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Broadcast for Early Years and childcare providers in West Sussex from West Sussex County Council
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Wednesday 23 February 2022
Last chance to vote for you Early Years Representative for Schools Forum
In setting update 201, we shared the candidates for Early Years Representative for the Schools Forum. We are pleased to say we had two practitioners put themselves forward for the role.
The candidates are:
Please click on the candidate names to read their election statements, then cast your vote online (if you encounter issues with voting you may wish to try a different internet explorer such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge). The closing date for voting is Friday 25 February. Please note that we will only count one vote per setting. The successful candidate will be informed on Monday 28 February, and an announcement made in this broadcast on Wednesday 2 March.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases
The Department for Education has announced that from 21 February 2022, early years settings are no longer required to notify Ofsted, or the childminder agency with which they are registered, of any COVID-19 cases in the setting, whether that is of a child or staff member. They also do not have to submit notifications for any cases that have happened in the last 14 days.
It remains a legal requirement under the Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework to report cases of serious illness. You should notify Ofsted as soon as practical, and in any case within 14 days of a notifiable event happening.
For information about what is classed as a notifiable event or serious incident and what to tell Ofsted, please refer to our guidance on reporting a serious childcare incident.
Free Entitlement for 2, 3 and 4 year olds – Spring Term Payments
Please be advised that Spring term payments have been released for:
- Free Entitlement actuals where there are no outstanding queries.
- Disability Access Fund (DAF) for all approved applications where evidence was provided.
Please note, payments can take three to five working days to show in your account.
The Online Provider Portal (OPP) is now closed for Spring term submissions, but you can still log back in to view your payment summary. Please refer to the OPP help and guidance PDF and open the Actuals help guide for step by step guidance at www.westsussex.gov.uk/ecsportal.
If you have any queries please email free.entitlement@westsussex.gov.uk.
Early Years e-learning modules – Free Training
We know that when children start school and join their Reception class, they come with a wide range of previous experiences. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has broadened that range of previous experiences even further. Early years teachers have said that they have never had children in their class with such a vast range of developmental starting points.
In response, a suite of five new free e-learning modules have been produced and designed specifically for early years staff. The modules can be accessed individually or as a training course and are presented in e-learning modules, so that staff can access them at a time that best suits them. They can be watched and discussed as an early years team, or accessed by staff individually.
All modules are designed to support staff to adapt the curriculum successfully for children with a wide range of developmental needs.
The modules are:
- Curriculum, environment and routines
- Personal, social and emotional development
- Small steps in learning
- Phonological development
- Supporting the development of toilet training skills
NHS Healthy Start
The NHS Healthy Start Scheme helps those who are pregnant or have responsibility for at least one child under 4 years of age who are on a low income. Families can get help to buy plain, fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables, plain cow’s milk, infant formula and fresh or tinned pulses. Beneficiaries of the scheme can also get free Healthy Start vitamins for women and children.
The Healthy Start scheme is now in the final stages of becoming a digital service, offering an online application process, and introducing a prepaid card to be used for purchasing healthy food and milk. This digital service replaces the paper application forms and paper vouchers. Beneficiaries of the scheme will also be able to also use their prepaid card to collect free Healthy Start vitamins.
If you are aware of any parents who may be affected by these changes, the key points to note are:
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The paper application process for healthy start was closed to new applicants on 31 January 2022. Application pages on gov.uk now go to https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/ to start the process. If an applicant cannot apply online, they may apply over the telephone by contacting the NHS Healthy Start helpline on 0300 330 7010.
- Those who have recently applied will be contacted and directed to re-apply online to the new NHS Healthy Start scheme.
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All current paper voucher beneficiaries will need to have re-applied online before the end of March 2022, to continue to get their benefit. Beneficiaries in receipt of paper vouchers have been contacted by letter twice (or email) and have also received two leaflets in their paper voucher packs with information about the new scheme and how to apply.
There is also a helpful letter which can be printed out to give to any parents you think may benefit from this information. Your help in promoting these changes is much appreciated. If you have problems accessing the links above please try an alternative web browser such as Google Chrome.
Masters Degree in Education and Early Childhood
The University of Chichester are currently considering the development of a Masters degree programme in Education and Early Childhood for post graduates. They would like to gain the views of current students and teachers and early years educators working with young children (0-7) in schools and early years settings who already hold a degree and may be interested in this progression route.
They have created a quick and easy questionnaire which can be accessed here. They would be grateful if you could complete this and/or forward to others who may be interested.
