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Bulletin 261

6 February 2023

Welcome to our Early Years and Childcare bulletin. Previous bulletins are available at: Cheshire East Early years and Childcare Bulletin

Covid-19

Latest Covid Figures for Cheshire East

The Covid figures are now being updated on a less frequent basis - for the latest figures see the link below.

Business Support

Free Early Education Entitlement Contracts

Contracts for financial year 2023/24 will be issued electronically via DocuSign. To avoid any delays in receiving your contract, please log onto the Provider Portal and check the staff details provided. Each setting is required to provide the name and email address for the following members of staff:

• Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Free Entitlement Contract Signatory
• Free Entitlement Administrator
• Manager
• SENCo

Please follow the guidance notes to submit your staff details. Childminders, please ensure your Free Entitlement Contract Signatory email and Free Entitlement Administrator addresses are correct. This can be checked by logging onto the Provider Portal and clicking on the Staff tab from the homepage.

Free Early Education Entitlement – Provider Portal Closed

The Provider Portal is now closed for the Spring Term data entry. Please email any adjustments/additions to the FEEE Team on FEEE@cheshireeast.gov.uk giving full details including parent details, DOB’s and start dates.

Free Early Education Entitlement – FEEE Briefing

There will be 2 FEEE Briefings via Microsoft Teams on Thursday 16 March 2023. The sessions will be held at 2pm or 6.30pm.

These Briefings are aimed at both new providers and those providers who would like a refresher.  They are due to last around 1 hour and will give you the opportunity to meet the Team as well as to ask any questions you may have. We would recommend that at least 2 people, where possible, join so that there is back-up in case of illness when adding data to the Portal.

To book onto one of these sessions, please go to the Online Shop below to book your place. These Briefings are free of charge.

Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements

Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements: Focus on...

When was the last time you checked that the 'Staying Safe' posters displayed in your setting were up to date, clearly visible and accessible to staff, parents and visitors?

Safeguarding Scenarios

The latest safeguarding scenarios are now available on our website.

Safer Internet Day 7 February 2023

Safer Internet Day 2023 will take place on the 7th of February 2023, with celebrations and learning based around the theme ‘Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online’. Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, the celebration sees thousands of organisations get involved to promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.

Ofsted

EYFS Learning and Development

Cheshire East Libraries: ‘Let’s Get Ready for School’ Book Bags

Cheshire East Libraries are launching ‘Let’s Get Ready for School’, an exciting initiative for children who are due to start primary school. We have created ten different ‘Let’s Get Ready for School’ book bags which are available to borrow. Each bag contains 4 picture books which have been specially selected to share with younger children to help them to cope with change and prepare them for school. These include a wordless picture book for parents and children to enjoy creatively together. The bag also contains a useful leaflet which was co-written with early years speech and language therapists and includes some practical ideas for supporting children’s communication at this important stage. BookTrust have kindly provided a little finger puppet and an ideas leaflet for helping to bring the books to life. The book bags are free to loan and available at your local library. They can also be reserved online with a library card on the link below.

The Princess of Wales launches "Shaping Us" Campaign to raise awareness of the unique importance of early childhood

“Shaping Us” is a major new awareness-raising campaign from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which aims to increase public understanding of the crucial importance of the first five years of life.

Spearheaded by The Princess of Wales, with support from a range of high-profile figures from the world of media, music, science and sports, the campaign officially launched on Tuesday 31^st January with the release of a short animation film.

In the film, we see how a little girl, Layla, develops from pregnancy to age five and how she is shaped by her interactions with the people and environment around her. It will appear on Piccadilly Lights at Piccadilly Circus and will be screened in cinemas across the UK from Friday. You can watch the film below.

The campaign launches as the Centre for Early Childhood released new data on public understanding of child development which shows around one in three (36%) adults report knowing just a little or nothing about how children develop in their early childhood. The long-term ambition is to transform public awareness of this issue over the coming months and years.

Apply for support from the Department for Education Childminder Mentor programme

The Department for Education (DfE) is offering a programme of support for childminders across England, from May 2023 until July 2024. The Childminder mentor programme is focused on supporting childminders to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the youngest and most disadvantaged children.

By joining this programme, you will receive support from experienced early years practitioners who have at least three years' experience as a childminder or supporting childminders, in the roles of Area Lead and Mentor.

The support is free and available across England.

You will also have the opportunity to network with other childminders in your area who are part of the programme and also the Department for education, local authorities and other early years providers.

To be eligible to receive support from the DfE Childminder Mentor programme, childminders must currently be providing childcare to children aged between 0-5 (to at least one child).

If you are interested in receiving support, please see the link below and register by 17 February 2023.

SEND

SEN funding 2023-2024 information – guidance March 2023

An information sheet is now available on the SEN and disability in the early years (cheshireeast.gov.uk) which details the actions and information required from providers requesting continuation of funding for children who are already in receipt SEN/EHCP funding. Please ensure this information is shared.

Cheshire East Chatters Best Practice

Calling all Early Years settings!

Do you use songs and rhymes in a creative and original way to support children's communication skills?

Would you be willing to share your ideas with other settings across Cheshire East?

Cheshire East Chatters is looking for settings to showcase their best practice at our Early Language Lead Networks in March.  

If you are interested in this opportunity to promote all the great work you do, please contact us on cechatters@mcht.nhs.uk.

