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6 Mar 07Childcare News - Spring 2007
Poole Childcare News
For all your local childcare, and childcare related services
Free Nursery Education Places for 3 and 4 year olds
Children's Centre Update
The Sure Start Forum
Childcare Information
Poole Childcare Providers
Poole Children's Information Service
Childminding Chat
News from the Localities and Childcare Team
Training and Recruitment
Free Nursery Education Places for 3 and 4 year olds \n
There has been press coverage recently about the costs of childcare, following the recent Daycare Trust report which highlights increased charges to parents over recent years. In Poole the local authority team is striving to work in partnership with providers to deliver affordable, quality childcare, and specifically to offer funded nursery education places to our 3 and 4 year olds. These places are free to parents for 12.5 hours for 38 weeks per year.
All providers of funded places need to comply with the Government’s guidance document, which clearly states that parents cannot be charged for any part of the minimum free entitlement. The guidance also states that parents should not be required or expected to take up additional services in order to access a free place, although parents can be charged for any additional service they wish to take up.
A copy of the government’s ‘Code of practice on the provision of free nursery education places for 3 and 4 year olds 
’ is available.
Copies of the Poole guidance document on the administration of the funding will be circulated to you shortly, setting out the local process to access the funding.
A new leaflet aimed at parents will be available in March and will clearly set out the terms of these free places, with the period of entitlement being five 2 ½ hour sessions per week over 38 weeks from April 2007-2008. Copies will be sent to providers to pass out to parents who may enquire about the entitlement.
We look forward to working with all our Poole providers to ensure the smooth delivery of these free nursery places, and the future development of the scheme to offer the best choice and flexibility for parents.
The letter from the Strategy Manager, on this page, explains how settings can become involved in a local research and consultancy exercise initiated by the Borough.
News from Localities and Childcare \n
Sustainability is an increasingly hot topic for the early years and childcare sector. Staff, training, resources, premises - they all come at a cost if we want to deliver a quality service for our children. The national press has run stories about the difficulties some providers are experiencing financially, and in the meantime there are increasing demands for continued professional development, which are stretching practitioners.
Here in Poole, we have asked 4 Children, a national childcare organisation, to help advise the Borough team. A consultant from 4 Children will talk to staff but more importantly to childcare providers about the realities of managing and financing childcare, about nursery education funding, and other funding streams. Do we have the processes right to ensure that the funding we have, which is finite, supports quality service delivery for children and families without creating too much bureaucracy?
This work will only be successful if some providers are willing to share openly with the consultant, to ensure that there is increased understanding coming back into the team, leading to practical proposals. If you wish to discuss how you can be part of the process and meet with the consultant please contact Claire Lawrence.
In the meantime, we will be trying where possible to simplify processes, whilst ensuring that we retain accountability. We all share responsibility to use the resources available to give children the best start in life here in Poole. Your commitment and energies will help us to ensure that every child has access to high quality experiences in their early life and I am thankful to work alongside such commitment.
Carol Jarvis
Children's Centre Update
New Children's Centre Management in Post \n
Poole Localities and Childcare Team is taking another step forward, with the appointment of three new Children’s Centre Managers, who will each manage two centres in their locality, bringing together all agencies which provide services to children, young people and their families.
We will be actively encouraging all parents and children, together with community, private and voluntary sectors to take part in the planning and running of Children’s Centres, to ensure that services are flexible and reflect the different needs of their communities.
Each Children’s Centre Manager will work within a localityin Poole:
- Amanda Boclet - South (Old Town & Hamworthy) \n
- Karen Loftus - East (Alderney & Newtown) \n
- Linda Northover - West (Canford Heath & Creekmoor)
They will be making contact with communities and professionals in their locality, however if you have any questions or queries please phone 01202 261962 and speak to Kerry Singleton or Marilyn Parrot.
