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Please see below updates for week ending 6th November, 2020.
The team at Wicklow County Childcare Committee continue to be available for support and information. We will continue to signpost helpful and important information in our weekly updates and on our website and social media.
Please click the button below for staff contact details:
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Friday 6th November 2020
- Closing date for LINC Programme applications
Monday 9th November 2020
- Closing date for CCSP 2019 and TEC 2019 Savers Management Window
Friday 13th November 2020
- Closing date for submissions to Statement of Strategy 2021-2023
Friday 11th December 2020
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Update on Covid-19 PHRA Process for ELC & SAC Services
The email below was issued to all providers today (5 November) in relation to an update on the PHRA process for ELC & SAC services:
Dear Early Years Provider,
The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderick O Gorman, yesterday met with the Director General of the HSE, Mr Paul Reid, to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic and how it is affecting the early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) sector.
The meeting was very positive, and the Minister and Director General expressed their shared commitment to supporting the ELC and SAC sector and ensuring the needs of children, families and staff are met. The Minister emphasised the importance of continuing to align the public health response for the ELC and SAC sector with that in place for schools. He also raised the concerns that many of you have shared with him in relation to timelines for testing and tracing and potential impact on staffing.
You may be aware of recent media reports regarding the HSE’s Public Health Risk Assessment (PHRA) process for educational settings and how this HSE system is receiving additional support through redeployment of staff from the Department of Education. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify that the PHRA and the testing and assessment pathways for schools, which have been in place since August, also apply to ELC and SAC services. This means that where an individual with Covid-19 is determined to have been in a school, ELC or SAC setting during the infectious period, the HSE will conduct a risk assessment of the setting and, where deemed necessary, may decide to send a play-pod, classroom or whole setting for testing. In such cases the testing process will be expedited. Recent enhancements to the system also apply to both sectors.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is urgently considering what additional resources it may provide to the HSE to assist with this important task, given the importance of minimising any potential delays in the PHRA process.
Finally, it is important to note that since services reopened in June, only 6% have experienced one or more confirmed cases of Covid-19 in their setting. This relatively low figure is a positive reflection of both the hard work of services on the ground and the effectiveness of the public health guidance in place.
The Minister and the Department would like to thank service owners and practitioners for the great efforts you have made to date in keeping services open and operating those services safely. We will continue to support you in these efforts in any way we can.
Regards,
Early Years Division
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Statement of Strategy 2021-2023
The Department is currently preparing its Statement of Strategy for the period 2021-2023 and welcomes input from interested parties.
Please forward any input you may have to dcyastrategy@dcya.gov.ie by COB today Friday 6 November 2020.
Current and previous Statements of Strategy are available in link below.
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Savers Management Window
The Savers Management Window was opened to allow service providers to create registrations for the 2020/21 programmes for CCSP and TEC and to make necessary amendments to existing registrations for CCSP 2019 and TEC 2019.
This is a reminder that the window is due to close next Monday, 9 November 2020. After 9 November, adjustments to registrations will not be possible until the window reopens again on 18 December.
Please see the Savers Management Windows for the 2020/21 programme year below:
| From |
To |
| 10 August 2020 |
9 November 2020 |
| 18 December 2020 |
11 January 2021 |
| 12 February 2021 |
8 March 2021 |
| 26 March 2021 |
19 April 2021 |
| 25 June 2021 |
13 August 2021 |
We would encourage you to make any amendments to registrations in advance of 9 November to ensure compliance with scheme rules.
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Festival of Learning
The ‘Festival of Learning’ is running this week November 3-11 which will spotlight leading global policymakers, practitioners and thinkers in prevention and early intervention, highlighting how it can improve the lives of children and young people.
Four seminars are planned on:
>the State’s role in prevention and early intervention
>how Government policy can be preventative
>the role of entrepreneurial thinking in public services, and
>the potential impacts of Artificial Intelligence on children and young people.
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Keep Well campaign
Wicklow CYPSC is pleased to be a partner in the "Keep Well" Campaign to promote national resilience over the Winter months and into 2021. We welcome the launch by An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, of the “Keep Well” Campaign that aims to help everyone in Ireland to mind their physical and mental health over the coming months.
