Staffordshire County Council S 30 Hour Provider Newsletter Brief 17Th January 2018

Staffordshire County Council’s 30 Hour Provider Newsletter Brief – 17th January 2018 Thank you! Data shows that 4453 children accessed a 30 hour places in Staffordshire during autumn term 2017. 5683 codes to date have been released in Staffordshire for spring term 2018; with 84% of these codes have been validated by providers so far, so please remind parents to bring in their eligibility codes as soon as possible, if they have not done so already. Childcare Vouchers reconfirmation error on childcare service On reconfirmation, some parents are seeing a message which tells them ‘You won’t be eligible if you’re still using childcare vouchers. You can reconfirm your eligibility when you’ve stopped your childcare vouchers’. This is due to a technical error as parents can of course claim both 30 hours and childcare vouchers. HMRC are working to fix this issue but in the meantime parents who receive this message should call the HMRC helpline on 0300 123 4097 straightaway so that they can be supported to successfully reconfirm.

Parents in the Know – Skillshare Event We would to share with providers details of this year’s Parent in the Know Show that takes place at Uttoxeter Racecourse on 3rd Feb 2018. This event can be shared with any parents and carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in Staffordshire; the aim of this event is to provide free advice, support, and training with a choice of workshops on the day. The event requires booking by 23rd January 2018. Details of the event hosted by the SEND Family Partnership, can be found on their Facebook page with a flyer of the event that can be shared: https://www.facebook.com/SkillshareStaffordshire/ Facebook and Social Media Communications to Share If your setting uses Facebook please like our FIS Pages and share our updates. These will include regular updates for parents about 30 hours and also show announcements directly from HMRC reminding parents to re-confirm their eligibility and apply for their 30 hour codes: https://www.facebook.com/StaffordshireFIS

Department for Education’s Survey of Providers DfE will be piloting the Survey of Childcare and EY Providers in January and February 2018 and warm-up communications will be going out any time from now. For the pilot, the survey will be issued to 750 providers, 250 each of group based providers, school based providers (with nursery – exclude reception), and childminders with an aim of achieving 150 completed surveys (i.e. 50 per provider type). Although this is not being run via Local Authorities, DfE wants to alert you to the possibility that providers may legitimately be contacted by the National Centre for Social Research, on DfE’s behalf, to take part in the survey. All providers invited to participate (either pilot or mainstage) will be contacted in writing. This initial communication will include an opportunity to opt out of further contact about the survey, FAQs and a contact at the Department (the letters will include the team email inbox as the contact point) so providers can check the legitimacy of the survey. Don’t forget…30 Hours Surgery Sessions –Spring Term 2018 Staffordshire County Council will be facilitating some interactive sessions and are reminding childcare providers/ schools who are offering Early Education Funded places (formerly Nursery Education Funding) and those who are considering providing it in the future, to attend.

These roadshows will provide a brief update on 30 hours in Staffordshire (as well as the national picture), with the main aim of the surgeries be to allow for providers to ask questions, share feedback and make suggestions, in regards to the claiming process, financial tasks, running eligibility checks and any other administrative tasks required for offering 30 hours.

Please book your places now! See our website for the list of dates and times available: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/education/childcare/families/EarlyEducation/30hourchildcar epilot/2017.12.15-30-hour-surgery-sessions.pdf

As part of these roadshows we would like to ask providers who book on (or have booked on) to supply us with the questions you would like answered. Anything you would like to know and needs an answer for these events can be sent via email to [email protected]

Please supply provider name, delegate’s name, roadshow booked onto.