We are also pleased to be able to inform you that Annie Draper has accepted the post of Locality Manager and will start work with us from 1 April. Annie is currently the co-ordinator of the Children’s Fund In Poole, and brings lots of experience to the post. We will be introducing her properly in the next newsletter. News of two further locality managers will be available shortly.
The Sure Start Forum \n
The next meeting of the Poole Sure Start Forum has been arranged for Monday 30th April at Upton House, Poole and it is hoped that this new venue will be far more convenient for all to attend. The Forum will again be split into two sessions lasting approximately an hour and a half each. At both the lunchtime and evening session free crèche facilities will be provided. For those who have not been before, the Forum is for all those concerned with early years and childcare - service providers, parents, carers, chilcare workers.
So much has happened since the last meeting, with many new people now in place and the Forum provides an excellent opportunity to learn about the developments of our local Children’s Centres and put faces to names. So please put the date in your diary, come along and keep up to date with the changes locally and nationally. For further information please contact Marilyn Parrott \n
Childcare Information \n
Healthy Start
Healthy Start replaced the Welfare Food Scheme on November 27th 2006. It gives pregnant women and children under 4 in low income families, and all pregnant under-18s, vouchers for free milk, fresh fruit and vegetables and infant formula milk. It also provides free vitamin supplements. More information and details about how to apply are available on the Healthy Start website www.healthystart.nhs. The site provides information about healthy lifestyles, including how to prepare fruit and vegetables and useful recipes.
Also the Nice (NHS) guidelines for obesity have just been published with a quick reference guide for Local Authorities, Schools and Early Years Providers.
Beep, Beep!
The toothbrush bus is coming to town
Bournemouth and Poole Primary Care Trust will be introducing a new and exciting tooth brushing programme for children in a number of pre-school settings during Spring 2007. The children will be visited by Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust’s Oral Health Promotion Team who will help them learn about good brushing skills and healthy eating. The children will also be learning through colourful story books, story bags, songs and other activities.
The programme is already working successfully in a number of settings, with parents commenting that they are receiving more co-operation from children at home when it comes to tooth brushing time!
The programme forms part of HEY! (Healthy Early Years! Programme) in which pre-school settings are encouraged to promote a healthy environment for the children in their care, tackling issues around healthy eating, physical activity and emotional health.
We hope that the children will enjoy brushing their teeth with their friends at pre-school as it becomes part of their normal daily routine.
For further information please contact: Claire Baker, Health Promotion Co-ordinator, Bournemouth & Poole PCT on 07917 554409.
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What to do if you are worried a child is being abused \n
A new version of this publication was published in December 2006 to assist practitioners to work together to safeguard and promote children’s welfare. It is particularly aimed at those who work in early years, health, schools etc and applies to all children and young people.
The document advises on what to do if you have concerns about children in order to safeguard and promote their welfare, what will happened once someone has been informed about these concerns and what further contribution you may be asked or expected to make. Copies of the document can be downloaded or you can contact the DfES on Tel: 0845 60 222 60 quoting ref. 04320-2006DOM-EN
Information about Menigitis
The Meningitis Trust has recently updated its resource “Understanding meningitis - a guide for Early Years Professionals” and would like to offer a free copy to those involved with caring for the under 5s.
The guide has been written specifically for early years professionals and includes information about meningitis, its after-effects and what to do if there is a case in an early years setting. As the largest number of cases of meningitis occur in the under 5s, we are keen to improve awareness of the signs and symptoms and to increase an understanding of this potentially deadly disease.
The guide can be viewed online via the Menigitis Trust . For further information please contact:Sarah-Jane Smallpage, Education & Training Manager, Meningitis Trust.
Poole Childcare Providers
Lantern Playgroup: Setting Standards \n
Following the recent publication of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools Annual Report, the Lantern Playgroup, Merley, is delighted to announce their inclusion in the Inspector’s list of “outstanding” education providers.