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EWSS Payments
We have being getting number of queries regarding EWSS payments so please see link below to the information which is up on the Revenue website which may be of help. If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us on 0404-64455.
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Re-opening Support Payment & Covid Capital Grant
Extension to the expenditure deadline date for the Reopening Support Payment and the Covid-19Capital GrantThere has been an extension to the eligible expenditure dates under the RSP and Covid-19 Capital grantsfrom 16th October 2020 to 31st December 2020.You can now spend both grants until 31st December.
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First 5 Website
Guidance for ELC & SAC
Please check out the First 5 website for detailed information on re-opening including the re-opening funding which is available to services. Preparation documents listed below can be found on the website. This is information is updated on a regular basis so we would encourage you to have a look at it on a regular basis and should you have any queries please contact us.
- Preparing to reopen Early Learning and Care and School-age Childcare settings
- Return to Work Safely Protocol
- COVID-19 health and Safety checklist for reopening
- Guidance on eligibility for childcare
- FAQs for Providers
- FAQs for Practitioners
- Reopening HR FAQs
- Funding Model FAQs
- School Age Services Key Messages
- Return to Childcare Setting Parental Declaration Form (sample)
The DCEDIY have launched a range of straight forward Tip Sheets on a variety of themes to support you during this difficult time. These Tip Sheets are available on the First 5 website under Guidance during COVID-19.
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Guidance for Childminders
The First5 website also has a section on guidance for childminders including the following:
- Infection Prevention and Control, guidance for settings providing childcare during the COVID-19 Pandemic, (HPSC)
- Tip sheet, Childminding Services
- Tip sheet, Childminders Suspected or Confirmed Case of COVID-19
- Poster, Advice for Childminding settings
- Short animated video on returning to childcare for children, (DCYA)
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Procedure for a suspected or confirmed case of COVID 19
The DCEDIY has requested the CCC to report any suspected or confirmed case of Covid 19 within services locally. If your service has a suspected or confirmed case can you please let us know at your earliest convenience.
We would also like to remind all services that there is useful information on the First Five website in relation to infection prevention and control guidance including what to do in the event of suspected symptoms or an outbreak of Covid 19 within a service.
We have also been advised that if a service has a confirmed positive case the HSE will look for an excel spreadsheet with the following information:
Child name and date of birth, parents name, contact no and home address.
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Changes to HSE Covid-19 Assessment Testing and Management Pathway Documents
Please note that we have been advised by the HSE of some changes to their assessment testing and management pathway documents.
The period of self-isolation for a case of COVID-19 has changed to 10 days from onset of symptoms (or 10 days from date of test if asymptomatic), the last 5 of which should be without fever. The period for restricting movements for those who are close contacts of a case, or who have travelled to Ireland from a country not on the green list has not changed, and remains at 14 days. Guidance will be updated in the coming days to reflect this change.
The changes are:
- The self-isolation period for cases of COVID-19 has now changed from 14 days to a minimum of 10 days, the last 5 of which should be free of fever
- Nasal swabs are now listed as an acceptable specimen type for use when testing children
- For the households of all patients (adults and children) with symptoms who are being tested for COVID-19, the whole household must restrict movements until the results of the test are know
- For those aged over 13 years who have some respiratory tract infection symptoms but who but do not fit the criteria for testing for COVID-19, patients are now advised to stay at home and self-isolate for a minimum of 48 hours from the resolution of symptoms. (This is a reduction from the 14 days in the previous version)
- If a child with COVID-19 cannot be isolated at home and there is an ongoing exposure risk, household contacts should restrict movements for 17 days from the onset of symptoms in the case (or date of test if the confirmed case was asymptomatic).
Guidance for the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) sector will be amended, as required, to reflect the changes outlined above.
Please also be aware that the Department continues to engage with the HSE and the Department of Education and Skills to ensure that the approaches to management of Covid-19 in the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) sector are aligned to that of the schools. There is currently no automatic rapid testing in place for either sector. Local public health departments will decide on a case by case basis how testing should be conducted.
