Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#33/2024 - Wednesday 14 August 2024
This week's newsletter includes:
- Early Years Funded Entitlement for working families - autumn term deadline
- Applying for Early Years Funded Entitlement when on parental leave
- Universal Early Years Funded Entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds – eligibility codes not required
- Do Something Big campaign – advertising vacancies
- PACEY's first childcare and early years conference
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From September 2024, EYFE for eligible working families will be extended to parents of children aged 9 months to 23 months old. For further information on the expansion of childcare support, please visit our web page.
Please advise all eligible working parents to:
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apply now to ensure they have their code by 31 August 2024 - www.westsussex.gov.uk/fundedchildcare,
- log in to their childcare account to check their details are up to date, and reconfirm their eligibility by 31 August 2024 - gov.uk/sign-in-childcare-account,
- contact the HMRC helpline if they are experiencing issues applying or reconfirming on 0300 1234 097.
Any parent who was issued a code before 1 June will need to reconfirm their eligibility by 31 August, to ensure their code is valid for the autumn term.
Please use the eligibility checker via the Online Provider Portal to check the code dates are valid for the autumn term:
Working families eligibility codes must be validated before a child takes up their EYFE place.
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 for working families.
- 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.
Please see the Education Hub’s post containing a useful table outlining when parents/carers should apply for EYFE if on parental leave.
We have been contacted by some parents/carers who are trying to access Universal EYFE for 3 and 4 year olds from autumn term, who have been asked to supply eligibility codes. Please remember that an eligibility code is not required for 3 and 4 year olds who are only accessing Universal hours. Eligibility codes are only required if:
- a child is accessing EYFE for working families for 9 month olds, 2 year olds or the Extended EYFE for 3 and 4 year olds. This will be an 11 digit code issued by HMRC, or
- a child is accessing 2 year old Local Authority Issued EYFE. This will be a six digit code if issued by West Sussex County Council. Codes from other local authorities may differ.
To support parents/carers to understand the EYFE options available, please signpost them to www.westsussex.gov.uk/FundedChildcare and www.westsussex.gov.uk/ExpansionOfChildcare.
The Do Something Big recruitment campaign is ramping up again in early August. The campaign will be promoting early years and childcare careers on a national-scale across multiple advertising channels. The campaign directs potential applicants to use the Department for Work and Pension (DWP) Find a Job vacancy platform to search for early years roles in their area.
Visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/AdvertiseEYCJobs to find out how to advertise your vacancies on the West Sussex County Council partnership job page and DWP platform. You can also find out how to get recruitment support from Jobcentre Plus. Don't miss out and make sure your vacancies are advertised.
PACEY are holding their first childcare and early years conference, on Saturday 26 October in London. The conference has been created with all early years professionals in mind and is an opportunity for them to explore workshops designed to support both professional practice and mental health. Tickets range from £25 to £150 depending on your job role and if you are a PACEY member. To read the agenda and book your tickets, visit the PACEY conference web page.
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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#32/2024 (Business focus - Maintaining quality early years and childcare provision in the face of workforce challenges; Setting support phoneline - downtime and changes to operating hours; European Early Childhood Education Research Association conference 2024 - Brighton; Brighton and Hove childminder conference - November 2024; Childcare Expansion Forum - opportunity to join; Making Every Contact Count training)
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#31/2024 (Safeguarding focus - Emotional abuse - childhood verbal abuse; Reminder to have your say on Early Years Funded Entitlement payments; Advanced warning - Online Provider Portal downtime; Check Early Years Funded Entitlement codes for working families; Childcare Expansion Forum - opportunity to join; Free training from Kent Early Years Stronger Practice Hub)
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#30/2024 (Online Provider Portal downtime; Reminder to have your say on Early Years Funded Entitlement payments; 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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#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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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