Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#35/2024 - Wednesday 28 August 2024
This week's newsletter includes:
- Safeguarding focus - Updated Prevent referral form
- Right from the Start: Early Years and Childcare Strategy
- Applications open for Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding
- Registering as a childminder and nanny
- Ofsted updates - returning the ID checking form to Ofsted
- Join the West Sussex Multiply Bus for a week of learning and fun
- Kent Early Years Stronger Practice Hub newsletter - August 2024
- Early Years Training
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An updated national Prevent referral form has been introduced to ensure more comprehensive and consistent information is captured from referrals. The new form encourages colleagues submitting referrals to provide as much information as possible about their concern to ensure an effective assessment of the Prevent risk can be made.
To view the information around the full changes as well as the updated form please visit:
You can also view upcoming training relating to Prevent by visiting the WSSCP Training Calendar.
We want all children to have the best start in life.
Our new ‘Right from the Start: Early Years and Childcare Strategy’ sets out our vision and priorities for supporting children in West Sussex. The four-year strategy aims to improve the wellbeing of young children, reduce inequalities and empower families in their decision making. All of our services supporting young children will be involved in helping ensure that every child in West Sussex can achieve their full potential.
We want to encourage families to be part of bringing this strategy to life and helping to shape its future. Opportunities to get involved will be shared in upcoming communications, so please look out for updates on the Family Information Service Facebook.
You can read the full strategy on our web page.
Wraparound childcare grant funding applications are now open for the expansion or creation of wraparound childcare provision available from September 2024. Please refer to the Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding web page for further information.
Schools and Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) providers (including early years settings and childminders) are invited to apply for the wraparound childcare programme grant funding. Schools and PVI providers must ensure that their intended offer does not duplicate or replace existing provision available in their local area. PVI providers applying for funding must have their applications endorsed by the schools in which they currently, or intend to, serve.
To apply for funding, providers must read thoroughly the "West Sussex County Council (WSCC) Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding Guidance for Schools and Childcare Providers" and complete the "WSCC Wraparound Childcare Programme Grant Funding Application Form". Both of these are available in the documents section on the web page. Submitting an application does not guarantee funding will be awarded. Grant funding applications will be evaluated by a panel against criteria which includes the extent to which applications fit with WSCC wraparound programme delivery expectations. This criteria is set out in the ‘WSCC Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding Guidance for Schools and Childcare Providers’.
If you have any questions, please email wraparoundchildcare@westsussex.gov.uk.
If you are already registered as a childminder with Ofsted, you can also operate as a nanny using your current registration. All you need to do is contact Ofsted to let them know you want to start providing this type of care. They will then send you an updated certificate.
To notify Ofsted of this change, you should email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk from the email address associated with your Ofsted registration and include your Unique Reference Number (URN) within your email. However, it is important to remember the difference between an Ofsted registered childminder and nanny.
- Ofsted registered childminder - A childminder provides childcare in their own home for more than two hours a day. Childminders must register with Ofsted or a registered childminder agency.
- Ofsted registered nanny - Nannies and au pairs, also known as ‘home childcarers’, look after children of any age in the child’s own home. Nannies do not have to register with Ofsted.
Ofsted have updated the email address used to return the ID checking form for Disclosure and Barring service checks. Visit the GOV.UK web page to find out more.
From the first week of September, hop on board the West Sussex County Council (WSCC) Multiply Bus, a unique initiative funded by the Department for Education's Skills for Life Multiply programme. Throughout the week, the Multiply Bus will feature representatives from a wide variety of adult learning services available to West Sussex residents.
This is an excellent chance for residents aged 19 or over to discover the diverse range of educational and skill-building programmes offered by WSCC. The bus will also feature a variety of fun and engaging games and activities for children. To find out more about the dates and locations the bus will be visiting, please visit the Multiply bus web page.
The Multiply Bus will also be at the Needles Family Hub on Saturday 7 September. They will be hosting a fun-filled day of games, creative activities and storytelling, designed for families. If your setting, or any of your families, are based in the Horsham area, please let parents/carers know about this family event. Places for this event are limited, so families are advised to book tickets as soon as possible. Parents/carers can find out more about the family storytelling event and book their free tickets, using the following links:
The August edition of the KEYSPH newsletter is now available.
Our autumn courses are now available and many providers have already begun booking their places. All of our training courses can be booked via the new West Sussex Service for Education booking system. To book a course, click the course name below. You can also visit our new booking system and search for a range of courses.
If you previously had a Learning Pool account, use the email address associated with your old Learning Pool account and click ‘forgotten password’ to log in to the new booking system for the first time. If you have never had a Learning Pool account, please see our user guides to help you set up an account. If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
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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#34/2024 (Childcare Expansion Forum – joining opportunity extension; New Early Years Funded Entitlement web pages; Ofsted updates - what early years providers and practitioners need to know; Childminders - new to Ofsted inspections, what do you need to know?)
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#33/2024 (Early Years Funded Entitlement for working families - autumn term deadlines; Applying for Early Years Funded Entitlement when on parental leave; Do Something Big campaign - advertising your vacancies; PACEY's first childcare and early years conference)
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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)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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