Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#17/2025 - Wednesday 30 April 2025
This week's newsletter includes:
- Reminder to sign up to Operation Encompass
- New nutrition guidance from the Department for Education
- Help parents save money on childcare costs
- World Hand Hygiene Day 2025
- Dadpad - New app launch event
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
In previous newsletters (#10/2025 and #13/2025) we shared information with you about Operation Encompass. If you have not yet signed up to ensure your setting is receiving these important alerts to safeguard children in your setting, please read the previous newsletters and ensure your setting is signed up. We will inform you via this newsletter when Operation Encompass is live in West Sussex and you can expect to begin receiving notifications. It is important to sign up to Operation Encompass before the go live date.
The Department for Education (DfE) has published new guidance on early years nutrition, which will come into effect in September 2025. The new guidance, will replace the current ‘Example menus for early years settings in England’ guidance. It is intended to support providers to understand how to implement the existing Early Years Foundation Stage requirement which states, “Where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, these must be healthy, balanced and nutritious”.
The DfE has confirmed that settings will be required to “have regard to” the new nutrition guidance from September 2025. This means you must take it into account and follow it unless there is good reason not to.
The guidance covers a range of topics, including:
- allergies and intolerances
- children with additional support needs and other special diets
- communication with parents and carers
- cost-effective healthy food
- food for religious faiths and beliefs
- food safety and hygiene, including for food brought in from home
- guidance on nutrition from birth to one year, including breastfeeding, infant formula and weaning
- menu planning
- portion sizes
Please support working families to understand that they may be able to save money on their childcare bills. You can do this by sharing information available on our ‘help paying for childcare’ web page. There is a range of support available however some parents/carers are unaware of what they are entitled to and how to access it. As well as providing information on Early Years Funded Entitlements, Universal Credit and the Care to Learn Scheme on our web page, we also have information about Tax-Free Childcare (TFC).
With a TFC account, eligible families can save up to £2,000 a year, or £4,000 if their child has special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). TFC can be used until the September after a child turns 11 years old, or up to age 17 for children with SEND. Families can also save up TFC and use it during school holidays for holiday playschemes.
Providers who are signed up to offer TFC will be identified through the Family Information Service website: www.westsussex.gov.uk/fis. If you are not yet signed up to offer the scheme, visit Sign up to Tax-Free Childcare if you’re a childcare provider - GOV.UK to find out more.
Please make use of our Do you need help paying for childcare costs? leaflet. This can be shared with parents/carers, including staff within your setting.
World Hand Hygiene Day is on 5 May 2025. This is a global initiative to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene in preventing illness. Childcare settings have a vital role in promoting good hygiene practices with children, helping to reduce the spread of infections. This year, settings across West Sussex are being encouraged to get involved by planning activities and lessons that highlight the significance of handwashing.
Settings could organise interactive handwashing workshops, use UV light to demonstrate how germs spread, or run poster competitions to creatively reinforce hygiene messages.
You can find some useful resources including lessons plans, on the e-Bug website.
West Sussex and Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Children Partnerships are excited to launch the updated DadPad app, now with even more helpful resources.
Developed with the NHS and dads across the UK, DadPad helps new and expectant dads learn practical skills to support themselves, their partner, and give their baby the best start in life.
Practitioners in West Sussex and Brighton and Hove are invited to join an online event on Wednesday 18 June 9.30am to 11.00am. You will hear from Julian Bose, founder of DadPad, who will talk through the app’s development and purpose. To secure your free place at this short online event click on this link.
You will have the opportunity to see how the new App works, giving you the knowledge to be able to encourage the families you work with to download and use the app. You will also have an opportunity to share your thoughts on the app with colleagues in both safeguarding partnership areas, make suggestions about the content and what else you would like to see available.
You can find out more about DadPad by clicking on this link and you can download the app via Google Play or Apple Stores.
This week, we are focusing on three courses that proved popular within our 2024/2025 programme. All three courses look at the adult’s role in a range of situations and outcomes, whether it be de-escalating conflict, managing a child’s emotions or the impact we have on how children perceive themselves. To book, click the course name below. You can also visit our booking portal West Sussex Services for Education and select your required course. The 2025/26 training brochure contains information on all of our courses.
If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Useful information
- 21 April to 16 May - portal open for summer term actuals
- 8 May - summer term headcount day
- w/c 2 June - summer 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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We’re committed to providing excellent support to all providers we engage with. Please take a moment to complete our Early Years and Childcare Provider Feedback Survey and let us know about your experiences. Your feedback will help us improve our service and better support settings like yours. You can visit the web page or scan the QR code. |
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16/2025 (Safeguarding Focus - Use of socket covers; Final reminder - Ofsted consultation on inspections; Spring term 2025 actuals claims - actioned required; Chronology training - Train the Trainer; Early Years Training)
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15/2025 (Starting school places; Help us shape early years services - deadline approaching; Early Years Funded Entitlement for Working Families codes – new online request for support request; Improved way to submit Disability Access Fund evidence; New Local Authority Designated Officer portal for referrals; New Ofsted blog post; Early Years Training)
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#14/2025 (Business Focus - Updated Childcare Sufficiency Assessment; Ofsted consultation on inspections - have you had your say?; Are you prepared for the new climate change requirements?; Free safeguarding training; Early Years Training)
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#13/2025 (Childcare Expansion capital grant funding – applications open for further projects; Specialist Advisory Teachers for Early Years SEND Transition (EYSATs); Department for Education's (DfE) invitation to the South-East region Roadshow in Brighton; Operation Encompass update; Help us shape Early Years services; Free toilet training posters and handouts; Early Years Training)
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#12/2025 (Deadline approaching - Early Years Funded Entitlement summer term 2025 estimates; Deadline approaching - Early Years Funded Entitlement for Working Families - summer term 2025 code; The Department for Education frequently asked questions guidance about charging; Ofsted Education Inspection Framework and the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework; Early years qualifications – new check service; New Ofsted webinar; Transition events; BBC Tiny Happy People survey; Early Years Training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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