Children's
& Young People's Services
Guidance & Support for Childcare Providers
Support for Providers
This page includes information on the support available to help
providers extend their
hours to
include wraparound care or out of school hours,
meet OFSTED standards, and access
quality assurance schemes.
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Expansion of Your Setting
Pre-School Providers
Are you a Pre-school offering early education and have the capacity to expand
in any of the following:
- Wrap around care - opening your session earlier and closing an hour later
would benefit many parents in accessing work or training opportunities.
- Additional sessions - opening session either morning or afternoons would
enable you to expand your childcare places.
- 0-2 year olds - offering you sessions to accommodate 0-2
year olds where buildings allow.
Funding and support is available. For further information please do not hesitate
to contact:
- Childcare, Play & Family Services Manager
- Telephone: 020 8836 8400
Out of School Hours Activities
The New Opportunities Fund is money available to create new childcare places
within an out of school or holiday club environment. The schemes have to run
for a minimum of 4 weeks during the summer holidays. Funding is available for
1-year start up costs that can include staffing, rents, utilities and materials.
For further information or support and guidance on how to attract funding,
please contact:
- Childcare, Play & Family Services Manager
- Telephone: 020 8836 8400
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Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), officially the Office of Her
Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in England, was set up on 1 September 1992.
It is a non-ministerial government department, independent from the Department
for Education & Skills.
OFSTED's remit is to improve standards of achievement and quality of education
through regular independent inspection, public reporting and informed independent
advice. OFSTED's principal task is the management of the system of school inspection
defined originally by the Education (Schools) Act 1992. This provides for the
regular inspection of all 24,000 schools in England which are wholly or mainly
state-funded.
OFSTED's role has been expanded over successive years. In addition to school
inspections they undertake reviews of local
education authorities, inspect initial teacher
training courses, the private, voluntary
and independent nursery sector, independent
schools (including independent special schools) and service children's
education and report on LEA-funded youth services. They
also report on the impact of government initiatives such as education action
zones and excellence in cities.
In 2001, OFSTED has taken responsibility for inspecting all 16-19 education
and training in sixth form
and further education colleges. Through its area-wide inspection reports,
it reviews the overall planning of education
and training provision for post-16 learners throughout England.
From September 2001, OFSTED is responsible for the regulation and inspection
of all early years childcare and education.
OFSTED's publications programme includes frameworks and guidance manuals to
help those involved in the inspection process at all levels. We also publish
reports and surveys on many aspects of teaching and school management which highlight
good practice and provide advice to government.
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Quality
Assurance
Bexley Childcare, Play & Family Services are committed to
supporting childcare providers in providing a higher standard of quality childcare
over and above requirements already met by Ofsted for Bexley children.
We will provide the funding and support required to settings
or childminders to achieve the relevant quality assurance kite-mark. A number
of officers have undertaken training to support people gain their quality award.
The schemes are based on the provision of evidence through a portfolio, self
- assessment and mentoring. Providers work through a number of required modules
before assessment and final accreditation.
Depending on what type of childcare provider you are there is a specific quality
assurance scheme for your sector. Currently Bexley Childcare, Play & Family
Services will fund the following:
For all birth to 6 years old provision (Nurseries, Pre-school & Foundation
stage in schools), Bexley Early Years Advisory Team offer training and mentoring
support for the EELQA scheme, which is externally accredited through  UniCollege
Worcester. This scheme offers opportunities for personal accreditation as well
as setting quality assurance.
Childminders
Bexley Childminding Network
This network has now achieved the Children Come First Quality
Assurance Approval from the National Childminding Network.
What is a Childminding Network?
This is a formal group of registered childminders who are approved by the
National Childminding Association (NCMA) Quality Assurance scheme, Children Come
First.
The childminders are recruited, assessed and monitored by a network co-ordinator.
The network co-ordinator monitors the practice of all network childminders every
6 to 8 weeks to nationally approved standards set out in the NCMA Quality Childminding
Charter.
For a network to be approved by NCMA Children Come First scheme, all childminders
in the network must be operating childminding practice, which meets the standards
within the Quality Childminding Charter. The areas covered by the Charted are:
- Children's learning and development
- Children's behaviour
- Working in partnership with parents
- Confidentiality
- Keeping children safe
- Business practice
- Nutrition and diet
- Equality of opportunity and anti-discrimination
- Continuity of care
The network aims to raise the quality of childcare for children from birth
to 14 years, and up to 16 years with special needs, and their families.
