Early Years News 2 Nov 24

November 13, 2024

FAO: Solihull early years and childcare leads

Medical pathway and MASH contacts

MASH have asked us to clarify when they should be called when you have been informed of an injury to a child. You will see from page 7 of the attached Medical Assessment Toolkit [also referred to as the bruise’s pathway] that there are some circumstances where we advise that you contact MASH. If you have received an explanation of the injury that fits with your knowledge, that this a plausible context for a mobile child, and if children are not a concern re child protection and safeguarding, then you do not need to contact MASH. Follow your organisational procedure.

You will see on the flowchart that it states when considering injuries for a non-mobile child, you must contact MASH.

Bham__Solihull_Child_Protection_Medical_Assessments_Toolkit_FINAL71.pdf

MASH- Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub   Contact Us –  / https://www.solgrid.org.uk/eyc/resources/safeguarding-and-welfare/

Children’s vaccinations – early years and primary schools

We would be grateful if you could cascade the following to parents.

A video has been produced by our local Birmingham and Solihull NHS, which features a GP from Birmingham. It highlights the importance of childhood vaccinations.

We are doing all that we can to avoid another measles outbreak and cases of whooping cough that we have seen this year in our area.

We encourage you to watch the video and if your children are not up to date with their vaccinations, to contact your GP to make an appointment.  

West Midlands Education Settings Winter Preparedness Webinar

UK Health Security Agency are holding a webinar on Wednesday aimed at education and childcare settings.  Date and time and teams link below.
Subject: West Midlands Education Settings Winter Preparedness Webinar
When: 13 November 2024 16:00-17:00
Where: Microsoft Teams Meeting

This webinar will cover the ‘’Outbreak preparedness information for West Midlands Education and Childcare Settings’’ including the UKHSA document that contains: key messages; checklists for acute respiratory illness and norovirus; as well as further information on other seasonal diseases.

Audience: LA education teams / schools / early years settings / school nurses

Watch the previously recorded webinars from the Early Years Team

We often record all, or part, of our on-line training. This enables you to watch it, watch it again, use it in meetings. The recent SENCo briefing will be available soon

Watch recorded briefings:                       

Leaders and Managers Briefing- https://www.solgrid.org.uk/eyc/training/leaders-and-managers-briefings/

SENCo briefing-  https://www.solgrid.org.uk/eyc/send/send-training-support/senco-briefing/

Designated Safeguarding Lead-  https://www.solgrid.org.uk/eyc/training/safeguarding-training/designated-safeguarding-lead-dsl-briefs/

Other videos are also available such as speech, language and communication needs video collection-  Super Starts – Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)

Or Solihull school readiness – https://www.solgrid.org.uk/eyc/

Nursery world [attached training info]

Nursery World has partnered with YPO to provide a free webinar on supporting special educational needs in early years settings.

The hour-long free webinar will take place from 12:15pm to 1:15pm on Tuesday 19th November….you can sign up to the webinar HERE. 

Dingley’s Promise Mark of Achievement

We now have 7 childminders, settings and schools who have achieved a Mark of Achievement from Dingley’s Promise. Well done to Fordbridge, Castle Bromwich All Stars, Streetsbrook Childcare, Jo Buttery, St John the Baptist, Oak Cottage and Playpals. We know that Ofsted have committed to shining a light on inclusion in their next round of inspections. Sharing your commitment to continuous professional development, and how you have reflected and adapted practice, will support this assurance to meeting the needs of all children. Attached is an outline of Laura’s reasons for choosing to access the training.

Inter Faith Week

This week, 10-17^th November, is Inter Faith Week. It is an opportunity to encourage people to remember together the contributions of all faiths and none, and to consider how we can live and play and work together for a just, peaceful, and harmonious world.

The three aims of the Week are:

• Strengthening good inter faith relations at all levels
• Increasing awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, in particular celebrating and building on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to wider society
• Increasing understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs

This year Mitzvah Day does not end the week but is on 24^th November 2024.  It has a theme of ‘stronger together’. A Mitzvah is often used to define a good deed or act of kindness, which is the basis for Mitzvah Day.

Thank you to those people who joined us at the ‘Mix and Mingle’ events. It was good to catch up with you and share the extended entitlement information and hear about you and your contexts.

I hope you will enjoy the opportunity to ‘mingle’ if you are able to attend the child minder network on Thursday 14^th November