Month: December 2020

A Christmas message from Val Smith, Manager of the Early Years and Childcare Service and a letter from Minister Ford.

Spring term forecast payments are currently being processed.

Disability Access Funding (DAF) is available for 3 and 4 year olds who are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance and accessing some or all of their Early Years Funding.

Devon County Council (DCC) are required by law to submit an Early Years Census return to the Department for Education (DfE) every spring for each funded private, voluntary and independent (PVI) provider within the local authority area. From January, all the information required for the Early Years Census will be submitted through the provider portal.

The last attendance data return for this year has now been made to the DFE. If you are open you should continue to make Attendance Register returns up until January 6; after that date the Attendance Register will no longer be accessible.

Another new development within our service is a survey for parents to complete about their childcare needs. The data we collect through this survey will be used to inform us where there is a need for more childcare provision.

Updated information on: quality assurance visits, 30-hour entitlements: amended references to autumn (childminders and funding and business support sections) and number of days of self-isolation (system of controls, returning from abroad and childminders sections). Also, an updated reporting flowchart from Public Health England (PHE).

An operational note for Ofsted inspectors carrying out assurance inspections of registered early years providers from January 2021.

The Department for Education (DfE) has received a number of enquiries from Local Authorities regarding the Competitions and Markets Authority’s (CMA) advice to the sector on charging earlier in the year within the current circumstances.

View the latest jobs in early years.