Nasen: Meeting the Needs of Every Child webinars

Nasen has secured additional funding approved for 2 more 'Meeting the Needs of Every Child' webinars on 23^rd February 6-8pm and 28^th March 6-8pm. These are the booking links:

Thursday 23^rd February: https://nasen.org.uk/events/meeting-needs-every-child-Feb23

Tuesday 28th March: https://nasen.org.uk/events/meeting-needs-every-child-mar23

The 2-hour webinar will cover the following:

• Responsibilities of a PVI setting towards children with SEND
• The role of the SENCO and the Key Person
• The importance of the early identification of SEND
• What effective inclusive practice looks like in a PVI setting
• How to develop positive relationships with parents of children with SEND
• Nasen’s DfE-funded Early Years resources to support you in meeting the needs of all children in your setting 

Who would benefit from this training?

• Early Years practitioners in PVI settings
• Childminders
• New SENCOs 
• NQTs in mainstream Reception/ Nursery classes
• TAs working in EYFS

Consultations – SEND, PSED, Speech and Language

Do you have concerns about the development of a child in your setting or would you like advice and support on how you can address the individual needs of a child?

We are offering:

• SEND consultations with an Early Years Consultant for SEND
• PSED consultations with members of the Early Start Team, a Family Service Worker and a Mental Health Worker
• Speech and Language consultations with a specialist Speech and Language Therapist

These virtual appointments are an opportunity for you to discuss your concerns and receive advice on how best to support the child including suggestions on how to adapt your practice or your environment, strategies you can implement that may help the child to learn and progress or what additional support may be available for the child. You will be required to obtain parent’s permission and complete some paperwork prior to the consultation.

To book on one of these consultations, log onto the Online Shop below.

Parenting Journey

Continuous Professional Development

Spring Term Training

Progress Check and Integrated Review at 2, 08-Feb-23 or 09-Feb-23 on Teams

Explore the process of coordinating the Progress check within your setting to fulfil the statutory requirements of the EYFS and how this links in with integrated review which brings together the Early years Progress check at age 2 and the Health development check. Consider the requirements of writing a quality progress check and working to embed partnerships with parents and link health professionals.

Effective Interactions, 09-Feb-23, 9.30am-3pm at Congleton Library

This one day course aims to highlight why interaction is so important and look at ways you can adapt your interactions to promote communication and support the needs of the developing child. There will be discussions about how you can differentiate to support individual children's communication development and focus on the practicalities of how to integrate high quality adult-interaction into your daily routine.

Me, myself and I: Supporting children to develop social skills 10-Feb and 27-Apr-23 1pm-3pm on Teams

In these session Ruth Swailes will explore what we mean when we talk about Self-Regulation and Executive Function, and why supporting children to develop these vital skills really matters.

Session 1 - Ruth will explore how we can evaluate current strengths and areas for development and provide some simple audit tools to use.

Session 2 - Ruth will provide a range of strategies so that staff can support children to become successful, independent learners who are able to manage and identify their own feelings and behaviour, so that they can enjoy positive relationships and focus on learning.

Ofsted - Preparing for your Inspection/Owners and Managers network 15-Feb-23 9.30am-11.45am on Teams

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from 2 HM Ofsted Inspectors who will deliver inspection feedback and address some key challenges faced in Early Years including advice on how leaders and practitioners may articulate and deliver curriculum intent and implementation, recruitment difficulties and the impact on children’s learning and development and the importance of leading good quality practice. During the second half of the session, updates from the Cheshire East Early Years team will be delivered including the launch of the new EY training hub and our upcoming Rhymetime Roadshows.

Let’s Talk Twos – ‘dealing with feelings’ – 15-Feb-23 1.30pm or 6.30pm and 17-Feb-23 9.30am on Teams

Join us as we take a roller-coaster ride into the emotional world of 2-year-olds and explore ways to support children who are experiencing strong emotions. What does co-regulation look like in your setting? Discuss how to make sure we are creating an emotional environment that’s right for 2’s . Find out how health visitors can help us work with parents to support children’s emotions at home.

DSL Cluster – 28-Feb-23 9.30am or 6.30pm on Teams

Attendance at each termly cluster is highly recommended to keep your safeguarding knowledge and skills up to date. One of our Locality Support Officers will be talking about Early Help Assessments, as well as our usual updates. At these meetings there will be opportunities for discussion with other leads, networking, sharing of effective practice/materials, input from other agencies, updates on new legislation/initiatives etc.

Don’t miss out on any of our training and CPD opportunities. Log onto the Online shop to find out what else is available and secure your place now

Don't Forget!

FEEE – Afghan and Ukrainian children

Afghan and Ukrainian children aged 2, 3 and 4 years old living in Cheshire East are entitled to 15 hours early education irrespective of the immigration status of the child or their parent(s). To claim FEEE funding for children from Afghanistan or Ukraine, please add their details to the Provider Portal in the usual way. Should the Provider Portal be closed, please email the FEEE Team (FEEE@cheshireeast.gov.uk) who will update your funding claim.

In addition, please also complete the short form (link below), enabling the authority to monitor take-up of the free entitlement.  Please complete this form each time an Afghan or Ukrainian child starts or leaves your setting. If any Afghan or Ukrainian children currently attend your setting, please retrospectively complete this form and continue to use the form as you have any new starters or leavers.

https://forms.office.com/r/RN5KbkKrzL