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 13 April 2022
Department for Education Incident Support helpline
The Department for Education Incident Support helpline is available to answer any questions you have about COVID-19 relating to education and childcare settings and children’s social care, and to support any national incidents and emergencies.
Post Headcount/Exceptional Payment Requests - an Update
This term, we have received a large number of requests for exceptional requests for funding, which has led to delays in our advertised turnaround time, particularly for 3 and 4 year old requests.
If you have received the initial confirmation that we have received your form, there is no need to chase for an outcome, we will respond as soon as we can. As a rough guide we are currently processing 3 and 4 year old requests that were received w/c 14/02/22. Once we have processed the request, we will email you the outcome, and if approved, you will be able to see the additional funding on the 'Adjustments' tab within the 'Funding' section of the Online Provider Portal within a few days of the request being approved.
If you have any further requests to send for the remainder of this term, please be reminded that they will need to be received no later than Friday 22 April, in order to be considered for approval (as per point 4.15 in the Provider Declaration). What can also help us to process these requests quickly is to make sure that when you submit them, all relevant sections of the form are completed in full and the complete dates are given (for example, 24 March rather than March).
We thank you for your patience whilst we process these outstanding requests.
SEND Review: right support, right place, right time
The Government’s long awaited green paper ‘SEND Review: Right support Right place Right time’ was published last week. It sets out plans to reform the system to make it easier for parents to access the support they need through a ‘new national plan to level up opportunities’. The paper has been written in response to feedback from the experiences and insight of hundreds of children and young people, their families, sector organisations, teachers and partners.
The Government has proposed simplifying Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) to make them more flexible and supporting parents to make informed choices. They also propose improving workforce training through increasing the number of staff with an accredited level 3 qualification in early years settings. The same level of high-quality training must be extended to early years education, with early years settings having regular access to a SENCO. Championing training, such as the accredited SENCO Award in Early Years, will help to ensure that early years practitioners in pre-reception settings have the knowledge and skills required to identify when children are struggling, or not developing to expected levels.
Your views matter. Consultation on the green paper is open now and closes on Friday 1 July at 11.45pm. You can access the consultation here.
Families from Ukraine
We are aware that some early years and childcare providers have already been contacted by families from Ukraine about accessing childcare and/or Free Entitlement places. We are currently waiting on more guidance to be made available by the government and will share this with you, via this broadcast, as soon as we are able.
Childminders and the Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Family Scheme
If you are a childminder and keen to join the many others who have signed-up to host people from Ukraine under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and Ukraine Family Scheme, please see the guidance for childminders who may have signed up to support the Ukraine schemes.
Consultation: Free early education for 2-year-olds with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
As you may be aware, some families with an irregular immigration status have a no recourse to public funds condition as designated by the Home Office. No recourse to public funds (NRPF) restricts families from drawing on welfare support, which also means they are excluded from accessing other government support where eligibility is derived (or passported) from welfare benefits. Previously, this has meant that their children, regardless of their own immigration status, have been unable to access educational entitlements such as the early education entitlement for disadvantaged two-year-olds.
In September 2020, following a temporary extension of eligibility during the Covid-19 pandemic, the government permanently extended eligibility to two-year-olds from families in receipt of support under section 17 of the Children Act 1989.
The Department for Education has launched a consultation on whether there are any additional groups of children from NRPF families who should be eligible for the two-year-old entitlement that have not already been identified. They would welcome your input into this consultation which has a deadline of 20 May 2022. For information, free school meal eligibility will be extended to children from NRPF families with effect from the start of the summer term.
Education recovery in early years providers
Ofsted have published a briefing on the continued impact of the pandemic and education recovery, drawing on evidence from spring 2022 inspections. The briefing looks at the impact for children, changes in practice during the pandemic and the impact on provider sustainability.
- 21 Apr - Spring term Sufficiency deadline (all 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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#209 (Updated COVID-19 guidance and UKHSA letter, distributing stocks of self-test kits, FE estimates, FE funding rates explained 22/23, attracting and retaining talent, opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child, SEND review - right support, right place, right time, Ofsted's enforcement policy, childminder agencies new policy paper, ministerial letter to EY sector, parental feedback on 'what to expect in the EYFS')
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#208 (Changes re COVID-19 guidance, changes to self-isolation rules, closure of UKHSA advice service, education and skills consultation reminder, SEND and inclusion newsletter, reducing parental conflict)
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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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