This week's update includes information on:

• Provider Portal Sign Up Reminder
• Early Education Entitlements
  • WellComm Data Collection
  • Disadvantaged 2-Year-Old Summer Applications 
• Safeguarding Self-Assessment for Early Years and Childcare Settings 2024/25
• Early Talk Boost

Please feel free to share this update with anyone you think would benefit from accessing this content. 

If you have any questions or feedback, please contact familyinformation@birmingham.gov.uk

Provider Portal Sign Up Reminder

As you should hopefully be aware the Early Years and Childcare Team has launched a new Information Portal for providers called the Nexus Provider Portal on Thursday 20 March 2025. 

Many providers have already nominated a Nexus Provider Portal user. If you haven’t already done so, then please do this today using our online form. You can have accounts for up to 4 people within your organisation. 

The introduction of this portal will enable us to:

• strengthen the information that we collect from you to support our sufficiency data
• improve the information that we can provide to parents and third parties when they are looking for childcare options
• contact you more efficiently.  

For detailed information and benefits related to this change for your provider type, please monitor our emails.

If you have any queries about the Nexus Provider Portal, then please contact FamilyInformation@birmingham.gov.uk

Early Education Entitlements

WellComm Data Collection 

We appreciate your continued submission of WellComm screening results. Based on the feedback collected through the data collection form, Early Years Consultant visits, and input from our Developing Local Provision (DLP) teams, we have made several enhancements to streamline the form completion process and created an improved WellComm data spreadsheet, thereby facilitating easier collation and sharing of your screening results.

WellComm Data Spreadsheet

The WellComm Data spreadsheet is intended to assist in collating your WellComm screening results. The spreadsheet includes instructions for its use, a page for entering all of your children's screening results, and an automated analysis page. This analysis page offers a comprehensive summary of the data required for completing the WellComm Data Collection Form. Using the spreadsheet is optional, as you may have already developed your own, and it is for your use only and not to be returned to us. We ask that you share your screening data through the online data collection form.

WellComm Data Collection Form

We have updated the form to ensure that it only includes questions pertinent to the ages of children in your care. A new question has been added regarding the number of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who have been screened using an alternative assessment tool. The form now comprises six age-specific sections, ranging from 6 months to 5 years. These sections focus on clarified children's statuses as red, amber, or green, along with their progress. Detailed explanations are provided under each question to clarify these terms. The Excel analysis sheet, in the attached spreadsheet, will answer all questions asked on the data collection form for children screened with WellComm.

We kindly request that every early year’s provider returns their Spring Term WellComm screening results by Friday 11th April 2025.

To complete the survey, please click here.

If you would like support with using WellComm to screen children or with the WellComm data spreadsheet and form if you are unable to attend one of the sessions, please contact your local DLP team or email eyduty@birmingham.gov.uk

Disadvantaged 2-Year-Old Summer Applications

Please see here the disadvantaged 2-year-old funding application. This dedicated webpage will take you through the eligibility criteria.

Parents (or providers with parents’ permission) can apply for a disadvantaged 2-year-old code, using the link above.

A parent may in some circumstances, meet the eligibility criteria for both the entitlement for families in receipt of additional support (the disadvantaged entitlement) and the working parent entitlement.

However, when providing the funded place and submitting your claim on the portal, you MUST record the child under the disadvantaged entitlement using an eligible disadvantaged code.

If a parent has already applied for a working parent code, they should be encouraged to keep reconfirming as this will prevent them having to reapply in full when their child turns three. They will also need to keep reconfirming if they are using Tax-Free Childcare. Where a parent has been reconfirming, they will be able to smoothly transition to using the universal and working parent entitlement when the child reaches the term following their third birthday.

If a parent does not have a code, or does not want to keep reconfirming, they should be reminded that they will need to apply for the working entitlement again when their child turns three or shortly before their child turns three. If they do not re-apply for the working parent entitlement, they will only benefit from the universal 15-hours entitlement for 3- and 4-year-olds.

Safeguarding Self-Assessment for Early Years and Childcare Settings 2024/25

For the attention of EEE and OOS providers.

The following audit: Safeguarding Self-Assessment for Early Years and Childcare Settings 2024/25 has been assigned to your organisation.

Please login here to respond to this audit and/or assign team members.

This audit is due for completion on the 16th of May 2025.

Completing the audit for the Safeguarding Self-Assessment will support the development of safeguarding practices. This audit provides a framework for evaluating current safeguarding measures and identifying areas for improvement. By systematically assessing these practices, organisations can ensure that they are meeting the required standards and implementing best practices to protect children and vulnerable individuals. The audit also facilitates accountability and transparency, allowing for a thorough review of policies and procedures. Ultimately, this process helps to create a safer and more secure environment for everyone involved.

For enquiries please contact: EYDuty@birmingham.gov.uk

Early Talk Boost

This training is FREE and funded by Birmingham City Council, suitable for Birmingham EEE Funding Registered Day Nurseries, Nursery Schools and School Nursery Classes.

Early Talk Boost is a targeted intervention aimed at 3-4-year-old children who need help with talking and understanding words, helping to boost their language skills to narrow the gap between them and their peers. The programme aims to accelerate children’s progress in language and communication by an average of 6 months, after a nine-week intervention. 

Children selected to take part in the intervention will attend three sessions per week during circle/story time, each lasting 15-20 minutes delivered by an early year’s practitioner. The sessions activites include the foundation skills in speech, language, and communication that children need for learning and understanding new words, as well as having conversations. The training is delivered face to face and each setting will receive 2 boxes of Early Talk Boost resources.

The sessions take place at 9.30am – 3.00pm with a 20-person capacity:

• Friday 4th April 2025, Edgbaston Family Hub (Doddington Children’s Centre), 28 Doddington Grove, Birmingham, B32 4EL
• Thursday 10th April 2025, Erdington Family Hub (Lakeside Children’s Centre), 22 Lakes Rd, Birmingham, B23 7UH
• Thursday 1st May 2025, Wyndcliffe Primary School, Little Green Lane, B9 5BG
• Tuesday 6th May 2025, Perry Barr Family Hub (Rookery Children's Centre), 60 Mount Pleasant Avenue, B21 9QA
• Wednesday 21st May 2025, Wyndcliffe Primary School, Little Green Lane, B9 5BG
• Thursday 22nd May 2025, Erdington Family Hub (Lakeside Children's Centre), 22 Lakes Road, B23 7UH
• Friday 6th June 2025, Erdington Family Hub (Lakeside Children's Centre), 22 Lakes Road, B23 7UH
• Monday 16th June 2025, Selly Oak Family Hub (Chinnbrook Children’s Centre), 213 Trittiford Rd, Birmingham, B13 0ET
• Friday 20th June 2025, Perry Barr Family Hub (Rookery Children's Centre), 60 Mount Pleasant Avenue, B21 9QA

Please fill out the Microsoft form to choose your preferred date and location.