Newsletter for Early Years and Childcare providers in West Sussex
#24/2025 - Wednesday 18 June 2025
This week's newsletter includes:
- Warning - Online Provider Portal downtime
- Right From the Start: West Sussex Early Years and Childcare Strategy update
- New resources to share with parents
- Boost your skills – visit our training and qualifications web pages
- Early Years Training
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
Please be advised that the Online Provider Portal (OPP) will be unavailable from 12.30pm on Monday 23 June for viewing and submitting forms, but you can still access the funding area.
The OPP will be completely unavailable on Tuesday 24 June until 5.00pm. This is due to essential maintenance that is taking place. 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.
The Right From The Start: West Sussex Early Years and Childcare Strategy 2024-27 was launched a year ago. This was developed to recognise the importance of getting it right in early years by establishing and embedding positive outcomes for children through a system-wide approach.
The strategy focuses on removing barriers that prevent children from accessing high quality experiences. By intervening early and focusing support and resources where they are needed most, this will help narrow the attainment gap.
This work is governed through the Children First Partnership Board.
So far, the strategy has led to several key outcomes, including but not limited to:
- a multi-agency working group has been meeting termly to ensure professional support and challenge around the strategy work and to identify areas for joint working. This group includes members from Public Health, NHS, Parent Carer Forum, early years and childcare providers, HomeStart, Healthy Child Programme, Early Help, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Commissioning, voluntary sector and adult learning
- all 8 priority areas have a named lead to drive forward work, which is supported by priority action plans
- there is a multi-agency workforce steering group in place and the careers in childcare web page has been developed
- a Jobs in Childcare newsletter for jobseekers to subscribe to has been created. This includes the opportunity for providers to advertise roles for free to local people looking to work in the sector
- specialist SEND and Inclusion Early Years and Childcare Advisers and SEND and Inclusion Mentors are now in place to provide targeted support to children, with 168 children benefitting from this to date
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free paediatric first aid training is available to support providers around the implementation of the EYFS safeguarding reforms
Further updates will be made via this newsletter as work progresses however if you would you like more information or to get involved please contact family.info.service@westsussex.gov.uk.
Are you looking for trusted resources you can use to support families in your setting? These resources offer easy, practical advice to help parents support their child’s development at home.
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Starting reception is designed to help parents prepare their child for starting school. It includes short videos, tips, and activities to build confidence and skills
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CBeebies parenting offers expert advice on sleep, emotions, routines and more. This information is presented in a clear, friendly way with interactive activities from popular children’s TV shows. Tiny Happy People has merged with CBeebies parenting and is a popular website full of videos and everyday activities to support children’s language and communication from birth to 5
These resources are ideal for signposting to families in newsletters, social media, welcome packs, or everyday conversations with key workers. You can also use the content within your setting, for example, sharing it during team meetings to help staff become more familiar with the resources available to support parents.
You can also visit our practice support web page which contains resources, information and guidance to support best practice within your setting.
Have you explored the training and qualifications web pages on our information for childcare providers website? We worked closely with early years professionals and training experts to create these pages. We also used helpful feedback from our Early Years and Childcare Expansion Forum.
The training and qualifications section brings together essential resources and opportunities to help you maintain high standards in your setting. Whether you are a practitioner, manager, or new setting, you will find practical guidance to support continual professional development.
Highlights include:
- up-to-date information on training courses available through the West Sussex Early Years and Childcare Training Programme
- clear details on statutory training requirements, including safeguarding and paediatric first aid
- guidance on qualifications needed for different roles within early years and childcare settings
- information on specialist training in areas such as special educational needs and disabilities, leadership, and working with babies
- links to national qualification frameworks and professional development resources
Visit our training and qualifications web pages to access the tools, courses, and guidance designed to help you and your team develop.
Communication is a key tool for everyone working within early years. Whether you are speaking with children, staff, or parents, there are several things to consider, such as techniques you can use to improve your communication skills. To book, click the course name below. You can also visit our booking portal West Sussex Services for Education and select your required course.
If you experience any issues when booking your course, please email early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk.
Useful information
- 30 June to 15 August - portal open for autumn term estimates
- 29 August - summer term Sufficiency deadline
- 1 September to 26 September - portal open for autumn term actuals
- 18 September - autumn term headcount day
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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#23/2025 (Business Focus - Workplace recycling – are you compliant?; Summer term Post Headcount Exceptional Payment for eligible working families of children aged 9 months to 2 years old – no exceptional reason needed; Advanced warning - Online Provider Portal downtime; Changes to Online Provider Portal login screen; Department for Education consultation – floor space requirements for children; Free Open University early years resources; Kent and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub; Early Years Training)
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#22/2025 (Early Help Focus - Early Help community outreach engagement; Warning - Online Provider Portal downtime; Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding and wraparound webinar; Working together to safeguard children - update; Check an early years qualification service – available now; New Early Education and Childcare Coalition survey; Free paediatric first aid training; Free nutrition webinars; Education Endowment Fund (EEF) opportunities; Early Years Training)
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#21/2025 (Safeguarding Focus - Pan Sussex Half Day Conference - Understanding Safeguarding Children in a Digital Age; Advanced warning - Online Provider Portal downtime ; Summer term Post Headcount Exceptional Payment (PHEP) flexibility for eligible working families of children aged 9 months to 2 years old; Updating your staff contact information; New Department for Education newsletter for early years providers; Anti-Racist Education Conference; Allergy Support for Schools and Early Years Providers; New Ofsted Blog; Early Years Training – Funding for one free Paediatric First Aid training per setting; Early Years Training)
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#20/2025 (Impact of childcare expansion survey; Jobs in Early Years and Childcare Newsletter; Children, Young People and Learning SEND and Inclusion Newsletter; West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership - free training; Fire Safety Training ;Early Years Training)
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#19/2025 (Business Focus - explore our business support web pages for settings; Summer term Early Years Funded Entitlement actuals – deadline this Friday; Right From The Start Early Years survey; Childminding Week; Early Years Funded Entitlements for Working Families - 30 hours applications open now; New Ofsted research report; Wraparound settings - inclusive provision; Fully funded Early Years SENCO training - apply now; Department for Education launches new consultation on floor space requirements; Early Years Training)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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