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.
The leaves have started falling and signs of Autumn are all around us. The shops are stocked full with Halloween goodies and even Christmas bits and bobs are there to remind us that the big day is not actually that far away! Where has this year gone??
Welcome to all our new visitors, and a BIG THANK YOU to those who have recently purchased resources or signed up for Gold or Platinum Membership. We hope our resources are helping with the amazing work that you do.
So what’s in the news?
Keeping Children Safe Online
The use of technology within childcare settings is ever increasing. As well as using online systems and social media as a method of managing, recording and sharing information about our services, there is also the requirement to teach ICT to children and make them aware of how technology can be used in our lives. As childcare professionals we have a duty to keep children safe online and your inspector will ask how you do this. Internet Matters have put together a useful guide which will help you and parents ensure you have all the necessary measures in place to keep children place. Click here for full details.
Further guidance and advice as to how to keep children safe online can also be found here on the NSPCC website.
In addition to our Internet Safety Policy, we have now also introduced a Social Media Policy template within our Policies & Procedures Pack which you may find helpful and can be edited as you require to suit your setting. Click here for full details of the Policies & Procedures Pack.
AXA campaign to raise awareness of changes in child car seat legislation
Are you still confused about the changes in child car seat legislation? Whilst new i-Size car seats were introduced into the UK in March 2015 surveys showed that more than three quarters (77 per cent) of British parents had not heard of the regulation. AXA have therefore launched a campaign to raise awareness and make the new child car seat rules easier to understand. Read more about the campaign here and watch a helpful video explaining the rules.
In the North (Care Inspectorate)….
Childcare Statistics Confirm High Quality of Childcare Provision
The Care Inspectorate has published its annual report on Early Learning and Childcare (ELCC) provision in Scotland. The report confirms that whilst the number of childcare services in Scotland has fallen (from 6173 in 2013 to 6102 in 2014) the number of children attending childcare services has increased. The report also highlighted that the overall quality of care and support in services for young children in Scotland is high with 95% of all ELCC achieving a grade of good, very good or excellent. The results for childminders proved to be even more impressive with 96% of them receiving good, very good or excellent grades! Well done to each and every one of you!
You can read the Early Learning and Childcare Statistics in Scotland 2014 report in full here.
Recognising and Realising Children’s Rights
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) lies at the heart of the Scottish Government’s policy and practice to recognise, respect and promote children’s rights. The Getting It Right For Every Child approach has been built up from UNCRC to further promote the welfare of all children and young people. All childcare professionals registered in Scotland must follow the GIRFEC approach and therefore understand the principles of the UNCRC.
Education Scotland are holding free events in Glasgow and Edinburgh later this month to raise awareness and understanding of the UNCRC and how we as childcare professionals can embed it’s principles into our practice. For further information visit the Education Scotland website here.
Further training resources to support Recognising and Realising Children’s Rights can also be found on the Education Scotland website here.
Review of the National Care Standards
The Care Inspectorate have been drafting up overarching principles that will apply to all health and social care settings across Scotland. Soon they will be asking for opinions of these principles so as they can define the specific standards that will be used to register and inspect all health and social care services. The Care Inspectorate want to hear the views from as many individual service users, carers and staff as possible so if you want your opinions to be heard get involved! You can follow this story and all Care Inspectorate news here.
In the South (Ofsted)….
Ofsted Early Years Inspection Update
In the middle of September, Ofsted published their first Early Years Inspection Update. Written specifically to provide information and guidance about Ofsted’s inspection work in the early years sector, the newsletter is a valuable read to keep informed and up to date with current legislation and inspection procedures. You can read the Early Years Inspection Update here.
To keep up to date with all Ofsted news, you can subscribe to Ofsted email alerts here.
Revised Ofsted Self-Evaluation Form (SEF)
The Ofsted SEF Form has now been revised to coincide with the new Common Inspection Framework, but don’t panic! Inspectors will not expect you to have the new form completed straight away. They will however want to see that you are aware of the new form and that you are beginning to make changes as you continue with your professional development.
If you have previously completed an SEF, you should be able to transfer the majority of information that you have entered into the new form. The first two sections of the form are of the same format so simply update any new information. Sections 3 to 7 contain the new evaluation questions but again, you should be able to slot some of your existing answers into the appropriate sections. The new form and guidance notes can be found here.
For further help with the SEF take a look at our Ofsted Early Years Self-Evaluation Form – EXAMPLE Answers!
For Care Inspectorate Registered providers, we have also updated our Care Inspectorate Self-Assessment Form – EXAMPLE Answers!
In addition to the SEF, you can show further evidence of how you continually evaluate and improve your service through your continuing professional development. For further help and to put together a comprehensive portfolio, take a look at our CPD Record & Planning Pack.
British Values
There is still much confusion over British Values and how we are supposed to be promoting this within our settings. British Values is about being kind and helpful, learning right from wrong, listening to and valuing other people’s views and respecting the environment in which we live in and the world around us. Much of this is already embedded in what we do through following the EYFS in our daily activities and routine.
There is no requirement to create displays of flags, red post boxes and buses or pictures of the Royal Family. Whilst this may still be a valuable project for children that will teach them about British culture and traditions, it is not what Ofsted inspectors are looking for with regards to teaching British Values.
