Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#30/2024 - Wednesday 24 July 2024
This week's newsletter includes:
- Online Provider Portal downtime
- Reminder to have your say on Early Years Funded Entitlement payments
- Early Years Funded Entitlement leaflet for parents/carers - digital copies available
- Reporting changes to your Ofsted registration
- Ofsted Early Years and Childcare Enforcement policy updates
- Ofsted News e-magazine
- Kent Early Years Stronger Practice Hub newsletter - July 2024
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Please be advised that the Online Provider Portal (OPP) will be unavailable all day Wednesday 31 July and Thursday 1 August whilst essential maintenance is taking place. Termly childcare provider update and staff update forms will also be unavailable from 7.00pm on Monday 29 July. The OPP and all forms will be available again from Friday 2 August.
Please note, parents and carers will not be able to submit 2 year old Local Authority Issued Early Years Funded Entitlement applications and our Family Information Service website will also be unavailable to the public.
In our special newsletter, dated 21 June 2024, we invited you to share your views on the three possible payment options for receiving EYFE funding. So far we have had responses from 11% of EYFE providers in West Sussex. Whilst participation is not mandatory, it is vital that we hear back from as many of you as possible.
As part of the consultation we would like to hear your views on the advantages and challenges associated with each proposed option. There is:
- a briefing document outlining the proposed options,
- a Payment Schedules Modelling Tool, which allows you to input your typical EYFE claims to see how this would be paid via each proposed option, and
- a link to the survey.
The consultation is now open and closes 11.55pm on Friday 2 August 2024. Visit the YourVoice page to have your say.
Ofsted are making it easier for you to tell them about changes to your registration. To help reduce the administrative burden on providers Ofsted have removed the EY3 (Report changes to registered people in a nursery or other daycare) form. If there is a change in your setting, please email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk from the email address connected to your Ofsted registration. When contacting Ofsted, make sure to include:
- 'Report association changes' as the subject line,
- unique reference number (URN),
- registered person's name and date of birth,
- proposed change (if the registered person is joining or leaving the organisation),
- date the change(s) take effect, and
- role and any changes of the individual(s).
Ofsted will aim to respond in five working days and will let you know if they need any further information.
The Early Years and Childcare Enforcement policy details explains what Ofsted may do if a provider is not following the regulations. This was updated in April 2024. You can view the summary of changes to find out what updates have been made.
Are you signed up to receive the Ofsted News e-magazine? It is available online for all the services Ofsted inspect and regulate. It contains useful information and updates for providers, with a section dedicated to early years and childcare. You can read previous editions and sign up via the Ofsted News e-magazine archive.
The July edition of the KEYSPH newsletter is now available.
Useful information
- 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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#29/2024 (National Wraparound Childcare Programme Update; Letter from Sussex Police regarding FGM/C; Early years and childcare training booking portal now live; National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership; SEND and inclusion newsletter; Summer reading challenge)
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#28/2024 (Recruitment and support - advertise your job vacancies; Early years training moving to new platform - final reminder; Reminder to have your say on EYFE payments; Childcare expansion forum - opportunity to join; Early years training)
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#27/2024 (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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#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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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