#36/2026 - Wednesday 16 September 2026
This week's newsletter includes:
- Safeguarding focus - Department for Education (DfE) and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) early years safeguarding training; Reminder: Safer recruitment considerations and the disclosure and barring service (DBS); New: Safer Sleep and Sudden Unexplained Death in Infancy (SUDI) prevention training
- Reminder: new opportunity for early education leaders, including childminders, to join our early years provider forum
- Reminder: regulated activity - removal of the supervision exemption from 1 September 2026
- Sepsis Awareness Month
- Update from Kent and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub
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Latest Ofsted news and updates here.
Department for Education (DfE) and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) early years safeguarding training
The Department for Education has launched an online early years safeguarding training package, developed in collaboration with the NSPCC. This training covers sections 1 and 2 of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework’s safeguarding training annex, which all early years educators must be trained in line with every 2 years. The training is free to access for all early years educators including childminders and reception staff.
A link to the training can be found on the landing page of the EYFS.
Reminder: Safer recruitment considerations and the disclosure and barring service (DBS)
In last week’s #newsletter 35/2026, we informed you of some important considerations regarding safer recruitment practices and the DBS Update Service.
DBS has updated its Update Service guidance to help employers and organisations use the service more effectively as part of safer recruitment and safer employment practices. If not already done so, please take some time to read the latest updates on the Updated DBS Update Service guidance web page.
New: Safer Sleep and Sudden Unexplained Death in Infancy (SUDI) prevention training
Professionals who work directly with, or may encounter parents and carers of babies, are encouraged to attend a new Safer Sleep SUDI training session on Monday 12 October 2026, from 12pm to 1pm.
This free session is designed to increase understanding of safer sleep practices and help reduce the risk of SIDS. Attendees will gain the knowledge and confidence to recognise risk factors, have effective conversations with parents and carers about safer sleep, and support families in managing a crying baby.
The training is open to all professionals who work directly with, or may come into contact with, parents and carers of babies across Surrey and Sussex. A recording will be made available after the event for those unable to attend live.
Please register using the following link. If you would like to book a bespoke session for your team, please contact Natalie Price directly to discuss your requirements: natalie.price3@nhs.net.
Alongside the training, professionals can access a range of resources about the ICON programme, which helps parents and carers understand and cope with a crying baby. The website contains useful information and materials that can be shared with families.
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In #newsletter 34/2026, we invited new members to join our provider forum. The forum has become an important partnership between providers and West Sussex County Council, helping to ensure that the views and experiences of the sector are reflected in local developments and decision-making.
If you are passionate about early years and would like the opportunity to share your experiences, influence future developments, and collaborate with colleagues from across the sector, we would love to hear from you.
For full details about the forum and how to apply, please see the invitation and application information.
In #newsletter 28/2026, we informed you of the new legislation being implemented from September 2026, through the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which will change how regulated activity with children is defined.
From 1 September 2026, the supervision exemption for regulated activity with children has been removed.
To help understand the changes that have been made, the Disclosure and Barring Service have created a myth busting page to assist with questions you may have.
September is Sepsis Awareness Month. This provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis in babies and children. Early years professionals play a key role in recognising when a child may be seriously unwell and supporting families to seek appropriate medical advice.
The UK Sepsis Trust advises that a child may have sepsis if they:
- are breathing very fast
- have a fit or convulsion
- look mottled, blush or pale (on brown and black skin, colour changes may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or inside the forearms)
- have a rash that does not fade when pressed
- are very lethargic or difficult to wake
- feel abnormally cold to the touch
Additional signs of sepsis in children under the age of 5 include:
- refusal of food
- vomiting repeatedly
- not have passed urine for 12 hours
If a child displays any of the signs of sepsis, call 999 or seek emergency medical care immediately and remember to ask: “Could it be sepsis?”
Further information is available on the UK Sepsis Trust website.
The Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub (KBEYSPH) has released its autumn term webinars and events offer. To find out more and sign up, please read the K&BEYSPH forthcoming webinars, networks and events document.
Useful information
- 17 September - autumn term headcount day
- w/c 21 September - autumn term monthly estimate payments due to settings
- 22 September - portal closes for settings to submit actuals for autumn term
- 1 October - Department for Education census day for autumn term
- w/c 19 October - autumn 26 actuals due to settings who are paid twice termly
- w/c 26 October - monthly estimate payment due
- w/c 23 November - actuals payment due for settings who are paid monthly
We share a weekly Jobs in Early Years and Childcare bulletin with members of the public. You can find guidance and a template for submitting your job adverts to this bulletin on our advertise early years and childcare jobs web page. You will also find useful guidance on advertising your job vacancies on other platforms.
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:
It is important you follow the correct steps and notify the relevant teams and professionals if your setting needs to close.
Contact your local setting support team and visit our closing your early years and childcare setting web page for step by step support.
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#35/2026(Good Level of Development Focus; Product recall - Vicloon baby teethers; Starting School Applications; Portage workshop - A small steps approach to learning for children with special educational needs and disabilities; Safer recruitment considerations and the disclosure and barring service (DBS); Making Every Contact Count vaccination training – supporting early years conversations; Operation Encompass - Update from Sussex police; New, free training from the Virtual School – everyone is welcome)
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#34/2026 (Autumn term 2026 census and actuals claims - action required; New opportunity for early education leaders, including childminders, to join our early years provider forum; Protecting children this autumn; Home learning environment guidance; New safer sleep Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) prevention training; Free family learning courses staring this September; Early years training)
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#33/2026 (Safeguarding focus - Changes to the early years foundation stage from 1 September 2026: suitable people; Early Years Training - safeguarding and child protection; Inclusive Safeguarding: Strengthening Protection for Children with Disabilities conference; Update - missing payment remittance documents; Schema Play with Tamsin Grimmer; Screen use guidance for early years providers; Guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation; Hello from Kent and Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub; Early Years Training)
- (Business Focus - The power of work experience in early education and childcare; Inclusive Early Years Fund 2026/27; Webinars now available - changes to claiming for children after headcount from autumn 2026; Early Years Teaching Degree Apprenticeship at Roehampton University; Early Years Training)
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#31/2026 (Moderate air pollution alert and amber heat-health alert; Early Years Funded Entitlement autumn term estimates - submissions close Friday; Paying your annual fee with Ofsted; Sussex Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) report; West Sussex Neglect Strategy 2024 to 2029; What have we learned about children born during the pandemic; Celebrating good practice; New Podcast from Ofsted available; July update from the Kent and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub; Making Every Contact Count vaccination training – supporting early years conversations)
Early Years and Childcare newsletter web page.
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