Our seasonal news updates summarise the latest childcare news plus which MindingKids resources have been added or revised so you can easily keep on track and up to date.
So the first school term has come and gone like a flash, the leaves are starting to fall and the heating has been switched on. It must be Autumn!
Welcome to all our new visitors, and a BIG THANK YOU to those who have recently purchased resources or signed up for MindingKids Membership. We hope our resources and Web App are helping you with the amazing work that you do.
So What’s Happening in the world of Childcare?
Tax-Free Childcare Invites
You may have already received a letter from the government inviting you to sign up for the new tax free childcare scheme. The scheme is being introduced as a means of helping working parents with the cost of childcare and will eventually replace the current voucher system. From early 2017, parents will be able to open an online account, which they can use to pay for childcare from a registered provider. It is essential that you use the information on your letter to sign up in order to receive payments and also so as parents will see you listed as a childcare provider registered for tax free childcare on HMRCs new digital tool.
A summary and reminder of the top things childcare providers should know about the scheme can be found here.
It may also be useful to remind parents about the scheme and point them towards this information guide.
Socket Covers
There is still a lot of controversy around whether or not socket covers should be used as a safety measure in childcare settings. It is absolutely essential that we make our settings as safe as possible and frequently risk assess to minimise potential hazards. Many would believe that using socket covers would prevent young curious children from poking their fingers into a socket however in many circumstances the blank inserts are a poor fit and can in some cases override the socket’s integral safety mechanisms. A recent safety alert from the Department Of Health clearly warns about the dangers of using socket covers. Read it in full here.
We have now removed reference to socket covers from our template risk assessments in the Risk Assessments Pack.
Packed lunches failing to meet nutritional standards
A study by the University of Leeds has highlighted that just 1.6% of primary school children’s packed lunches are meeting nutritional standards. Despite high-profile awareness campaigns, less than a fifth of packed lunches were found to contain any vegetables or salad and more than half contained too many sweet snacks. The Children’s Food Trust is calling for schools to have a ‘packed lunch policy’ as a necessary step towards healthier lunches. As professional childcare providers, we are advised to follow the latest nutritional guidance and we have a responsibility to share this information with parents and children. We can help to deliver a consistent message about healthy lunch choices by sharing recipe ideas with parents, encouraging children to be involved with the preparation of meals and snacks and providing more activities to learn about healthy choices.
Read more about the packed lunch study here.
MindingKids has the following resources to help you support healthy eating within your setting:
Includes Healthy Packed Lunch Suggestions Sheet!
Flu
It’s that time of year again when many of us will catch the nasty flu virus. Although the majority of sufferers will begin to feel better within a week, for some flu can result in very serious complications so it is vitally important that we do what we can to minimise the spread of infection. All children aged 2 to 4 are now eligible to get a vaccination from their GP, along with children in the first 3 years of school. As childcare providers, we can help to support parents through sharing this information. It is also essential that we do everything that we can to help minimise the spread of infection. This is a good time of year to review your setting’s hygiene procedures and illness policies. Make sure parents are fully aware of the need to exclude children who are unwell and what would happen in the event of you or a staff member falling ill. Flu is just one of many viruses that is rife at this time of year. Update yourself on the symptoms of common illnesses and what the recommended exclusion periods are.
The following documents provide guidance and advice on infection control and the recommended exclusion periods in childcare settings:
England – Guidance on Infection Control in Schools and other Childcare Settings
Scotland – Infection Prevention and Control in Childcare Settings (Day Care and Childminding Settings)
You will also find template hygiene and illness policies included in the Policies & Procedures Pack.
In the North (Care Inspectorate)….
National Health and Social Care Standards – consultation roadshows
Would you like to be involved in the development of the new National Health and Social Care Standards? The Care Inspectorate have extended their invitation to childminders to take part in the upcoming roadshows taking place across Scotland. The roadshows will provide information and hear views on the Scottish Government’s public consultation on the draft National Health and Social Care Standards. The seven new care standards are very different from the 23 previous sets of standards that were for specific care settings. The new draft standards are to be applicable across all social care and healthcare provision and will focus on people’s rights and wellbeing. The roadshows provide an opportunity for childminders to get involved and share their views about the new draft standards and how they think they will help improve the quality of care for people across Scotland.
Find dates and times for the upcoming roadshows on the SCMA website here.
Child Protection Improvement Programme
The Scottish Government has published it’s first update on the Child Protection Improvement Programme (CPIP). The programme was launched in February following an announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Angela Constance. It’s aim is to review the current child protection system and recognise it’s strengths whilst also identifying areas which could be improved. The Scottish Government intend to issue new updates every six weeks to keep everyone informed of developments. It is essential, that all childcare professionals keep up to date with the latest child protection guidance.
The first update includes information on the following:
- The Child Protection Improvement Programme vision
- Information on CPIP
- Neglect feature
- A summary of the first meeting of the External Advisory Group
You can view the update in full here.
SSSC revised Code of Practice
On 1st November the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) will launch it’s revised code of practice for workers and employers in the social service sector, including childminders. Since first published in 2003, the codes of practice were reviewed to ensure that they continue to support good practice and reflect changes in policy and practice. To make sure you comply, you should read and download a copy of the revised code from the SSSC website here.
