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
Difficulty viewing this bulletin? Click here to view in your browser.
Wednesday 26 April 2023
Inadequate Ofsted Gradings Linked to Safeguarding
On 7 February 2023 Ofsted published a statistical data set which included data about providers on the Early Years Register that had been judged inadequate. By 31 December 2022, there were 18,400 providers that had received their most recent full inspection under the education inspection framework. Of these, 400 providers (2%) were judged inadequate for overall effectiveness. Of the 400 inadequate providers, 96% were deemed to have ineffective safeguarding. This often led to an inadequate judgement for ‘leadership and management’ as well as for overall effectiveness. A summary of this data set and analysis of inadequate settings can be found here.
We have highlighted some useful information below regarding setting's statutory duties. Some of these key statutory duties, when not met, have led to settings being graded inadequate on the grounds of safeguarding.
Keeping Your Ofsted Registration Up to Date
Ofsted provide clear guidance on the registration process for new childcare providers. As a childcare provider, you must make sure that you keep your registration details up to date to ensure that you are compliant. For example, you need to check that the list of registered people is kept up to date as staff changes occur. When new people are registered, the appropriate checks must be carried out and individuals must not take on their new roles until the checks have been completed.
Suitability checks and the registration process can take time. We recommend that you keep clear records of the actions that you have taken to update records and the appropriate checks carried out, as well as prompting individuals to carry out their required actions. This will support you if you are inspected during the process of making changes, as you are able to evidence that you are carrying out your legal responsibility. We also recommend that you regularly check your setting's Ofsted registration so you identify any updates needed and take action as appropriate.
Records of Suitability Checks
Keeping Children Safe In Education (KCSIE) (paragraphs 276-278 on page 72) provides guidance for settings about the records they keep to evidence that appropriate suitability checks have been carried out.
Although KCSIE is not statutory for early years providers, the EYFS states that "All schools are required to have regard to the government’s ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance, and other childcare providers may also find it helpful to refer to this guidance."
Retention of documents
Early years settings do not have to keep copies of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates in order to fulfil the duty of maintaining the single central record. When a setting chooses to retain a copy, there should be a valid reason for doing so and it should not be kept for longer than six months, this complies with the Data Protection Act 2018. When the information is destroyed, a setting may keep a record of the fact that vetting was carried out, the result and the recruitment decision taken if they choose to. Copies of DBS certificates and records of criminal information disclosed by the candidate are covered by UK GDPR/DPA 2018 Article 10.
A copy of the other documents used to verify a successful candidate’s identity, right to work and required qualifications should be kept on their personnel file. Further information on handling DBS information can be found here.
Possible business opportunity in Poynings
We are sharing a possible business opportunity to take on early years provision in Poynings, a village at the foot of the South Downs. This is currently a sessional, term time only provider based in Poynings Village Church Hall. There is potential to increase the hours to longer days and for more weeks of the year. Further information on the current offer is included on their website goodstartschool.co.uk.
Please direct any questions about the opportunity to gssnursery@gmail.com. Please note, any provider wishing to explore this opportunity should ensure they seek appropriate legal advice, as well as carrying out due diligence in terms of business planning and cash flow forecasting.
Following this, should you require support from an Early Years and Childcare Advisor, you can request new business support here.
Claiming Disability Access Fund (DAF)
Please be reminded that if you are wishing to claim a Disability Access Fund (DAF) payment for a child this term, ensure that you email the following evidence:
- A copy of the letter confirming the child's current Disability Living Allowance (DLA) award
- A copy of the child's Parent Declaration Form (using the current April 2023 version, signed by both parents and provider, no later than Headcount Day)
Please be reminded that Headcount Day is Thursday 4 May.
If an out of date version of the Parent Declaration Form is sent as part of claim, the claim will be declined and you will be able to submit the correct paperwork the following term. Please email any evidence to freeentitlement@westsussex.gov.uk.
Toolkit to Support Mental Health in Infancy and Early Childhood
UNICEF UK and the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL), have developed a toolkit to support local areas in a shared understanding of mental health in infancy and early childhood.
