A recap of childcare news from spring 2023 plus resources, updates and behind the scenes at Minding Kids!
Hooray! The weather is finally warming up and I have packed away my winter coat! I cannot believe we are nearly at the end of May and heading into the final school term. A busy time for many with summer fayres, sports days, trips and preparing little ones who are moving on or moving up to school.
Hello and Welcome to all our new visitors, and a MASSIVE THANK YOU to all of our loyal members, customers and followers for your ongoing support!
If you are just starting out in the world of childcare or have years of experience, we hope that Minding Kids can offer something to help you on your journey.
First, let’s start with some EXCITING NEWS…
📢NEW Website and APP
For those who may have missed it, BIG CHANGES are coming to Minding Kids this summer! Once final checks with developers are complete, we plan to launch our NEW Website and APP and we are bursting with excitement! A fresh, streamlined website will sit alongside our remodelled and refined app with improved features including Organiser, Invoicing, Income / Expenditure recording, Video sharing and a NEW Parent App to enrich communication.
👀👉🏼👀👉🏼Find full details of the upcoming changes here
🎂Happy Birthday Minding Kids!
This month we also celebrated our 10-year anniversary! I cannot believe that what started off as a career ‘break’, to enjoy precious time with my little ones would lead me down an undiscovered, decade long path of helping others on their childcare journey. I absolutely love that I can combine my creative skills with my personal experience of providing a childcare service. I am so grateful to those who have supported me with my ambitions and hope I can continue to make a difference, however small, to hardworking childcare providers for many years to come!
Look back on 10 years of Minding Kids here
In other news…
💷Tax-Free Childcare Scheme – Questions and Answers
As families struggle with the cost-of-living crisis it is important that they take full advantage of what support is available to them, however there is still a lot of confusion around what help is available and how it is delivered. HMRC has answered questions put to them by providers regarding the tax-free childcare scheme. Read more in this Nursery World article.
A Tax-Free Childcare guide can also be found on the Money Saving Expert website. Very useful information for passing on to new and existing parents!
🥣Have you had your Breakfast?
Last year Magic Breakfast published their Hidden Hunger report revealed shocking statistics of how disadvantaged children are missing out on a healthy start to their day and the resulting impact on academic attainment and wellbeing. Now combining their research with the British Nutrition Foundation, the two charities are working together to compile further evidence to support policy that will help to lower the impact of poverty and give all children the best start. Read more about the review here.
🍏Healthy Eating Week 2023
The British Nutrition Foundation’s Healthy Eating Week will take place from the 12th to the 16th of June this year with the theme ‘For Everyone’. With family budgets stretched and food prices at a 45-year high, the charity is determined to provide free, evidence-based advice and support for everyone who wants to eat a healthier diet. All childcare settings and schools are encouraged to get involved with Heathy Eating Week and there are a number of free resources and recipes available on the website. Find out more and register here.
Looking for more healthy eating inspiration?
Download our Healthy Eating Activity Ideas Sheet for FREE!
Or tuck into our Healthy Eating Pack for more ideas to ensure food safety, promote healthy choices and involve children with fun healthy eating activities!
🛝National Week of Play 2023
For the third year, The Early Years Alliance will run its National Week of Play from Monday 19 June to Sunday 25 June 2023. This year celebrates the unifying nature of play and focuses on how play can help us build positive connections and break down barriers, regardless of age, gender, or background. Providers and parents are invited to join and can sign up to receive a range of free resources, materials, blogs and activity ideas. Find out more here.
Explore our activities section for more ideas and inspiration to encourage learning through play.
For providers registered in Scotland (Care Inspectorate)….
📄Shared Inspection Framework
On the 24th of March the Scottish Government published its response to their Future of Inspection Consultation for all Early Learning and Childcare (not just funded providers) and School-Age Childcare settings. A wide range of responses were received from across the sector and from parents and carers with 78% of respondents supporting the development of a shared inspection framework. The Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland are now working in partnership to develop a new shared framework with an aim to reduce paperwork, bureaucracy, duplicative quality assurance and the unsustainable pressure on providers. You may have already taken part in an engagement event to share your views. These will be followed by small group discussions to establish what the sector requires from a shared inspection framework.
Read more about the Future of Inspection: Consultation Response
For providers registered in England (Ofsted)….
💼Spring Budget
In March, the chancellor announced the Spring 2023 Budget and plans to expand the government’s flagship 30-hour ‘free’ childcare scheme. It is planned that:
- From April 2024, working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare.
- From September 2024, 15 hours of free childcare will be extended to all children from the age of nine months.
- From September 2025, working parents of children under the age of five will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare per week.
It is hoped that this staggered approach will give childcare providers time to prepare for the changes and ensuring there are enough childcare spaces available to meet demand, however there is deep concern that ‘extreme pressure’ is about to be put on a sector ‘already under considerable strain’. The DfE will consult with the sector this summer to determine how the funding will be distributed and the funding rates for providers. Keep a look out for more details of the consultation and remember to contribute with your views.
