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Welcome to BCP Early Years and Childcare News

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Autumn provider information update 

Welcome to another term’s recorded provider update for autumn. Please watch the video as it contains current information, reminders of actions you may need to embrace in your practice and new initiatives and developments that will help keep you up to date with local services.
This terms recording includes the following:
  • Catherine Dash with information about health visitors support for families across BCP Council including news of the new confidential text service, Parentline 07312 277162. 
  • Clare Thurgood has an update from the Virtual School team about the Personal Education Plan (PEP) process and a reminder how the ‘Welfare Call’ process works. 
  • Lesley Tasan has great news regarding BCP Council implementing a new inclusive transition strategy and processes to support children’s transition to school. Find the documents mentioned in the links below.
  • Janice Watkins asks us to look out for a survey about the transition process for settings, parents and families coming soon.
  • Gemma Tappenden reminds us about how to involve the area SENCos for children in your setting and the procedures to follow.
  • Jackie Real tells us about funding allocated for training, reports that lobby the government to increase funding for settings, improve the perception of the early years sector and level 3 apprentices. 
  • Louise Chiles lets us know about the Family Information Directory and a reminder to update your directory record including the SEND Local Offer.
Provider update recording
Inclusive transition documents
Information for childcare providers web page
Health
Proposals of COVID-19 measures following the October half term
The Director of Public Health and the Directors of Children’s Services in BCP Council have signed a consensus letter which sets out their proposal that we have an enhancement of the measures in place in early years and more widely in education in Pan-Dorset following half term. Please adapt this to your setting and circumstances, and it will enable you to take some additional preventative measures.
Aims:
  1. To protect population health and prevent widespread transmission of COVID-19.
  2. To support schools and early years settings to stay open and to maximise children’s access to education, learning and mental and emotional health.
  3. To strengthen awareness of the identification of symptoms and key messages relating to testing.
  4. To continue to promote and publicise the effectiveness of vaccination as the best protection for everyone.
  5. To provide advice and consistency of approach across the region that helps schools take decisions when thresholds have been met on a case by case basis.
Situation summary
  • The South West is experiencing the impact of national rising case rates and the impact of increased transmission arising from false negative PCR results.
  • South West case rates have increased sharply against the national average and are expected to continue to rise.
  • The majority of cases are in school age groups. There is evidence of this translating into adults of parent age.
  • Over 60 rates are rising steadily. Hospital admissions for COVID-19 have increased.
Risk assessment
  • The greater prevalence is being seen in school age children and their families.
  • All local authority areas are in areas of rapidly rising infection and therefore triggering thresholds that warrant additional action.
  • Enhanced mitigation measures are required to prevent transmission, prevent school closures and to maintain appropriate levels of education.
Particular measures for consideration on a case by case basis include:
  1. Continued good infection prevention control (ventilation, touchpoint cleaning), including in areas where staff gather.
  2. Promote and publicise the effectiveness of vaccination as the best protection for all eligible cohorts including staff and students.
  3. Continued efforts on testing.
  4. If unwell stay at home. If negative for COVID-19 individuals should still wait until 24 hours post fever to go back into a setting. Colds and other non-COVID symptoms are circulating but in the first instance cardinal symptoms should be treated as possible COVID-19 and trigger isolation and testing. This is the case even if others in the setting / group have tested negative for similar symptoms.
  5. The introduction of face coverings in communal areas such as corridors when movement occurs.
  6. Reduced mixing between groups of children.
Please continue to follow the guidance set out in the action card version 9.2 from Public Health Dorset.
South West COVID-19 consensus letter
Action card version 9.2 from Public Health Dorset
We want to hear from you...
We hope you find the information in this newsletter useful. If you have suggestions for future items or topics that you’d like covered or any comments / questions about the items covered in this edition, please email us.

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