Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#27/2024 - Wednesday 3 July 2024
This week's newsletter includes:
- Updated safeguarding letter for parents/carers
- Early Years Funded Entitlements - parental leave
- Early Years Funded Entitlements for working families temporary codes
- Action required - checking codes for Early Years Funded Entitlements for working families
- Childcare Expansion Forum updates
- Spring term network presentations
- Early Years Training moving to a new platform
- Early Years Training
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The safeguarding letter, that is to be shared with parents/carers at your setting, has been updated for 2024. The letter can be found on our Legislation, regulation and safeguarding web page. The letter:
- outlines the importance of Ofsted regulations,
- explains how Ofsted ensure that the services you offer meet statutory requirements, and
- informs parents about your role in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children whilst in your care.
We ask that you share this document with all parents/carers in your setting so that they are aware of the safeguarding processes in place and who to contact should they have any concerns.
HMRC have extended the period where a parent/carer starting a new job or returning to a job after parental leave can apply for EYFE.
- Parents/carers looking to access EYFE for working families during the autumn term, September 2024, must apply for their code before 31 August via the government gateway.
- Parents/carers returning to work before 30 September can apply now for their EYFE for Working Families code. They should apply online via the government gateway and they will then receive a letter in the post within one to two weeks with further instructions.
- Parents/carers who need an EYFE for Working Families code and are starting a new job before 30 September, but whose start date is more than 31 days away, should call HMRC on 0300 123 4097 before 31 August.
- If a parent/carer returns to work from parental leave after 30 September they will be unable to access EYFE for working families until January 2025. They will be able to apply for their code from 1 September to take up a place for the spring term.
- If a parent/carer is applying for childcare for an older child, who is not the reason for their parental leave, they can apply regardless of their return to work date.
- EYFE for working families codes must be reconfirmed every three months. They must be reconfirmed before the end of March, August or December to access EYFE for the following term.
The Education Hub blog published a post in May 2024 containing a useful table outlining when parents/carers should apply for EYFE if on parental leave.
Some parents/carers were issued temporary codes to enable providers to validate codes and secure funded childcare places for autumn term as soon as possible. This was due to some parents/carers having a pre-existing Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) account and the reconfirmation window opened after the 9 June. This meant they could not apply for EYFE when applications first opened. It is important you validate all EYFE for working families funding codes as soon as possible to ensure parents are eligible.
Parents/carers who received a temporary code will receive a permanent code when they reconfirm their TFC eligibility via the government gateway. This may mean a parent/carer has two codes for the autumn term. Temporary codes start with "11" and normal codes generally start with "50". If a parent/carer has two codes you should use the normal code starting with "50".
A reminder that applications are now open for children over 9 months old who may be eligible for up to 15 hours per week EYFE for working families. Please ask parents to give you their working families eligibility codes as soon as possible, to allow enough time for you to check the code validity ahead of the autumn term. Working families eligibility codes must be validated before a child takes up their EYFE place.
Check a code is valid for autumn term:
 Checking a code before the autumn term means:
- you can plan your EYFE places,
- you are able to inform parents/carers if their code is not valid and ask them to take action before the 31 August deadline,
- parents avoid receiving unexpected fees if their code is not valid for the autumn term, and
- you are meeting statutory requirements as all codes must be checked and validated prior to a child starting a funded place.
Any parent who was issued a code before 1 June will need to reconfirm their eligibility by 31 August. Parents whose reconfirmation window was after 9 June were sent a temporary code by post, these can be checked in the same way. Please direct parents to the HMRC helpline if they are experiencing issues with applying or reconfirming: 0330 1234 097.
Our forum met again on Thursday 6 June. It was another incredibly useful meeting where the members of the forum gave us feedback on our website. This included how you navigate the site and the information available on our pages. Members also shared their views on how the expansion was going for them so far and current challenges.
The forum is incredibly valuable to support West Sussex County Council to ensure that the work we do really impacts on providers and that the messages we share are clear. As such we will be continuing this into the next academic year, 2024/25. Would you like an opportunity to be a member? If so, we will be sharing more information soon.
Thank you to all those who attended our recent Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators and Inclusion Co-ordinators (SENCO/INCO) and childminder network meetings. We are pleased to share the presentations from these meetings with you.
The presentations for the Early Years Foundation Stage Leader networks were shared in newsletter #24/2024.
In the special newsletter, shared with you on 27 June 2024, we let you know the early years and childcare training and support programme will be moving platforms. The programme is currently hosted on the Learning and Development Gateway but will be moving to West Sussex Services for Education. All accounts must be reviewed by 10 July 2024 . This will ensure you maintain access to relevant accounts and can continue to access the early years and childcare training and support programme.
As the summer holidays approach we want to share the last few courses available to be booked before the end of term. These are bookable on the Learning and Development Gateway and can be found by clicking the course titles below.
Please remember that you are required to book a space first on Learning and Development Gateway and then pay via the payment steps and link, which are shown on the course page. Your space is not confirmed until both booking and payment are completed. If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Useful information
- 05 July - Portal closes for autumn term estimates
- w/c 15 July - Autumn term estimate payments due
- 30 Aug - Sufficiency deadline for summer term
- 02 Sep - Portal scheduled to open for autumn term actuals
- 19 Sept - Autumn term headcount day
- 27 Sept - Portal closes for autumn term actuals
- w/c 21 Oct - Autumn term actuals payments due
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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#26/2024(Safeguarding focus - Water safety - always supervise children around water; Heat Health Alerts - Yellow; Consultation open - Early Years Funded Entitlement payments; Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and Showman terminology; Dingley's Promise - Fostering Meaningful Inclusion in Early Years Settings; Early Years Training)
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#25/2024 (Early Years Funded Entitlement autumn 2024 term Estimates now open; New Early Years Funded Entitlement leaflet; Business opportunity in Shoreham-by-Sea; Childcare Expansion Capital Funding - expressions of interest; Gypsy, Roma and Traveller month - June 2024; Ethnic Minority Traveller Achievement Service resource; Early Years Training)
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#24/2024 (Business focus - Changes to holiday entitlement; Sign up arrangements regarding Early Years Funded Entitlement for 9 month olds; Post Headcount Exceptional payment request for children starting between 6 May - 14 June; Early Years Funded Entitlements for 9 month olds - key messages for parents/carers; Childcare Expansion Capital Funding - expression of interest; Early Years Foundation Stage Leaders Network slides; Masters in Early Years Education with Early Years Teacher Status; Early Years Training)
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#23/2024 (Online Provider Portal downtime, Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE) for 2, 3 and 4 year olds – Summer Term Payments, Business Opportunity for Early Years Provision in Horsham, Starting School, Get ready for summer – Encourage families to check vaccinations are up to date, Oral Health Support in Early Years, Early Years Training)
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#22/2024 (Safeguarding focus - Coping with a crying baby and safer sleep resources; Advanced warning - Online Provider Portal downtime; Early Years Evidence Store expands to explore self-regulation and executive function; Final reminder Ofsted's Big Listen consultation - for adults and children; Kent Early Years Stronger Practice Hub newsletter - May 2024; Early Years Training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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