Read more in this Nursery World article.
🚼Optional change to childcare ratios
Despite concerns from a number of industry experts, is has been confirmed following results from a consultation that an optional change to childcare ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 for two-year-old children will apply from September 2023. Many providers oppose this move by the government and worry that increasing child : adult numbers will adversely impact quality of provision and compromise child safety. It should be stressed that the change is ‘optional’ and applies only to two year old children. All other staff-to-child ratios will remain the same and for childminders, the maximum is always 6 children under the age of 8. (exceptions, may apply when include caring for siblings or for your own children – EYFS paragraph 3.43.)
Read more about ratios in this Ofsted Early Years Blog
Use our Ratio Management Chart to manage adult : child ratios and maximum numbers for your setting:
♿SEND and AP improvement plan
In March the government published a new SEND and AP improvement plan confirming an investment in training and setting out how those who need it will get high-quality, early support wherever they live in the country. Underpinned by new national SEND and AP standards the system is to be transformed with approval for 33 new special free schools and guides for professionals to ensure to right support is provided to suit each child’s unique experience.
Read the Send and Ap Improvement Plan.
🗑️Calls to Scrap One-Word Inspection Judgements
A survey by the Early Years Alliance has revealed that the majority of early years providers would prefer an alternative to one-word inspection judgements. More than 66% feel that the system of inspection is unfair and needs improvement and around a fifth of respondents said they had filed a formal complaint about their experience. The survey also draws attention to the levels of stress and anxiety experienced by providers particularly around inspections with more than eight in 10 stating they had been regularly stressed due to work in the last month. Neil Leitch CEO of the Early Years Alliance expressed that the situation is “Deeply worrying and completely unacceptable.”
Read more about the Early Years Alliance survey here
Prepare for Inspection with our HOT Topic tips and be ready to Showcase your Setting with this Learning Walk Plan!
For providers registered in Wales (Care Inspectorate Wales)….
🔃National Minimum Standards Refreshed
A refresh of the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for regulated childcare has been published following a public consultation into the standards last year. Important changes have been made as a result of feedback from the consultation including strengthening paediatric first aid and safeguarding training and clearer guidance for childminders working with assistants. All registered childcare providers in Wales including childminders and providers of day care (including open access play provision) for children up to 12 years of age must meet the National Minimum Standards.
Find details of the refreshed National Minimum Standards here.
✈️Refreshed Flying Start Childcare Guidance
Guidance for childcare providers has also been refreshed in line with plans to expand the Flying Start programme, the Welsh Government’s targeted Early Years programme for disadvantaged with children under four. Following calls from PACEY, childminders have been given recognition for their role in the new guidance and clarification of qualification requirements has also been provided for Flying Start workers on Social Care Wales.
Find the refreshed Flying Start Guidance here.
🌍Anti-racist training and resources
The Welsh Government has launched anti-racist professional learning resources for Childcare, Playwork and Early Years (CPEY) as part of its commitment to creating an Anti-Racist Wales by 2030. Available for all practitioners providing childcare, play and nursery education for babies and young children, free online sessions explore the impact of racism on well-being and appropriate actions to tackle anti-racist behaviour in childcare, playwork, childminding and early years education settings.
Find out more about diversity and anti-racist professional learning (DARPL) provision and resources here.
Since our Winter News Update the following resources have been added, updated or improved…
Remember Minding Kids Members have unlimited access to all Minding Kids resources immediately as they are added or updated! Click here for further details!
New and Updated Resources
🔴FREE Activity Ideas Sheets! – We have added not one, not two but five FREE Activity Ideas Sheets for St David’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, St George’s Day, Mother’s Day and the King’s Coronation!
🔴Childminder Checklists – REVIEWED and REFRESHED! Download for FREE to quickly check that you have everything organised ready for registration or inspection…OR use the lists to regularly review and update your existing paperwork!
🔴SAFEGUARDING Pocket Cards – Have essential Child Protection information at your fingertips✔️Understand different types of abuse ✔️Recognise the signs ✔️Take Action✔️Stay Safe ✔️ Refer to National Guidance
🔴FIRST AID Pocket Cards – Have essential paediatric First Aid information at your fingertips ✔️Act fast in an emergency✔️Know what to do if a child becomes seriously unwell✔️Recognise signs and symptoms of serious illness or injury✔️Ensure essential records are maintained
🔴All About ME Workbook – A fun way for children to share information about themselves, find out about one another, and learn that we are all UNIQUE! ✔️Build on communication skills and self esteem ✔️Prepare for starting school ✔️Welcome new children and get to know one another
👀Keep a look out for our NEW Website and APP
and more OUTSTANDING Resources Coming Soon!
Thank you to all for your continued support!
💖Cheryl & The Minding Kids Team! xxx