What are the benefits of a Childminding Network?
There are a number of benefits for childminders to become part of the network,
such as:
- Additional training and support
- Promotes childminding as a professional, high quality option
- Encourages childminders to become accredited in order to access 3 or 4 year
nursery education grant funding
- Trains childminders on how to prepare young children for school by offering
early education support from qualified teachers and area SENCO's
- Toy library and equipment loan scheme
- Reference library service
- To inform parents and carers of the benefits of using the services of a network
childminder
- Monthly drop in for network childminders
The network is able to offer the following:
-
Early Years Education
Currently under existing arrangements childminders are not able to offer an early
years education place, but IF childminders join the network they will be offered
the appropriate training and will be paid the same as schools and pre-schools
to take 3 and 4 year olds. Only accredited childminders on an NCMA Children Come
First network can offer this service and access funding. Networks offering early
years education have an inspection by Ofsted.
-
Special Needs
This is to support parents of children who have additional needs. Childminders
will be able to offer respite care and full day care.
-
Teenage Parents
This is to support teenage parents who wish to return to further education and
training or employment. Childminders will be able to offer full day care and
additional support to the teenage parent.
-
Additional Needs
This is to help parents with difficult placements such as twins, shift work and
emergency placements.
The benefits available to childminders on these networks include:
- Additional training will be offered
- Toy library and equipment loan scheme
- Reference library resources
- Regular support meetings
- Monthly drop in for network childminders
How does someone join Bexley Childminding Network?
Registered childminders recruited to the network must live within the boundary
of the Bexley borough area and will demonstrate good practice in all aspects
of childminding. Each childminder who joins the network must have an accredited
qualification, such as DCP, ECP, CCP, NNEB, or NVQ level 3; and is expected to
sign an agreement setting out their commitment to operate according to the standards
within the Quality Childminding Charter; and also agrees to receive regular monitoring
visits from the Network Co-ordinator.
For further information please contact the Childminding Network Officer on  020
8836 8218, or the North Bexley Sure Start Childminding Network Officer on 01322
446725.
Full Day Care
Quality Counts: National Day Care Association
Quality Counts is a quality assurance scheme written by National
Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and is recognised by the DCSF. The scheme
is based on portfolio building, self assessment, mentoring and independent assessment.
The nursery setting will work towards 17 modules before assessment and accreditation
ranging from management and staffing, health and safety, to partnership with
parents.
The benefits to the childcare setting in undertaking a recognised and respected
quality kite-mark will be that it develops good management practice,
provides competitive advantage over other settings, inspires pride in service
along with many more advantages. Please contact the NDNA
for details of the scheme, training support and mentoring; or the Early
Years Manager on 020 8836 8250 for information on funding.
Pre-Schools
PSLA Accreditation Scheme
The Pre-School
Learning Alliance (PSLA) accreditation
scheme has been developed to ensure pre-schools operate at the highest quality
level. Awards will demonstrate to parents that they set standards which are comprehensive,
and offer support and guidance to achieve over 300 aspects of quality from curriculum
planning, to quality of teaching to the involvement of parents themselves.
The schemes are based on a pre-school undertaking their own self- assessment
of their practice as set out by the standards through the provision of a portfolio
of evidence. This can be a lengthy process and could take up to 9 months, so
a commitment from staff and parents would be required. Please contact the PSLA
for details of the scheme, training support and mentoring; or the Early
Years Manager on 020 8836 8250 for information on funding.
Out Of School and Holiday Clubs
Aiming High: Kids Club Network
Aiming High is a Quality Assurance Scheme which has been written by Kids Club
network and approved by the DCSF. It sets clear standards of quality childcare
in all aspects of settings (who cater for children 8+) from staffing, premises,
health and safety to relationships with children, parents and the community.
The scheme has three levels of quality which all clubs will be required to
work towards and 16 quality areas. Each setting will be allocated a named mentor
who is based within our Childcare, Play & Family Services team who will offer
support and guidance. Bexley Childcare, Play & Family Services would
encourage all staff to be actively involved as staff views and opinions are valued.
For further information please contact the Childcare Development Team
Manager on 020 8836 8368.
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