This is the first time that this list has included pre-school organisations. The Lantern Playgroup is one of only 20 “early years” providers, of the 2000 inspected in this category, to achieve “outstanding” in all areas of their Ofsted Inspection.
This achievement entitles the Playgroup to endorse their publications and literature with the official “Outstanding” logo from Ofsted - the only pre-school in the Borough of Poole currently entitled to do this.
The playgroup leader, Alison Angel, attributes this success to her hard working, experienced and qualified team and the playgroup’s vision of valuing the young children in their care, and those children’s families. “We love to be extravagant in our care for the children” says Mrs Angel.
This is a double celebration as the Lantern Playgroup is currently in its 30th year of serving the local community.
…..Hot News…. Lantern has achieved the triple by having just received their PSLA Quality Assurance Accreditation certificate. We offer them many congratulations on all their achievements and wish them continued success.
Baby Bounce,Toddler Rhyme Time and Storytime
Baby Bounce and Storytime sessions are run in all of our library branches and are free!
Baby Bounce is a sing-along rhyme session for under 2’s (no previous singing experience required!). Storytimes are for all pre-school children, and often involve interactive story sacks. Toddler Rhyme Time sessions are held at Poole, Rossmore and Canford Heath, and are for over 2’s. These sessions introduce your toddler to books, rhymes and simple crafts in the Library.
Please contact your local library, or visit our website at www.poole.gov.uk/libraries for more details on our regular events.
Poole Children's Information Service \n
The new Information Duty of the Children’s Act 2006 is extending our responsibility to ensure parents and prospective parents can access the full range of information they may need for their children up to their 20th birthday.
This work will involve extending the information we currently hold at the CIS and working more closely with other information partners working with families.
Another key area will be to widen the delivery of information across Poole. In order to do this the CIS will be allocating a member of the team to work predominantly on outreach activity throughout the area. Our services will go to sites across the Borough and will include regular sessions at Children’s Centres, Schools, Parent and Toddler Groups, libraries and community events.
Our aims will be to reach all parents at key stages of a child’s development providing information on:
● Where to access local services and helplines,
● Information about age relevant activities, leisure and arts activities and facilities.
● Information to help parents face and understand the challenges at key transition points in a child’s development
● Information on where to meet other parents
● Information on how parents can participate in developing future services
The outreach work is already well underway, with a weekly information and advice session at Turlin Moor First School on a Monday morning. These sessions have been well attended by other local information providers such as Connexions, Adult Learning, Citizens Advice Bureau, Hamworthy Money Advice Project and Library Services. This has been an excellent opportunity for us to work together to provide information to parents on a wide variety of subjects
If you would like to know more about our outreach activity or book a visit for a group of parents please contact Sandi Robbins at the Children’s Information Service.
Premises available
After consulting with parents and the local community Talbot Combined School are looking for a provider with experience in offering high quality care, to set up and run an after school and breakfast club facility on the school site. If you wish to be considered could you please submit your business plan to the school. The closing date for your plan is 26th March. For further information please contact James Elliot, Headteacher on 01202 513981.
What's On
Upstairs in the sky
An exciting opportunity for early years settings visits Poole as part of a new project devised by partners in the Bournemouth and Poole Cultural Hub - a consortium of cultural organisations and schools working together to create inspirational learning opportunities for young people.
Upstairs in the Sky is a ground-breaking show, developed by the renowned Quicksilver Theatre, a London-based company with a well founded reputation for producing innovative work for early years children. Performances will be toured to early years settings in autumn 2007.
The project, led by the Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts, working with Wave Arts Education Agency, Activate Performing Arts and with support from LEA Early Years advisors, is a great opportunity to establish a new model of work between cultural organisations and early years settings. As a creative outreach programme, it unites theatre, play and learning, including learning for leaders in the form of an INSET before the show travels to a setting.