Further guidance on British Values can be found on the Foundation Years website here.
We have also put together a Promoting British Values Policy template. Find this along with many other essential childcare policies in our Policies & Procedures Pack. Simply edit to suit your own business!
SEN and Disability in the Early Years Toolkit
Do you care for children with a disability or who have special educational needs? Could you be better prepared to provide appropriate care for children with additional needs in the future? If the answer is yes to these questions then take a look here on the Foundations Years website. 4Children and the Council for Disabled Children have produced a toolkit for SEN and disability in the early years. This excellent resource will help to equip early years providers with the knowledge and confidence they require to provide appropriate care whilst meeting all the necessary requirements.
And what’s been happening in MindingKids?
Fantastic Feedback for the MindingKids Web App!
Our biggest news is of course the launch of the MindingKids Web App! Released in the middle of September, we were very pleased to see so many sign up for the free trial and test out the app.
With more and more childcare professionals turning to online systems to manage and organise their service, MindingKids has worked closely with an expert software developer to create an effective yet simple solution that can be used on a computer, tablet or smart phone.
Our web app can assist childminders and other childcare settings manage daily tasks, record essential data and share information with parents, without being bogged down by an over complicated system.
Following a free trial of the web app, continued use is granted by signing up to our new Platinum Membership package. Subscribers to this package are also granted unlimited access to all MindingKids resources therefore having the best of both worlds… the web app – a quick and easy to use tool to record and share essential daily information… PLUS bundles of downloadable resources that will further assist them with paperwork management, activity planning, self-evaluation and lots, lots more!
Extremely positive feedback has been received about the web app. Here are just a few examples:
“I love the new app. It has cut my work in half. My parents love it as well as they find it much easier than contact diaries.”
“The app is so easy to use and navigate around. This will definitely help to me keep organised.”
“I love how the information entered into the group diary is shared in each child’s diary. I used to spend ages filling in 8 diaries every day so this will save me so much time. It’s amazing!”
Full details of the Web App and it’s features can be found in the App-Guide.
Click here to try it out for FREE!
We welcome any feedback regarding the web app or any of our resources. It is vitally important that we hear from and listen to our customers so as we can invest future development in the correct areas. Should you have any comments please feel free to contact us.
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
- Healthy Eating Pack – Updated to include Food Preparation & Temperature Log.
- Risk Assessments Pack – Updated to include Travelling (by car & walking) Risk Assessments.
- FREE Document Check-List – Ofsted – Updated for September 2015.
- FREE Document Check-List – Care Inspectorate – Updated for September 2015.
- Logbooks & Forms Pack – Updated to include Existing Injuries Logbook.
- Seasonal Planning Sheets – Updated to include summer & autumn 2016.
- Ofsted Early Years Self-Evaluation Form – EXAMPLE Answers – Updated & revised for the new SEF Form Sept 2015.
- Care Inspectorate Self-Assessment Form – EXAMPLE Answers – Updated for Sept 2015.
- Policies & Procedures Pack – Updated to include Social Media & Promoting British Values Policies.
Coming soon…
2016 Multicultural Calendar
Exciting news! The design for the 2016 Multicultural Calendar has been finalised and we are expecting a sample copy back from the printers any day now! Like last year, the new calendar will be available to purchase either as a file download or on CD (to print and assemble yourself), or as a professionally printed copy ready to display. The calendar was extremely popular last year and we were amazed to see our first batch of printed copies sell out in just one day! Further copies were of course ordered but this meant some customers had to wait a little longer for their calendars than we would have liked. To avoid this happening again, we have decided this year that the printed calendars will be made to order. This will allow us to produce the printed calendars in line with demand, keeping the production costs low and passing these savings on to our customers. We estimate that delivery of a printed calendar following purchase will therefore be between 7 and 28 days. So if you want your copy to arrive before Christmas, you still have plenty of time!
In addition to this, we will be offering printed copies of the calendar to Gold or Platinum Members at a reduced price! Gold Members will receive 20% discount and Platinum Members 30% discount off of any printed calendar orders. To receive your member discount simply contact us and quote MULTI-CAL-DISCOUNT to receive your unique discount code. Members can of course also access the downloadable version of the calendar as part of their membership package.
The new calendar will be available to purchase from the website over the next week or two! Keep checking our New Resources page!
2016 Activity Planner
Along with our new multicultural calendar, a revised activity planner will also be available for 2016. An excellent long-term planning resource, the activity planner allows you to plan topics and themes for the entire year on just one A4 sheet! A handy list of 2016 special dates and festivals is also included on the sheet along with room to note down birthdays or other special events. Again keep a look out on the New Resources page for the arrival of the new planner!
Requests & Suggestions
We are always on the look out for new ideas or for ways in which we can improve our products and services. We are always happy to hear any suggestions you may have. Depending on the request, 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!
And a wee note to say…
MindingKids is on holiday from Saturday 17th October until Sunday 25 October.
CD orders placed during this period will not be dispatched until 26/10/15. Instant downloads are available from the website as normal. Members, please remember to log in on the Account page and go to the downloads tab to access the resources.
Should you have any questions, you may find the answer on the FAQ page or App-Guide page. If you require further assistance, please contact us and we will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Many thanks! Cheryl & The MindingKids Team! xxx
