BCC Update: 5 January 2021
The below update comes from Lindsey Trivett, Head of Early Years, Childcare and Children’s Centres at Birmingham City Council.
National Lockdown: Stay at Home
I am sure that you are very aware that yesterday’s announcement introducing our 3rd National lockdown made it very clear that Early Years provision should remain open to all children.
The latest government guidance as of 5th January informs that parents and carers can continue to access childcare in Early Years settings (including nurseries and childminders) which are to remain open; and vulnerable children and children of critical workers can continue to use registered childcare, childminders and other childcare activities (including wraparound care). This means that in effect there is no change for early years settings from the provision that was operating during the autumn term.
School and setting leaders should keep the risk assessment under review and manage your provision within that context. I would again remind you that in the event of changes being necessary (i.e. if you have reduced levels of staff available) that you are required to prioritise attendance for children of key workers and vulnerable children, as well as remote learning where this is applicable, and a full closure should be an absolute last resort.
We have received confirmation today (Tues 5 January) from the DfE that children with at least one parent or carer who is listed as a critical worker are eligible for a statutory school place and it is not necessary for both parents to be critical workers. Should you need to limit attendance in your setting in order to maintain a safe delivery of services, you should follow the same guidance.
We are aware that Out of School (OOS) providers may be detrimentally impacted as only children able to attend school are able to access wraparound/OOS childcare. We will be looking at how we can support OOS providers as a matter of priority and will update further in due course.
The DfE confirmed that all vulnerable children are still expected to attend school/settings as usual. If the parent of a vulnerable child wishes their child to be absent, the parent should let the school/setting know that the child will not be attending.
The DfE advised that further information about the government’s expectations for free school meals (FSM) will be provided as soon as possible – we will, as before, adopt these principles for the provision of FSM to eligible 3 and 4-year-olds in attendance at early years settings.
The information regarding the announcement of ‘National lockdown: Stay at Home’ is available at this link.
Spring Term Funding
We have raised the issue of the Spring Term early education funding reverting to the usual headcount/census basis and as yet do not have anything further to report. We are aware that some providers have today experienced much lower levels of attendance. We are planning on monitoring this through the completion of the early years weekly survey and will flag this to the DfE – so it is really important that you complete the survey (see below).
We are aware that this is an issue for all providers and we are seeking to clarify urgently.
A reminder also that the Emergency Closure Funding is still available through the EYCC team. Please check EYMIS for the latest guidance and application forms.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: The Early Years Survey
A reminder that we are asking that all providers and schools with a nursery class complete the form every week by Wednesday evening at 7pm; and in addition any time you have changes to your setting. Once a school/setting reports that they are closed, they are not required to submit another return until they reopen.
Please Note: Schools need only complete information relating to the nursery class. This applies to both the children and staff. This is extremely important since the announcement of the national lockdown as we need to be able to evidence to the DfE the impact on attendance.
We will be reviewing the questions asked to ensure they are fit for purpose within the new context. We are going to retain the additional question to capture an emergency number that we can use for the purpose of contact tracing if we are not able to make contact using the usual details. The survey can be accessed using this link – Early Years Settings. Any queries please contact EYDuty@birmingham.gov.uk.
Thank you to all of you who are regularly completing this survey.
Support for vulnerable children: Partnership working with Birmingham Children’s Trust
Schools/settings should continue to assess vulnerable children, including those open to Birmingham Children's Trust and those at the edge of a threshold of vulnerability, to ensure that they are supported.
Partnership working should be maintained throughout the lockdown, with appropriate safety measures in place. Please ensure you remain in contact with allocated family support and social workers to inform them when vulnerable children are not attending school/settings. Partnership working and information sharing will be crucial to ensure that contact with the family is maintained.
The following services will be maintained by Birmingham Children's Trust whilst schools and settings are operating:
Social Work, Family Support, Early Help, YOS teams will continue to operate and will update risk assessments to enable safe working;
There will be a focus on additional vulnerabilities faced during the pandemic by babies and very young children;
As far as possible, usual service will be maintained, to include family time, contact, adoption introductions, reunification plans and other aspects of active care planning for children and young people will continue, work with courts, child protection conferences will continue face to face where possible and Child in Care Reviews will be virtual;
The Emergency Duty Team will continue to operate as normal.
Guidance will be continually updated alongside any changes in national restrictions. Please contact EYDuty@birmingham.gov.uk if you require any support or further guidance on maintaining contact with vulnerable children in your setting.
Support for families
Locality early help: If staff are working with a vulnerable family that requires some extra help or has underlying needs, then please get in touch with a Locality Lead. At this link you will find a phone number, email address and the name of the lead officer for the locality early help team. Staff can complete a simple online Family Connect form to access support, including an Emergency Food grant available of up to £50 per family.
From Birmingham with Love: Please share the From Birmingham with Love leaflet and details with all families. The pack includes a voucher worth £86 for parenting support, online mental health support, and advice and guidance about food banks, money, etc.
Lindsey Trivett
Head of Early Years, Childcare and Children’s Centres, Birmingham Early Years and Childcare Service
You can access up-to-date information and guidance on Coronavirus (COVID-19) via the Birmingham City Council website: birmingham.gov.uk/coronavirus_advice