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 3 August 2022
Updated Ofsted guidance
PACEY has been working with Ofsted to update its inspection resources for providers. An updated Education Inspection Framework (EIF) Inspection Handbook is now published with a new section on applying the EIF in different contexts, such as childminding settings. This comes into effect from 1 September 2022. Ofsted has also updated its guidance page which outlines common questions, queries and misconceptions around inspections in early years and childcare settings and schools. These resources have been well-received by PACEY members in making the inspection process clearer.
Consultation reminder on early years ratios and funding formulae
Further to our broadcast article on 6 July #222, on the Government drive to reduce the costs of childcare for families, we would strongly encourage you to participate in these consultations to ensure the voice of the early years sector is included.
Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs update
The Department for Education (DfE) is pleased to announce the National Children's Bureau (NCB) has been appointed as the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs delivery partner. The Stronger Practice Hubs programme launches in November 2022, and is part of the DfE's Early Years Education COVID-19 Recovery Package.
The programme aims to support settings to address the impact of the pandemic on young children, by sharing effective practice and building lasting local networks. Existing, well-established early years settings can apply to become Hubs, and will support other settings in their area to adopt evidence-based practice improvements.
Further information about the programme has been published on the Foundation Years website, including what becoming a Hub involves, an indication of the eligibility and selection criteria, and further details about the application process and timelines. The application process is expected to open on 15 August, running for 6 weeks until 23 September. You can read this update in full here.
New blogs from Foundation Years and DfE
Foundation Years has shared a new blog on how to reconnect with parents and carers following the upheaval of the past few years.
Debbie Garvey, a trainer, consultant and author, with over three decades of experience working across the early childhood sector, looks at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of relationships between practitioners and families and how you can reconnect and rebuild relationships.
On behalf of the Department for Education, Fay Flude, an Early Years Setting Manager and SENCO lead at a Pre-School in West Sussex, discusses her positive experiences with the 'Building on Success' training programme. Building on Success is phase two of the Early Years Professional Development Programme, part of the national government initiative to improve children’s outcomes in early language, mathematics and personal, social and emotional development.
Free Training - EYSEND Partnership
Below is the free upcoming EYSEND training available from September. Be sure to sign up using the links. Please see the National Children's Bureau Calendar for details of all of their events taking place over the coming months, and keep an eye on this calendar as new dates will be added. For any queries about any aspect of the EYSEND Partnership please check the website or email EYSend@ncb.org.uk.
- 13 September - Meeting the needs of every child (nasen): this webinar will provide early years practitioners with a thorough understanding of inclusive practice for SEND in early years settings.
- 15 September - Supporting social communication in the EY, Part 1 (I CAN): this workshop for early years SENCos, managers and early years practitioners will help to enable excellent support for social communication in early years settings.
- 21 September - working with parent/carers of children with SEND (contact): this workshop aims to help professionals increase understanding and awareness of disability and the effect on the family. Enable more effective communication with parents and a better start to a working relationship with parents of children with SEND.
- 29 September - Supporting social communication in the EY, Part 2 (I CAN): this workshop for early years SENCos, managers and early years practitioners will help to enable excellent support for social communication in early years settings.
The following workshops are available for parents which you might want to promote with families accessing your setting:
- 13 September - support for speech and language issues in young children (contact and I CAN): this parent workshop will help you to think about how you can best communicate with your child and how you can share this knowledge with those in their early years and school setting.
- 15 September - Encouraging positive behaviour (contact): this parent/carer workshop will explore some of the issues around behaviour and will look at ways of supporting and encouraging your child.
- 15 September - Toilet training (contact): advice and strategies for parents/carers/practitioners on how to toilet train a child/children with additional needs (0-5 years).
- 20 September - Support for parents of children with anxiety (contact): a workshop for parents/carers of children aged 0 to 5 with additional needs. Strategies to help your children recognise and manage their anxiety.
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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#225 (Making recruitment safer - free webinar today; parental perceptions of childcare in England; new campaign #WeAreEducators)
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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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