Early Years Development Workers

The Southampton Annual Shared Conversation (ASC) is intended as a self-reflection tool. It uses key learnings from recent Ofsted inspection reports.

As part of our free universal funded offer the Early Years & Childcare Team are able to offer telephone support and ASC visits to early years and childcare providers, including Childminders.

Find out more about the Annual Shared Conversation.

This programme is a series of ten free courses over five years. It aims to empower early years practitioners to deliver inclusive practices.

The training focuses on increasing learners’ awareness of the needs of all children. It particularly covers the needs of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). It also aims to increase practitioners confidence to support the learning and wellbeing of all children in their setting.

We want every practitioner to do this training over the next few years and to celebrate those who complete it! Look out for regular updates in the bulletin! Find out for more details and register your interest on the Dingley's Promise website.

The Early Years & Childcare Briefing is an opportunity for Practitioners (Managers/Owners/Lead Practitioners/Childminders) to meet with the Early Years and Childcare Team. They can hear relevant updates, share information, celebrate success and network with colleagues. Briefings take place each term. Dates will be posted in advance.

The Healthy Early Years Awards offer a unique opportunity for settings to help improve health and wellbeing for under 5s’. This quality assured programme is free for Southampton providers.

Participating in the award will help providers offer a healthier environment for children in their care.

Providers can work towards and achieve bronze, silver and gold awards in:

• Physical Activity
• Healthy Eating
• Mental Health & Wellbeing
• Healthy Mouth

Training and support is available, free of charge, through the Development Team.

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. They register, inspect and regulate services that care for children. These include childminders, registered nannies, nurseries, pre-schools, crèches, breakfast, after school and holiday care, and activity clubs.

There are two Ofsted registers.

The Early Years register

For those caring for children from birth to 31st August after their 5th birthday.

The Childcare register

Which has a further two parts.

• The Compulsory Childcare Register for those caring for children aged 5 up to 8 years
• The Voluntary Register for those caring for children aged 8 and over*

*This includes registered nannies, crèches and those providing out of school activities such as sports sessions and tutors

The Early Years and Childcare Development Team are happy to give advice to anyone wishing to provide childcare. This is regardless of whether they are eligible to register with Ofsted.

The team offer support with the registration process and post registration. Visits and support can be arranged in the lead up towards the first graded inspection.

For all providers, they also aim to attend Ofsted feedback sessions following inspection. So the team are on hand to take notes and offer any guidance about the Ofsted inspection processes and outcomes.

Thereafter, the team will continue to work with settings to build a quality provision. As well as supporting with any Ofsted issues along the way and liaising with Ofsted where necessary.

Out of school care forms part of the Government's extended schools agenda. It is vital to help parents balance work and family.As well as providing children with opportunities to learn through play and social activities

All schools are expected to provide access to wraparound childcare if there is enough demand. This needs to be either on their own premises or nearby, from 8.00am to 6.00pm.

Schools do not have to provide out of school care themselves. They can instead out-source the provision. If a school can prove that there is little or no demand, they can meet the Government requirements by signposting to other local provision. This can be childminders or nearby out of school clubs. The Early Years and Childcare Development Team can advise schools what provision is available in a local area.

Most out of school provisions are registered with and inspected by Ofsted. They usually have to be on the Early Years Ofsted Register if caring for children of Reception age or younger.

The team can provide guidance for registering, setting up, and running out of school clubs.

The Pre-school Committee Network meet each term to network and discuss topics and themes that affect committee trustees. Southampton Voluntary Service and the Early Years and Childcare team host these virtual and face to face meetings. These meetings provide an opportunity to problem solve and share good practice with each other. Each meeting is minuted and this is shared with each pre-school committee along with any power points or handouts for reference.

Committee training is also available throughout the year. There is also bespoke training for individual committees.

Individual support is available for day-to-day committee concerns through your pre-school development worker.

Find out more about the Pre-school Committee Network and view the minutes of previous meetings.

View the events calendar for upcoming meetings.

There is a focus across the wider Early Years and Childcare team in helping settings to retain staff and to support and advise on recruitment at all stages. We have a range of resources and strategies for settings across the sector to benefit from.

Anyone who works with children and young people is required to have up to date and appropriate safeguarding training to their role. Organisations should also check the relevant statutory guidance for how often their safeguarding training needs to be refreshed.

View more information about safeguarding including what to do if you have concerns about a child on our Safeguarding and Welfare page.

You can find information about keeping children safe and ensuring their wellbeing on the Southampton Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) website.

The Early Years and Childcare team has a statutory duty to collect, track and create a Childcare Sufficiency Assessment. This becomes the basis for a delivery plan.

To do this the team collects sufficiency information from all Early years and Childcare providers each term. This is then collated and analysed to ensure that the delivery plan is current and meets the needs of the parents in Southampton.

Early Years and Childcare Development Workers support childminders and people wanting to start childminding. They offer:

• A regular Childminder Information Evening (CMIE) each term
• The Annual Shared Conversation (ASC)
• FCCERS (rating scale)
• Pre-Ofsted visit, checklists and inspection readiness advice

Updates and regular information are sent to all those wanting to be on the contact list.