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 27 July 2022
DBS - Making recruitment safer – free webinar today - 27 July at 7.00pm
PACEY are offering a free webinar on how you can make your recruitment processes safer with fully informed recruitment decisions and continue to protect and safeguard all of the children and young people within the sector. Available to any early years professional in England and Wales who are looking to recruit or currently employs staff. Register for free here.
Parental perceptions of childcare in England
The Department for Education (DfE) have published a research report on qualitative interviews with parents of children under 5 years old covering affordability, availability and flexibility of childcare. The report covers:
- family context and needs of childcare
- formal and informal childcare arrangements
- views and experiences of formal childcare
- availability of childcare
- flexibility of childcare
- affordability of childcare and take up of entitlements
- quality of childcare
New Early Years Alliance campaign: #WeAreEducators
The Early Years Alliance has launched a new campaign which aims to help those working in the early years to highlight to parents, local communities and policymakers the unique importance of the early years, and the role that the early years’ workforce plays in shaping children’s lives. All early years providers can sign up to the campaign and receive a free #WeAreEducators toolkit here.
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
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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#224 (FE autumn term estimate payments; checks before offering an extended FE place; sufficiency updates reminder; advance notice of parental childcare survey; update to Ofsted EY inspection handbook; safe sleep; family assist closure)
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#223 (Safer recruitment, selection and induction; welcome message from head of standards and effectiveness; welcome message from senior education adviser for early years; SEND and inclusion newsletter)
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#222 (Free Entitlement estimates, 30 hour code deadlines, Government drive to reduce the cost of childcare, Update from Early Years Team Managers, Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs, The power of music to change lives, Looking after children during heatwaves, National week of play)
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#221 (Free EY SEND training from ICAN; updating information with FIS; NPQ early years leadership course; foundation years vodcast on infant mental health; infection prevention and control webinars reminder)
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#220 (Free entitlement summer term payments; free entitlement autumn term estimates; 30 hour codes deadline; LADOs; sensory food education; music in the early years blog; safeguarding courses)
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