HSA COVID-19 Templates and Checklists
A full suite of COVID-19 Templates and Checklists are now available on the HSA website. These checklists and templates have been prepared to help employers, business owners and managers to get their business up and running again and to inform workers about what they need to do to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace.
To learn more and to access the full range of forms, see link below.
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Applications closing today 6th November, 4pm for LINC 2020/2021
Today is final day of applications for the 2020/2021 LINC Programme! Closing for applications at 4pm. To apply see link below.
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Tusla’s eLearning programme on the Quality and Regulatory Framework
This programme will assist registered providers and staff of early years services in preparing for a Tusla early years inspection.
The programme will support early years professionals to meet the requirements of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 and the Childcare Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2016. This eLearning programme is an accessible resource which will also be useful to other professionals in the early years sector.
See link below to website.
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Child Safeguarding Statement
We are delighted to share the updated Child Safeguarding Statement Template and accompanying Information Sheet for Early Learning and Care services.
This resource has been developed in conjunction with the Tusla Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit and will help services to develop a strong, robust Child Safeguarding Statement that is individual and unique to their service. The template and accompanying information sheet attached outlines the exact steps that services are required to follow to develop their Child Safeguarding Statement.
A Child Safeguarding Statement is a written statement that specifies the service being provided and the principles and procedures to be observed in order to ensure, as far as practicable, that a child availing of the service is safe from harm. Upon completion, the Child Safeguarding Statement must be shared with all staff members, displayed in a prominent place in the service and made available to parents and guardians, Tusla and members of the public upon request.
Further information can be found here:
https://www.tusla.ie/children-first/organisations/what-is-a-child-safeguarding-statement/
Click on the links below to view the updated Child Safeguarding Statement and Information Sheet: |
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Completing a Risk Assessment within the Child Safeguarding Statement
The Risk Assessment is a key element of your Child Safeguarding Statement and that it should inform the content of it.
Links to the Developing a Child Safeguarding Statement Template and Information Sheet can be found within this info blast (seel link below), which will assist you in reviewing your Child Safeguarding Statement.
This and previous info blasts in both English and Irish can be found in the Resources and Publications section of the Cosaint Leanai website www.childsafeguardelc.ie.
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TUSLA Part B Re-registration
WCCC would like to remind all service providers to complete their part B re-registration if they haven’t already done so.
Please see the below links which include the Tusla announcement on Re-registration and Guidance on Re-registration, including how to upload additional documents.
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First Aid Responder (FAR) Reimbursement Fund 2019-2020
Correspondence from Tusla includes Provider Communication letter, CCC Payment process and updated Application form - all available by clicking the buttons below.
Key points of the statement:
- Due to the ongoing pandemic, Tusla and DCYA have agreed to extend the timeframe to meet this regulatory requirement to the end of February 2021.
- For those staff who already have FAR certification which has expired or is due to expire – certificates will remain valid until courses are up and running again.
- DCYA had committed to providing a subsidy for the training of one staff member per childcare service. This was supposed to have finished by the original deadline of 1 June 2020. DCYA is extending the subsidy eligibility to the end of 2020.
- Owing to the current Covid-19 restrictions, PHECC have agreed that the theory part of the FAR training course can be delivered as an online component; guidance on choosing online training is included in the Provider communication letter on the button below.
To apply for FAR reimbursement, please forward your completed application to info@wccc.ie
The closing date for applications for the last quarter in 2020 is 11th December.
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Continuing Professional Development First 5 for Practioners
The DCEDIY’s First 5 webpage includes free, online CPD resources, developed and made available through the cooperation of a number of agencies.
The resources are designed to support service planning and practitioners’ professional development. Further free, online CPD resources will be added to the web-page over the coming days and weeks. Further free, online CPD resources will be added to the web-page over the coming days and weeks.
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To contact Wicklow CCC team please call 0404-64455 or email info@wccc.ie
Assumpta O'Neill
Acting County Childcare Manager
WICKLOW COUNTY CHILDCARE COMMITTEE
A: Kilmantin Hill, Wicklow Town, Co. Wicklow A67 ND90
T: 0404 64455 M: 087 2465933
E: assumpta@wccc.ie W: www.wccc.ie
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