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
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Wednesday 30 March 2022
Changes re COVID-19 guidance
From Friday 1 April, the Government will:
- Remove the current guidance on voluntary COVID-status certification in domestic settings and no longer recommend that certain venues use the NHS COVID Pass.
- Update guidance setting out the ongoing steps that people with COVID-19 should take to minimise contact with other people. This will align with the changes to testing.
- No longer provide free to order universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public in England.
- Consolidate guidance to the public and businesses, in line with public health advice.
Changes to COVID-19 Self-Isolation Rules
Following the changes to testing and self-isolation rules, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have produced some resources, including videos and a poster which you may wish to share with families to ensure they are aware of the current guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Closure of the UKHSA advice service
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement confirming that self-isolation is no longer a legal requirement following a positive test and the publication of the Living with COVID-19 plan, the UKHSA advice service will be decommissioned from tomorrow, 31 March 2022.
The Department for Education (DfE) COVID-19 helpline will still be available to answer settings’ questions relating to COVID-19 in education and childcare settings, once the UKHSA advice service is switched off.
Education and Skills Strategy consultation reminder
Further to the broadcast article on 9 March 2022, this is a reminder that the deadline to participate in the Education and Skills Consultation is 3 April 2022. We would encourage your participation to ensure the views of the early years and childcare sector are included.
SEND and Inclusion Newsletter
The Spring 2022 edition of the SEND & Inclusion Newsletter is now available.
Reducing Parental Conflict Training
We are delighted to be able to offer some bespoke training for practitioners on Reducing Parental Conflict and working with parents to promote positive communication. Places can be booked on the Learning and Development Gateway.
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Introductory Session is for those practitioners who have not previously attended training around parental conflict. Practitioners are invited to think about co-parents in conflict, finding out about the evidence around parental conflict, parental conflict and domestic abuse/violence (and distinguishing between the two), practice development, children’s views and how to have quality conversations.
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Advanced Session is suitable for those practitioners who have previously attended some training around parental conflict and includes skills and techniques for use in helping parents communicate better, tools to use and outcomes to achieve for children.
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Reducing Parental Conflict – Supporting your work with Parents and Families are two-part sessions which will enhance your knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence to work with parents. By the end of the training you will be able to raise parent’s awareness of the issue around parental conflict, use digital resources to help parents recognise conflict and enable parents to develop positive communication skills and helpful conflict behaviours. Digital resources provided to attendees to use with parents include: Me, You and Baby Too – for practitioners working with new parents; Arguing Better – for practitioners working with parents experiencing stress and conflict; and Getting it Right for Children – for practitioners working with parents who are separated or going through separation.
Read more about Reducing Parental Conflict, and view a Training Calendar, on the West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership website.
- 31 Mar - Spring term Sufficiency deadline (all providers)
- w/c 4 Apr - Summer term Estimate payments expected (FE providers)
- 27 Apr - Summer term Actuals submissions open (FE providers)
- 12 May - FE Headcount day (FE providers)
- 20 May - Summer term Actuals submissions close (FE providers)
Network meetings ran as online webinars:
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
These took place in March and focused on Supported Transitions, SEND Under 5 Outcomes, Deferring or Delaying School Entry, and Action Planning. View the key presentation slides, the presentation from the Virtual School and the FAQ document.
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 consult the guidance to check when to 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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#207 (Updated guidance for childminders, Final reminder for Provider Declaration forms and summer estimates, change to SSP and ESA, EY transition events 2022, EY conference 2022, business West Sussex website, inspiring environments - resource for home-based childcare providers, WSSCP safeguarding under 1's podcast)
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#206 (Free Entitlement and Afghan Resettlement Programme, summer term estimates reminder, 30 hour codes deadline, transitions workshops, medical restrictions on attendance, vodcast on Ofsted inspections, support for the Ukraine, SENCO network meeting notes)
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#205 (Share your views on draft education and skills strategy, FE provider declaration 22/23, FE indicative budgets, FE summer term estimates, message from your schools forum representative, tax free childcare webinars, choking prevention, experts and mentors programme, best for babies, physical activity and active play in early years settings)
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#204 (Updated COVID-19 guidance, testing update, Schools Forum representative, 30 hour codes, FE - summer term estimates, Provider Declaration, Supported Transitions Programme, SEND Under 5s Online Referrals, DfE Recovery Programme)
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#203 (Last chance to vote for your EY representative, confirmed COVID-19 cases, FE spring term payments, free e-learning modules, NHS healthy start, masters degree in education and early childhood, EY leaders forum for children we care for, coaching and mentoring for the early years, understanding Ofsted - are you ready, EY SEND conference)
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