September must apply before the deadline this Saturday (midnight), 15 January 2022.
Those who miss the deadline could have a greatly reduced chance of being offered one of their preferred schools and must still apply for a school place for September. The quickest and easiest way is to apply online through the website, where all of the information on how to apply can be found. If you are aware of any parents who have still not applied as they have no access to a computer or the internet, free use of computers with internet access is available in all West Sussex libraries without booking. The library service also offers digital support which includes help with filling in online forms, on 0330 222 3455. Parents who are unable to apply online or in a library should call the admissions team on 03330 142903 this week.
February 2022 Half Term Activities – Expressions of Interest
As announced in Setting Update #194 (15 December 2021) childcare providers are invited to submit Expressions of Interest to support and be part of the February Half-Term Activities programme. This will focus on linking Half-Term activities with catch-up learning programmes, for children eligible for pupil-premium, giving extra opportunities to children of school age.
The closing date for submitting Expressions of Interest has been extended to Monday 17 January 2022. Read full details of the programme.
Free webinar - Meeting the Needs of Every Child
This Department for Education (DfE) funded webinar is free to access and will provide Early Years Practitioners with a thorough understanding of inclusive practice for SEND in Early Years settings. The webinar will be online on 18 January 2022 10.00am-12.00pm.
The two-hour webinar will cover the following:
- Responsibilities of a PVI setting towards children with SEND.
- The role of the SENCO and the Key Person.
- The importance of the early identification of SEND.
- What effective inclusive practice looks like in a PVI setting.
- How to develop positive relationships with parents of children with SEND.
- nasen’s DfE-funded Early Years resources to support you in meeting the needs of all children in your setting.
Who would benefit from this training?
- Early Years practitioners
- Childminders
- New SENCOs
You will be emailed supportive documents before the webinar to print off and use during the training and, on completion of an evaluation after the webinar, you will receive a certificate. For more information and to book a place, please visit the nasen website.
- NOW - Spring term Actuals submissions open (FE providers)
- NOW - Annual Early Years Census submissions open (FE providers)
- 15 Jan - Applications close for starting school places (Primary, infant, junior)
- 20 Jan - Free Entitlement headcount day for Spring Term
- 28 Jan - Spring term Actuals submissions close (FE providers)
- 28 Jan - Annual Early Years Census submissions close (FE providers)
- 31 Mar - Spring term Sufficiency deadline (all providers)
Network meetings in Spring 2022 are running as online webinars. Follow a link to book a place via the Learning and Development Gateway:
Early Years Learning and Development Network
- Tuesday 25 January 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm - EYT 22/224
- Wednesday 2 February 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm - EYT 22/227
- Thursday 3 February 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm - EYT 22/550
INCO SENCO Network
- Tuesday 8 March 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm - EYT 22/221
- Wednesday 9 March 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm - EYT 22/222
- Thursday 10 March 2022 - 1.00pm to 3.00pm - EYT 22/556
Childminder Event
To allow our Early Years and Childcare Advisors to focus their support to where it is most needed, we ask that you check for information online before you contact us.
COVID-19 guidance
Other information and guidance (WSCC)
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Practice support (EYFS, Diversity and Inclusion, health and wellbeing, transitions, legislation, regulation and safeguarding)
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Supporting families in your childcare setting (includes CLaWBA, integrated reviews)
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Tools for schools and settings (supporting the inclusion of all children in early years)
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Business support (Free Entitlement, marketing, finance, recruitment, advertising)
- Training and qualifications
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Network meetings/events (Learning and development, INCO SENCO, business and welfare)
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Online Provider Portal (submission dates, help guides)
For help to access information
To request additional support for your setting
All early years providers must follow a new reformed EYFS framework from September 2021. View the new framework to see how the changes affect you, and access updated Learning Journal materials online.
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 ' What happens if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in an educational setting' flowchart, and inform Ofsted.
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.
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#196 (Updated guidance, mandatory early years census 2022 and FE spring term actuals, starting school applications - 10 days to go, welcome to Grace Fairbourn)
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#195 (2021 re-cap, Updated guidance for childminders, Fire Safety for Early Years providers)
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#194 (EY Census, DfE data capture, COVID-19 guidance update, length of spring term, starting school applications - one month to go, February half- term activities, SEND and inclusion newsletter, exploring theory of mind)
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#193 (DfE data capture, fake NHS emails, EYPDP, FE spring term estimate payments, 30 hour codes reminder, spring term networks, food safety: choking prevention, HAF for Christmas, learn - explore - debate, save the date - EY annual conference, calling all superheroes)
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#192 (DfE Data capture, new measures in response to Omicron variant, arrangements for COVID-19 testing over the Christmas break, reminder about CO2 monitors, school readiness integrated review)
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