The toolkit aims to:
- help partners from different services and professions to develop a deeper, shared understanding of mental health in infancy and early childhood, and the factors that influence it;
- support service leaders, commissioners and other decision makers and policy teams to develop whole-system responses to ensure babies and young children are mentally healthy now, and are supported to develop the skills they need to continue to be mentally healthy throughout their lives;
- provide resources, signposting, and conversation guides to support local discussions, decisions and action about the needs of babies and young children in their area. It also highlights what could be done to respond to these needs (including thorough strategy development across mental health, maternity, early years, family hubs and Start for Life).
You can find out more and download a copy of the toolkit here.
New Guide to Enhance Professional Development in the Early Years
The Education Endowment Foundation have launched a new guide to effective professional development in the early years. It provides support for those choosing, developing or planning high quality professional development opportunities for early years practitioners. High-quality professional development is crucial for those working in the early years. It can support with staff retention and ensure children are given the best start in life. The best available evidence tells us that, in order to improve practice, professional development should be sustained, well-organised and include four areas of professional learning.
Download the guide to check whether your professional development opportunities include the key features needed to see practice change.
Sharing your Coronation Experience
West Sussex Record Office and Screen Archive South East are inviting residents to contribute to their archives by sharing photos, films and souvenirs of the Coronation as well as any records you may have from past celebrations. This is a great opportunity to share any activities or celebrations your setting may have planned. You must seek consent from children's legal guardians before sending any photos or videos.
If you have paper or digital records you would like to contribute please contact the West Sussex Record Office at record.office@westsussex.gov.uk. If you have films you would like to contribute please contact Screen Archive South East at screenarchive@brighton.ac.uk.
Paediatric First Aid Blended course now available to book
This Paediatric First Aid Blended course is twelve hours of study, combining six hours of online study followed by a six hour face-to-face training course. It is suitable for those working in an Early Years provision and anybody working with children from birth to 8 years. The course is Ofsted compliant and you will receive a certificate that is valid for three years. All courses run 9.30am to 4.30pm and cost £84 per place.
- Tuesday 2 May - Arundel Museum, Arundel - BN18 9PA
- Tuesday 9 May - Field Place, Worthing - BN13 1NP
- Thursday 11 May - Broadfield Community Centre, Crawley - RH11 9BA
- Wednesday 24 May - Kings Church, Burgess Hill - RH15 9LR
- Wednesday 07 June - Kings Church, Burgess Hill - RH15 9LR
- Thursday 08 June - County Hall North, Horsham - RH12 1XH
- Thursday 15 June - Broadfield Community Centre, Crawley - RH11 9BA
- Tuesday 20 June - Field Place, Worthing - BN13 1NP
- Thursday 29 June - County Hall, Chichester - PO19 1RG
Please book via the new Learning and Development here. To locate the course, see a useful guide here.
- 4 May - Summer term Headcount Day
- 12 May - Portal closes for actuals submissions
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)
-
Practice support (EYFS, Diversity and Inclusion, health and wellbeing, transitions, legislation, regulation and safeguarding)
-
Supporting families in your childcare setting (includes CLaWBA, integrated reviews)
-
Tools for schools and settings (supporting the inclusion of all children in early years)
-
Business support (Free Entitlement, marketing, finance, recruitment, advertising)
- Training and qualifications
-
Network meetings/events (Learning and development, INCO SENCO, business and welfare)
-
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.
-
#262 (Business opportunity in Arundel; summer term FE actuals now open; reminder how to claim FE for Afghan families; article on integrated reviews; safeguarding training - domestic abuse)
-
#261 (Committee run groups - free energy bill audit; IT maintenance; month of the military child; world daily mile day; early years in mind - neurodiversity guide and transition webinar)
-
#260 (Free entitlement summer term estimate payments; new learning and development service; transition events; tax-free childcare webinar; theraplay workshop)
-
#259 (Setting update 259 (Safeguarding focus: sexual harm practice guidance; new post-headcount exceptional payment request form; education endowment foundation new resources available; tiny happy people; SEND and inclusion newsletter)
-
#258 (Final reminder - FE summer estimates; provider declaration form reminder for existing FE providers; 30 hours eligibility checker guidance; committee and charitable settings guidance; childminder assistants; TFC new HMRC mailbox; spring network presentations; HAF reminder)
| 