The play is about sharing and caring, understanding other people’s feelings, making friends, taking turns, and making up stories together. Two delivery people arrive at the setting, with a box for the children. A 40 minute performance follows, during which the performers tell a story using the materials contained in the box - including foam cubes, pieces of material, recycled cardboard tubes, in a mix of colour and texture.
They tell the tale of Princess Veronica, who goes on a search for her grandfather, King Jim, through a magical land in a beautiful cloudscape. The show deals with themes of joy, fear, sadness and courage, in a way that affirms children’s emotions and is familiar to them. When the story is finished, the delivery people leave, telling the children that the magical story box is theirs to play with and keep.
The children are inspired to create their own stories and characters by watching the actors model the materials from the box, and improve on imaginative play skills by trying out ideas for themselves. This stretches their creativity in new ways, and as they play with the box together, develop their sociability, language, problem solving, self expression and self esteem.
Upstairs in the Sky is ideal for children aged 3 to 5 years, and can be performed in a variety of settings - e.g. nurseries, play groups, reception classes and other community venues.
To book a performance for a setting, or to find out more, please contact Jemima Astill, Cultural Hub Coordinator. A DVD of the show is also available on request.
Tops Day Nurseries celebrate their 17th Bithday
Maria Thomas-Luker (Nursery Manager) and Lyn Wicks (Supervisor) “we are so pleased to be part of this very special day, both of us joined Tops Day Nurseries in 1990 and are both very proud to be here celebrating our 17th Birthday”
Lyn Wicks & Maria Thomas-Luker
Childminding Chat \n
Poole Childminders - Best in the South West
Well done to all our Poole childminders! A special evening reception was held at Hamworthy Recreation Club on Wednesday 31 January to celebrate the outstanding Ofsted results for Poole childcare providers. We were delighted to achieve the highest percentage in the South West of childminders rated as “outstanding”, and out of the 72 Poole childminders who were inspected 7 gained ‘outstanding’, 38 gained ‘good’ and 27 gained ‘satisfactory’.
John Nash, Strategic Director of Children’s Services, presented the awards and said: “It was an honour to present these awards. Childminding is a demanding job role which requires a range of skills. To have this high number of outstanding childminders in the South West is a great achievement for the individuals who have worked hard to contribute to this success and the Council as a whole.”
Cllr Tony Woodcock, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, said: “The Ofsted results reflect the commitment and dedication Poole’s childminders give to their profession. I would like to congratulate all the childminders involved with this excellent result.”
Fire Station Fun
Oakdale and Hamworthy Childminding group organised a visit to their local fire station. All the children had a great learning experience as the firefighters split children into groups and demonstrated and explained all about fire safety at the childrens appropriate age level. There was lots of practical fun for the children to do i.e. aiming hoses at cones to try and knock them down, sitting in the fire engine and trying on their outfits! Even the childminders had a go at using the hose and dressing up in firemens uniform! They also said if we knew of any other groups interested they would be willing to do this again.
Oakdale Childminding Group organised a pedal push for the charity “Childline” and raised a total of £253.60. All children had fun with pushchairs, ride-a-longs, bikes etc and afterwards all played in the swing park and enjoyed a picnic. \n
Localities and Childcare Team News
News from Portage and SEN \n
The Portage and SEN Team are pleased to announce some new staff are joining the team and some old faces are taking on new challenges.
Helen Jones has now taken on the role of Senior Portage & SEN Worker. Dani Vellender has been appointed as a Portage/SEN worker from her present role of Additional Support Worker. Carole Banton joins the team as the new Senior SEN Co-odinator and Beverley Hopkins is covering for Mags Smith whilst she is on maternity leave. We still have to advertise for a replacement for Dani but it will be lovely to be up to full strength again!
Many thanks to all those people who have taken on extra responsibilities or just been supportive colleagues during the last few months.
Ruth Lamb.
Other new faces
There will be a few new voices at the end of the phone at the CIS. The team bid a sad farewell to Vanessa Warwick at the end of December after she accepted a post in youth work. However, her position has now been filled by Vicky Edwards who joins the team as the new Data and Information Administrator.