The information will be collected anonymously and will be used to gain general interest and if appropriate support the design of a future programme.
The closing date for completed questionnaires is Friday 11 March. Many thanks for taking part.
Early Years Designated Lead Forum - children we care for
The West Sussex Virtual School will now be running termly online forums specifically for early years settings. These will be hour long meetings for practitioners who would like further support in working with children we care for. We are now using the language, "children we care for" rather than children looked after (CLA) or looked after children (LAC). We will be providing guidance on using the "ePEP" system to complete the Personal Education Plans (PEPs) each term, the best uses of Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) future training and other updates relating to the wider work of the Virtual School including the new advisory service. These networks are in addition to the current Learning and Development and SENCO/INCO network meetings.
- Session: EYFS – DL Forum (for Designated Leads, SENCOs, any Key Person supporting children we care for)
- Date and time: Tuesday 22 March - 1.30-2.30 PM (Online via Teams)
- Overview: Termly forum with the EYFS Virtual School (VS) team to discuss the work of the VS, PEPs and future training.
- Book via the Learning and Development Gateway
Coaching and Mentoring for the Early Years – Thursday 17 March – County Hall, Chichester – Course Code: EYT22/629
This popular course is suitable for experienced practitioners such as room leaders, childminders, managers and early years practitioners in a mentoring role.
It will support you to confidently use coaching and mentoring within your setting. You will learn skills such as listening, questioning and giving feedback to improve practice and staff confidence.
The cost of this course is £50 per person. 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
Understanding Ofsted – Are you Ready? Online – Tuesday 15 March – EYT22/229
This webinar is for Early Years practitioners who work directly with children. Although leaders and managers are welcome to attend the session it is not targeted for them.
This informative Enable Children webinar will support practitioners in understanding what an Ofsted inspection means for them and the implications of this with regard to their practice and provision. Consideration of key aspects from the ‘Early years inspection handbook for Ofsted registered provision’ (operational from September 2019) will ensure opportunity for reflection and discussion of actions needed to be Ofsted ‘ready’.
The aim of this course is to support you in identifying and planning for actions you need to take to be Ofsted ‘ready’.
The cost of this course is £25pp. 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
Early Years Annual Conference: SEND and Inclusion in the Early Years
Date: 11 March 2022
Venue: Online Event
Cost: £35 for Early Years Settings
We are delighted to announce Catherine McLeod, MBE, Chief Executive from Dingley’s Promise, will be joining us to deliver 'Best Practice in Transitions for Children with SEND'.
This session will take learning from the Early Years SEND Partnership’s national work on Transitions led by Dingley’s Promise over the past two years. We will look at the most common barriers to successful transitions for children with SEND, and then move on to look at strategies for overcoming them. Finally, we will consider how to evaluate the success of transitions to continually improve our practice.
Further details on all other workshops to follow. Book your space on this virtual conference via EVENTBRITE.
Network meetings in Spring 2022 are running as online webinars. Follow a link to book a place via the Learning and Development Gateway:
Learning and Development Network Meetings
These took place online in January and February. The network focused on reviewing the quality of your provision and ongoing quality improvement planning. View the key presentation slides and the updates shared at the meetings.
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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#202 (Final DfE pulse survey on COVID issues affecting the sector, planned IT work, OFSTED registration fees, tax free childcare webinar, MMR vaccination campaign, SEND and inclusion newsletter, foundation years blog on SEND, learning and development network meetings, supported transition programme, five to thrive, early years conference, introduction to adverse childhood experiences and trauma informed practice)
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#201 (Free Entitlement funding rates 2022/23, update re FE funding for Afghan resettlement programmes, EY representative - voting now open, planned IT work affecting online provider portal and FIS website, SEND and inclusion conference)
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#200 (EY PVI Rep - deadline 04/02/22, new literacy videos, working with children with EAL, child development training, EY annual conference)
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#199 (COVID-19 guidance update, Census and FE actuals deadline this Friday, FE funding for Afghan families, childcare sufficiency report, transition events 2022, early years annual conference - SEND and inclusion, spring term training courses)
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#198 (Reduction in self-isolation period, COVID-19 guidance for childminders, information on good ventilation, temporary suspension of confirmatory PCR tests, EY PVI Rep for the Schools Forum, EYFS flexibilities, reminder - mandatory EY census and spring term FE actuals, new government resource - Stop Abuse Together, a look at springtime crafts)
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