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 26/05/2020. 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
Early Years and Childcare COVID-19 Recovery Planning
We have updated the attached ‘Early Years and Childcare COVID-19 Recovery Planning’ documents to help you prepare to reopen to more children from 1st June. This document has been updated in line with the publication of Preparing for the wider opening of early years and childcare settings from 1 June, all new sections are highlighted in grey to help you navigate the updates.
The Early Years and Prevention Service will be making contact with all settings over the next few weeks to discuss what your plans are regarding opening or wider opening of your service? If you are not planning to open in the very near future please let us know so we can update our records, alternatively if you are planning to open please contact the team to discuss what support we can offer you at this time. Contact 01753 476554 or email earlyyears@slough.gov.uk.
New Government Updates for 25/05/2020 & 26/05/2020
PM Confirms Schools, Colleges and Nurseries on Track to Begin Phased Reopening
From 1 June schools, colleges and nurseries are set to open to more children. To learn more about this please click here.
Preparing for the Wider Opening of Early Years and Childcare Settings from 1 June
A planning guide for early years providers, in England, to help prepare them to open their settings for all children from 1 June 2020 be accessed here.
You should read this planning guide alongside:
- Actions for education and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June
- Implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings
- Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak
- Early years foundation stage (EYFS) coronavirus disapplications
- Safe working in education, childcare and children’s social care settings, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
COVID-19 | Personal Protective equipment use for non-aerosol generating procedures
Guidance on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for non-aerosol generating procedures (APGs) can be found here.
Supporting Children and Young People with SEND as Schools and Colleges Prepare for Wider Opening
Guidance for special schools, specialist colleges, local authorities and any other settings managing children and young people with complex special educational needs and disability (SEND).
Updated to include new information on the recommended approaches that local authorities, educational settings and parents should follow for the return of children and young people with EHC plans, or those with complex needs but who do not have an EHC plan, to educational settings from 1 June 2020. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-send-risk-assessment-guidance#history
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
Data Collection
The next data collection will be on Thursday 28 May, if you are open please continue to submit your weekly register information on Friday’s (please see the attached template).
From Monday 1 June data collection will return to the usual pattern (twice-weekly on Monday and Thursday before 12pm) to help monitor sufficiency and take up of places with regular data updates in anticipation of increased demand due to planned wider reopening next month.
In order to track attendance levels amongst vulnerable children more closely and inform policy making to encourage take-up of childcare by pre-school age vulnerable children, we will be asking for numbers of vulnerable children in attendance by category as follows:
Attendance Totals – Children aged 0 – 4 years old only
- Total number of children who are attending your educational setting today 0 -4 years old
- Number of children who’s parents are critical workers
- Children in need (CIN)
- Number of children with an Education , Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan)
- Number of children who are both CIN and have an EHC Plan
- Number of children assessed as vulnerable by providers or local authorities but not CIN and without an EHC Plan
All early years providers open will be required to submit data records by 12pm Monday’s and Thursday’s and registers every Friday please email this information to earlyyears@slough.gov.uk. All registers must be password protected before you send them to us using the password Attendance, please see the attached template.