This article has been brought to you by Slough Borough Council's Service Lead for Early Years and Prevention, Michael Jarrett, for the attention of the Early Years Sector.
Please find below communications from the Early Years and Prevention Service to keep you informed of various different initiatives and government updates for 07/05/2020. We hope you find this informative and if you have any suggestions about content please contact us on earlyyears@slough.gov.uk
It is important to keep in contact with families during this time, so please share this information across all of your contacts.
What’s New
Webinar | Coronavirus Claims and Calculations | Job Retention Scheme
With the HMRC portal open since Monday 20 April for claims this event covers how to make a valid claim to enable you to get funds as soon as possible.
New Government Updates for 06/05/2020 & 07/05/2020
Updated Guidance for Children’s Social Care Services
We have updated our guidance for local authorities and their partners to help support and protect vulnerable children during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This guidance has been updated to reflect the temporary changes made in the Adoption and Children Coronavirus Amendment Regulations 2020.
The updated guidance can be found here.
Department for Education Coronavirus Helpline | Friday 8 May Bank Holiday Opening Hours
The Department for Education Coronavirus helpline is available to answer questions about COVID-19 relating to education and children’s social care.
Phone | 0800 046 8687
The helpline will remain open over the early May Bank Holiday weekend for staff, parents and young people as follows:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday | 10am to 4pm
Our standard opening hours will resume on Monday 11 May:
Monday to Friday | 8am to 6pm
Saturday and Sunday | 10am to 4pm
If you work in a school, please have your unique reference number (URN or UK PRN) available when calling the helpline.
Keeping in Touch and Targeted Support for Early Years Settings
During this unfamiliar time the team would like you to know that we are here to offer you support, in whatever way you may need it? We are on the other end of the phone or email and will continue to provide you with daily email updates. Even if you are currently closed the team can offer a range of support from discussing government guidance documents to reviewing local area initiatives.
We understand that this is a difficult period for everyone and in these uncertain times it can often help to share concerns, questions and queries with others, so please do keep in contact and pick up the phone anytime for a catch up.
You can email and call individual members of the team or for general enquiries contact earlyyears@slough.gov.uk or call 01753 476554.
If your setting is currently still open and are considering closure please discuss with the Early Years Service and for further information, advice or guidance please contact the team on 01753 476554 or email earlyyears@slough.gov.uk.
Reminders
Early Help Provision
We appreciate that our children, young people and families may experience some challenges in the coming weeks.
Where possible, the Early Help Hub will continue to provide support to families through our family support. If you require support from the EH Hub team and you have a family support worker already, please contact them directly or call us on 01753 476589.
If you are not currently supported by our family support workers but require support and advice, please call us on 01753 476589 and our Family Information Service will be happy to provide you with information and advice to ensure you get the support you need. If this line is not available you can access the website by clicking on the following link: www.sloughfamilyservices.org.uk
If the child or young person requires immediate protection please call the Front Door Hub on 01753 875362 and send the electronic multi-agency referral form (MARF) to sloughchildren.referrals@scstrust.co.uk
Domestic Abuse | Slough Safeguarding Partnership
Challenging times may result in the need to access specialist support, don’t be alone, attached are some resources that might be able to help. You can also visit the Slough Safeguarding Partnership here to learn more.
Alternatively if you can also access the Slough Safeguarding Partnership newsletter by clicking here.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
If providers have any children or young people displaying any Mental Health and or well-being concerns, then please contact the East Berkshire Getting Help Service at: CAMHSGettingHelpEast@berkshire.nhs.uk.
VE Day
Slough Borough Council are doing a few different things to mark VE day and would you like to get the little ones involved. The link below goes to some blank bunting so the kids can do draw/paint their own VE Day designs. Some ideas to include are – poppies, our flag colours and 75 years. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4TrqYDyf4PMdLypxzyTwGDg/great-british-bunting
If you would like to take part please email your photo’s of the finished art work to gemma.leary@slough.gov.uk as soon as possible but by Wednesday evening the latest.
Training and CPD
During the pandemic it may be appropriate for some staff to complete some online training to support their continuous professional development. We have compiled a spreadsheet that contains some e-learning opportunities which you may want to explore in line with each employee’s development needs. We have also gathered information regarding other e-learning opportunities including webinars and online videos. Please see the relevant attachments at the bottom of this article to learn more.
- Basics of Safeguarding during COVID-19
- SEBDOS - Live Virtual Bespoke Training on ASD, ADHD, Behaviour Management and Safeguarding
- Nasen - Early Years: Working Together with Parents to Identify SEND