Sally Clements has been promoted to Senior Data and Information Administrator, and is looking forward to implementing changes and managing the day-to-day running of the CIS - we wish her well in her new role.
Helen Taverner-Newman will be joining the Localities and Childcare Team on 12 Feburary as Admin Team Leader. Helen joins us from adult education and is therefore very familiar with the Borough. We will be introducing her properly in the next newsletter.
Training and Recruitment \n
Poole Adult Learning for Early Years Sector
A new FREE initiative has begun to help all employees and parents to improve their Maths and English skills. Two outreach tutors have been appointed to raise awareness and arrange flexible learning.
Would a little extra support help you start or finish that NVQ? Could a Maths or English qualification change your career opportunities or job prospects? Maths a problem? We can help!
Do you know that the national Level 2 tests are accepted as equivalent to a grade ‘C’ by many employers and trainers. Contact Andrea Bennett or Valerie French for more information Tel: 01202 262309
From April 2007, All Poole Childcare workers will be able to access even more funding for Childcare qualifications. More information about the new levels of funding is available via the website.
Do you have a trained Equalities Named Co-ordinator?
An ENCO has responsibility for co-ordinating all aspects of equalities within their Childcare Setting. We need to recognise that children may experience discrimination because of their gender, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, lifestyle choices and disability.
Poole will be holding another ENCO training Course in the Summer Term. This course will enable the designated ENCO to increase their understanding of discriminatory issues and give them the confidence and ability to challenge them. Every childcare setting and childminder needs to comply with the latest legislation regarding discrimination and this course will enable the setting to include equalities in their policy and procedures.
Money to grow your own Early Years Professional
If you are a full day care setting with a member of staff undertaking the Early Years Foundation Degree, you can now apply for funding to help you ‘grow your own’ Early Years Professional.
The Home Grown Graduate Incentive (HGGI) is a new strand of the Transformation Fund that has been introduced to help settings that want to have a lead professional with Early Years Professional Status, but are not yet eligible to apply for a Recruitment Incentive or Quality Premium, as they do not yet employ a graduate.
With the Home Grown Graduate Incentive you can help an established person in your setting who has a Level 3 qualification or above, progress via the Early Years Foundation degree to Level 5 and on to Early Years Professional Status. If you are eligible, you can claim £2,000 for each year, up to three years, while a staff member undertakes the Early Years Sector Endorsed Foundation degree
Once your trainee has completed the Foundation degree, you can then go on to claim the recruitment incentive and Quality Premium for your new Level 5 graduate and the Home Grown Graduate Incentive will stop. The new graduate must then complete Early Years Professional Status within 2 years.
Early Years Professional Status
Early Year Professional Training is now fully underway, with all training pathways being offered from January 2007. As every full day care setting should have an Early Years Professional leading practice across the new Foundation Stage by 2015, it is worth planning for this now.
If you are a setting manager and would like to ‘grow your own graduate’, now is a good time to encourage your staff to progress with the Foundation degree. You can also claim the Home Grown Graduate Incentive.
If you already have member of staff with a Foundation degree or full degree, you could get your staff member on an Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) training programme now and your setting could also benefit from an extra £5K per year over 2 years for the Quality Premium and possibly £3K per year over 2 years for the Recruitment Incentive as well! Remember, your graduate does not have to hold a degree in childcare - the various training pathways for EYPS are designed for individuals with different qualifications and levels of experience.
Further information about Early Years Professional Status can be found in the new Candidate Information booklet, produced by the Children’s Workforce Development Council. The booklet includes information on all the training providers delivering EYPS and details on the training pathways they are offering. All Training for Early Years Professional Status is fully funded by the Government.
We will be sending these booklets out to each setting over the next few weeks, or you can obtain a copy via the Childcare Workforce Development Council.
Anne Cunniffe
Directgov