In the South (Ofsted)….
Safeguarding Changes
At the end of August, Ofsted updated their guidance to inspectors on ‘Inspecting Safeguarding in early years, education and skills’. The revised handbook can be found here. The changes have been made to reflect the latest version of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ and as part of the Common Inspection Framework the updated handbook will assist providers in ensuring recommended procedures are followed and that safeguarding documentation is up to date in preparation for inspection.
You can read Ofsted’s summary to the changes here
A summary of the changes is also listed on the Safeguarding In Schools website here.
In response to these changes, we have now updated our Child Protection / Safeguarding Policy template. This policy is included in our Policies & Procedures Pack.
We have also added a Staff Behaviour Policy template to our Childminder Assistant Employment Pack.
EYFS Profile to remain statutory
It has been confirmed that the EYFS Profile is to remain statutory for the 2016 to 2017 academic year. The EYFS Profile provides a standard measure and summary of children’s progress at age 5 and was due to be replaced by baseline tests in September. The u-turn has been welcomed by several education and childcare organisations with the Standards and Testing Agency claiming that this decision will “provide continuity and stability for schools, pupils and parents and avoid unnecessary change”.
You can read more about this decision in the Nursery World Article here.
You can find our EYFS Learning & Development (Profile) Summary here.
Early Years National Funding Formula Calculator
In preparation for the implementation of the new Early Years Funding Formula expected to come into effect in April 2017, the Pre-School Learning Alliance have produced a useful guide and calculator to assist providers in understanding how the new formula is expected to be applied in your area and what rates you can expect to receive for funded places. The online calculator is easy to use, simply select your local authority from the drop down menu to see the estimated hourly rate. Please note these are estimated figures and are not yet set in stone. The calculator is a useful tool for providers to see what impact the introduction of the funded hours might have on their business and prepare for it’s implementation.
Find the guide here and the online calculator here.
And what’s been happening in MindingKids?
As always we have been busy working away on more resources that will hopefully help to make the lives of busy childcare professionals a little easier. We have been delighted to hear some very positive feedback lately and wonderful news that yet more of our customers have been awarded outstanding grades in their latest inspections. We done to everyone for their continued hard work!
Believe it or not, it has been a whole year since the launch of the MindingKids Web App! We have heard some truly wonderful stories of how the app has helped customers transform the way they organise and manage their childcare setting, and share essential every day information with parents. We are also delighted to see that several school clubs and nurseries are now trying out the app in their settings. If you have not already done so, remember you can try the app for FREE here. You can also read further details of it’s features in the app-guide here.
Following a development strategy meeting, we are now making significant plans as to how we can improve and grow MindingKids. As well as adding some more features to the web app and increasing it’s capacity, we are also considering ways in which we can improve the website navigation experience and process of downloading resources. As always we welcome any suggestions from customers as to how we can make MindingKids better for you and we will keep you updated with the progress of developments.
And on a personal note, if you read our summer news update, you will know that I got married in July. My husband Mike and I shared a magical with family and friends. We got married outdoors at a beautiful Scottish Castle and we were even lucky enough to have the sun shine! We enjoyed a wonderful child free break followed by a ‘kiddiemoon’ with our three gorgeous gilrs. I feel so blessed to have shared such a wonderful time with the people I love.
Coming Soon
We are delighted that our 2017 Multicultural Calendar is almost ready so be ready to download or order your professionally printed copy very soon!
Our 2017 Activity Planner will also be available in the coming weeks so as you can plan and get organised for the new year ahead.
We have also received requests for the following resources:
– Outer Space Activity Pack
– Posters Pack
– 5 Senses Learning
Look out for these in the near future.
In addition to this we are continuing to work alongside my sister, Fiona Hunter of Story Club English who has some very exciting activity packs up her sleeve that can be used alongside well known stories to support learning. Look out for the Elmer the Elephant Activity Pack coming very soon!
Since our Summer News Update the following resources have been added, updated or improved…
Remember MindingKids Members have unlimited access to all MindingKids resources immediately as they are added or updated! Click here for further details!
New Resources
Updates / Amendments
Policies & Procedures Pack updated to include revised Child Protection and Safeguarding Policies
Staff Behaviour Policy added to Childminder Assistant Employment Pack
Seasonal Planning Sheets updated to include Autumn 2017
New landscape version added to Weekly Organiser Sheets to accommodate a larger attendance register
Children’s Wellbeing Questionnaire & Review updated to include Nursery and Care Club versions
Reference to socket covers removed from templates in Risk Assessments Pack – see information above.
And don’t forget to download our FREE HALLOWEEN ACTIVITY IDEAS SHEET!!!
Keep the kids busy and have fun learning all about Halloween!
Requests & Suggestions
If you have any ideas or suggestions, please get in touch! We are always looking for inspiration and ways in which we can improve our products and services. Remember… MindingKids may be able to provide you with a resource you have requested for FREE! Please email us at contact@mindingkids.co.uk with your ideas!
Thank you to all for your continued support! Keep a look out for more MindingKids News soon!
Many thanks! Cheryl & The MindingKids Team! xxx
