Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#6/2024 - Wednesday 6 February 2024
This week's newsletter includes:
- 2 year old funding
- Letter from Department of Education to Early Years and Childcare providers
- Early Years and Childcare newsletter webpage
- Jobcentre Plus - support with recruitment
- West Sussex Health Visiting and School Nursing services survey
- Early Years in Mind new guide on self-regulation
- Early Years in Mind survey
- Newsletter from Early Years Stronger Practice Hub
- Learning and Development Gateway - new payment system live
- Webinars from WORTH services
- Early Years Training
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Please note we have made an interim update to our Free childcare for 2 year olds web page, showing the full eligibility criteria and application routes for the differing 2 year old funded entitlements. We hope this will support your conversations with parents who are enquiring about the eligibility criteria and how to apply.
In order to better distinguish the existing 2 year old Free Entitlement (FE) offer from the upcoming working families entitlements, we will be referring to the current 2 year old FE as “2 year old LA issued FE”. This is because local authorities are responsible for assessing eligibility (against a national criteria) and approving children for the vulnerable 2 year olds entitlements, unlike the working family entitlement, which is processed by HMRC.
We will be updating our promotional materials, links and other communications in due course to ensure we reflect the change in name of the scheme in West Sussex. The scheme name will change from “Free Entitlement” to “Early Years Funded Entitlement” as previously mentioned in Newsletter 4/2024. We will also be updating our web pages for providers and any guidance documents alongside the updated Provider Declaration, which we expect to share with you in early March.
In newsletter 4/2024 we shared the additional information pack relating to the new 2 year old entitlement for working families. Following on from this guidance the DfE have asked us to share a letter to providers. The letter provides further information and clarity on the solution to the Tax Free Childcare application issues and guidance on how temporary codes issued to parents will operate. They have also developed additional FAQs to support you in answering parents queries.
Following feedback from providers that it would be useful to have the weekly newsletters in a centralised location, we have developed an Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page. This web page can only be accessed via a direct link, so please ensure you save the web page URL for future use.
We are aware of the current difficulties many settings face with recruiting new staff. We are currently working with Jobcentre plus (JCP) to identify any ways in which they may be able to support with this and would like to remind settings that they offer a free recruitment service to you as an employer.
They can provide a dedicated local Employer Advisor who can create a bespoke recruitment package to suit your needs. JCP can also promote your vacancies, both online and within their Job Centres, identifying suitable candidates to fill your vacancies. JCP can also create work trials and other tailored recruitment packages to suit your specific needs. You can contact the Employer Services Line using the online enquiry form or by phone on 0800 169 0178.
You can also contact your local JCP for more targeted support and guidance for your local area:
For more information on ways in which JCP may be able to support your setting's recruitment needs please visit the following web pages:
West Sussex County Council’s Public Health team have launched two surveys to capture the experiences of families who have accessed Health Visiting or School Nursing services as part of the Healthy Child Programme (HCP) in 2023. These surveys will inform the future development of these services as part of the re-procurement for this programme.
The HCP would be grateful if you can share this survey with families in your setting so that they can gain an accurate picture of the experiences of all families in West Sussex. Both surveys include questions such as the type of support accessed, ease of access, inclusivity of the service and clinic location. Some demographic data will also be collected. The surveys are web based with paper copies available on request. The surveys can also be made available in an Easy Read format and in other languages if needed.
Find out more by visiting the Health Visiting and School Nursing project page. You can share the project page URL with families or download and share this QR code. The survey closes at 11.59 pm on Sunday 3 March 2024.
EYIM have published a new guide, written by Hannah Baker, Co-CEO at Partnership for Children, which explores the concept of self-regulation and its importance in the Early Years. It explains the science behind self-regulation, how to develop strategies and techniques for promoting self-regulation and the vital role that adult-led play can have in modelling and guiding self-regulatory skills. You can download and share this new resource with you staff to support daily practice.
EYIM are carrying out a survey to gather early years practitioners' views on the childcare expansion. You can learn more and complete the survey via the online form.
Please find attached the January newsletter from the Kent Early Years Stronger Practice Hub (KEYSPH). Through the KEYSPH, settings can access free training for staff and engage in evidence based programmes for children in their setting including Emotion Coaching and the Nuffield Early Language Intervention.
In newsletter 4/2024 we let you know a new payment system would be implemented from 1 February 2024 on the L&D Gateway. The new system is now live and any new course bookings will need to be made via the L&D Gateway. If a course requires payment, a payment link is clearly identified within the course description. A place is not confirmed until payment has been made.
 For any courses that you, or a staff member, have already attended or were booked prior to 1 February, we will be sending individual emails to settings requesting payment by BACS. Please keep an eye out for these in your inboxes this week and ensure you pay by the required date.
WORTH Services are celebrating their 20th year supporting people experiencing Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse. As well as providing direct support to individuals locally, WORTH offers a range of training programmes available in person and online to professionals working in West Sussex. Click the course name below to find out more about the different training programmes they currently have on offer. All courses are free to attend.
You may be interested in one of our upcoming courses. Click the course name to find out more and book your place.
If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk
Useful information
We have a range of online training available for you to access for your staff to ensure they have the most up to date information to support them in their role:
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.
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 EYCA team using the following email addresses:
Where there are not clearly evidenced reasons why the setting had no option but to close, there could be implications for funding received as per the government guidance.
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#05/2024 (Safeguarding focus - NSPCC case reviews on parental substance use; Warning - Online Provider Portal downtime; Final call - Expansion of Childcare offers survey; National Early Years Recruitment Campaign; Increase in Measles cases in Europe; Transition for Children starting school in September 2024; How parents apply for eligibility codes; Early Years provider emails hacked; Early Years in Mind; Early Years in Mind speech and language webinar recording; Cancellations and substitutions - Early Years Training; Early Years Training)
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#04/2024 (Online Provider Portal downtime; Free Entitlement Funding rates 2024/25; Termly childcare provider form; Funding support for medical training; Update to Early Years Inspection Handbook; Funding support for medical training; Update to Early Years Inspection Handbook; Learning and Development Gateway payment update; Childcare Expansion Forum update; Follow the Family Information Service Facebook; Department for Education Experts and Mentors programme)
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#03/2024 (New 2 Year old Free Entitlement for working families - issues when applying; Advanced notice of planned downtime; Expansion of childcare funding offers update - Schools Forum and proposed funding rates; New Parent Declaration form - coming soon; Early Years Foundation Stage Leaders Networks; Early Years Professional Development Programme - closing soon; The Big Ambition - Early Years responses needed; How to use research evidence in practice; Early Years Training)
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#02/2024 (Expansion of childcare offers survey; Expansion of childcare funding offers update - proposed funding formula and Free Entitlement rates; Starting School Applications - five days to go; Transition events; Wellbeing webinar for practitioners; Free professional development course for Early Years leaders; Early Years Training)
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#1/2024 (Mandatory Early Years Census and FE spring term actuals; expansion of childcare funding offers update; understanding changes to the EYFS; starting school applications - 12 days to go; updated guidance - working together to safeguard children; admission arrangements consultation; bilingual support with school applications; best start in life part two; early years training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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