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• Funding guidance for qualifications

Are you undertaking a full time Foundation Degree or planning to start this September? If so you may be eligible for a Maintenance Grant through Student Finance England. For more information see the Foundation Degree Guidance.

• Free Training on Internet Safety

A free CEOP training session on internet safety is being held on Mon 17th June at St Martin’s Primary School in Cranbrook (1.00pm - 4.00pm).

On completion you will be granted access to the teaching resources on the CEOP ‘Thinkuknow’ site and will be able to engage with young people about this subject. Anyone who works with young people is eligible to attend as long as they can provide an Enhanced CRB issued within the last 3 years. To book your place contact PC Julia Watton, Community Safety Team, on 01392 451523.

• Disclosure & Barring Service - new online update service available from 17 June 2013

From 17 June 2013, anyone who applies for their next criminal record check can choose to subscribe to the new Update Service. This will allow them to keep their criminal record certificate up to date, so that they can take it with them from role to role, within the same workforce.

Employers benefit too because they can carry out free, instant online checks of an individual's certificate (with their consent), to check that it is up to date. When someone is subscribing to this service, you would only have to seek a new criminal record check if the system tells you something has changed.

For more information please visit the Disclosure & Barring Service website.

• Government subsidy for DBS checks to cease from I July 2013 (85KB - pdf help)

The Government subsidy for DBS checks will cease from 1 July 2013, from which time individuals and providers will be required to pay full cost in order to be registered with Ofsted and to be employed in a registered childcare setting.

• GCSE equivalency tests for Early Years Teacher Pathways

GCSE equivalency tests for Maths and English will be held on the 30^th May 2013 at the University of St Mark & St John, Plymouth. This is for practitioners who want to start an Early Years Teacher Pathway and currently do not hold GCSE grade C or above in English and Maths. Details of the Science equivalency test will be finalised soon. Tests will cost £35 each. To book, or for more information, please contact Lisa Spencer-Woodley

• Childcare Business Grants Scheme

The Childcare Business Grants Scheme has been announced by the Department for Culture Media & Sports. The scheme is intended to help towards some of the start up costs faced by any childcare business looking to get up and running such as training, Ofsted registration and insurance.

Please visit the Childcare Business Grants Scheme website for further information and application.

• Portage Awareness Day - 17 June 2013

Do you want to find out about Portage and the work the team does? The awareness day is aimed at practitioners working with children under the age of five who have additional needs. For more information, and to book your place please see Portage Awareness Day Flyer (611KB - pdf help). Please book your place by 10 June 2013.

• Improving enforcement in childcare

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills is currently consulting on Improving enforcement in childcare. In this review, they are asking anyone involved in childcare to let them know their views and experiences on how current enforcement of regulation in the childcare sector is working.