EYCC Noticeboard

Early Years and Childcare Update - 19 March 2026

Welcome to this week's Early Years and Childcare update!

This week's update includes information on:

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

Nominate a Provider Portal User

As you may already be aware, the Early Years and Childcare Team has launched a new Information Portal for providers called the Nexus Provider Portal. 

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

The introduction of this portal will enable us to:

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

Please note: Completing this form does not immediately create your account. After we verify the nominated user form, we will send you a link to create your Provider Portal account.

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

Update on the Meningococcal Disease Outbreak in Kent and Medway

You will have seen recent media reports about an invasive meningococcal disease outbreak in Kent and Medway.

We want to reassure you that while meningococcal disease can affect all ages, recent outbreaks have shown that older children, teenagers and young adults are more likely to be affected, and the individuals affected so far in this outbreak have been older teenagers and young adults. Meningococcal disease does not spread easily, and most children in primary age groups will have had access to the national infant vaccination programme. Vaccination coverage is above 90%.

Children can and should continue to attend their early education setting as normal unless their parents or carers have been directly advised otherwise by the local health protection team. Outbreaks of this size are rare. If parents have not been contacted directly by the UK Health Security Agency, the risk to them/their child is low.

It is always important for parents and carers to make sure that children stay up to date with all their routine vaccinations, as these offer important protection against infectious disease outbreaks.

Parents and carers should also be aware and alert to the signs and symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease.

For more information, visit the NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/ or see the information available from two charities who offer free support via their websites and helplines:

The Meningitis Research Foundation

www.meningitis.org

Helpline UK 080 8800 3344

Meningitis Now

www.meningitisnow.org

Helpline 0808 80 10 388

or helpline@meningitisnow.org

UKHSA blog post

Meningitis B outbreak: what you need to know   – UK Health Security Agency

Birmingham School Attendance Strategy 2026–2029

We are pleased to share the newly published Birmingham School Attendance Strategy 2026 to 2029.

This city-wide strategy sets out our collective commitment to improving school attendance and ensuring every child can attend, belong, and achieve.

Improving attendance continues to be a key priority across Birmingham. The strategy:

  • Aligns fully with ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’
  • Provides a clear framework for early intervention, targeted support, and statutory responsibilities
  • Promotes a relational, values-led approach, built on strong partnerships between families, schools, and wider services

Download the strategy here: School attendance advice for schools and professionals.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact: attendance@birmingham.gov.uk.

Thank you for your continued support for Birmingham’s children and young people.

Have Your Say Over Proposed Changes to Urgent Care Services in Birmingham & Solihull

The NHS in Birmingham and Solihull is currently running a public consultation on proposals to make changes to Urgent Treatment Centres and GP out-of-hours services.

The consultation closes on 16 April, and NHS staff, patients, and the public are being urged to have their say on two options under consideration. Both options are designed to improve urgent care in different ways and in different places across Birmingham and Solihull. No decisions have been made yet — your feedback will help shape what happens next.

Please support the NHS by:

Every response helps the NHS better understand people’s experiences and priorities so it can design services that meet the needs of all our communities.

Thank you for helping us ensure as many voices as possible are heard. Please share with the families you work with. 

Boost Your Recruitment – Make the Most of National Campaigns 

The Department for Education (DfE) is ramping up its England-wide recruitment campaign: “Do something BIG. Work with small children.” 

As an Early Years or Wraparound Childcare provider, you can benefit from the reach of the DfE marketing machine by listing your vacancies on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Find a Job website – completely free of charge. 

How to Get Started 

  • Create an employer account on the Find a Job website: https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/employer 
  • Post your vacancies under the Education & Childcare Jobs category. 
  • Include “Early Years” in the job title to ensure your roles are highlighted in any current and future campaigns. 

Where Job Seekers Will Find Your Listed Vacancies: See Current Early Years & Childcare Jobs in Birmingham 

Access Recruitment Resources 

The DfE has created a range of specific recruitment resources to help you attract the right candidates: https://earlyyearscareers.campaign.gov.uk/recruitment-resources/ 

Extra Support from Childcare Works 

Childcare Works offers free toolkits for Early Years and Wraparound providers via their Hub for Providers and Schools: https://childcareworks.org.uk/.  

Resources are organised into six categories: 

  1. Business Planning 
  2. Running Your Childcare Provision 
  3. Business Growth 
  4. Leadership and Management 
  5. Partnership Working 
  6. SEND and Inclusive Practice 

Every resource is free of charge and includes guidance from membership organisations, government-funded bodies, banks, and sector specialists. 

Explore the full toolkit here:  Home page - childcareworks.org.uk/early-years-toolkit 

Inclusion: Raising Awareness Across All Childcare Settings in Birmingham (Free In Person Workshop) 

Diverse Beginnings: Enhancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Childcare Settings is our free in-person workshop for all Birmingham providers of Early Years and Childcare. 

This workshop is suitable for all practitioners, managers, provision owners and directors, but spaces are limited.   

We are inviting early years and childcare providers across Birmingham to join us for a powerful in-person workshop designed to support and strengthen inclusive practice in your setting. We’ve listened to the sector and moved this workshop offer away from online formats to create a more impactful, collaborative learning space. 

Why Attend? 

This session is more than just a workshop – it’s a space for real connection, reflection and action.  Developed in response to sector feedback, Diverse Beginnings offers a rare opportunity to come together in person to explore how Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) can be meaningfully embedded across all aspects of early years and childcare provision. 

Together we’ll: 

  • Raise awareness of EDI within the context of early years practice 
  • Explore how EDI principles can be integrated into recruitment, routines, leadership and beyond 
  • Share experiences and reflect with peers in a supportive, face-to-face environment 
  • Feel empowered to champion inclusive and equitable approaches in your own setting 

Why Now? 

The new Ofsted Early Years Toolkit places a strong emphasis on inclusion. From November 2025, Ofsted will be considering: 

“The commitment of leaders and those responsible for governance to provide high standards of education and care to improve the lives of all children, especially those receiving statutory support, including disadvantaged children, those with SEND, those who are known (or previously known) to children’s social care, and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or well-being” 

This workshop will help you strengthen your inclusive practice, with confidence and enhanced clarity. 

Please note spaces are limited. 

This is a free workshop, but places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.   

Don’t miss out – book your place today and be part of the change. For more information about the venues and to access our booking links, please follow the links below:  

Other inclusion subject-based training and resources available to you for free include: 

Need support? Talk to us: 

If you need advice, guidance or support on any Early Years or Childcare topics, the Birmingham Early Years and Childcare Service is here to help. 

You can speak directly with an experienced Early Years Consultant who can offer support and expert insight. Contact us via our Early Years Duty Line on 0121 675 4996 or email us eyduty@birmingham.gov.uk Monday – Friday between 9am & 5pm except Bank Holidays. 

Two New Free Courses: Strengthen Inclusion with Dingley’s Promise 

Dingley’s Promise are thrilled to launch two brand new, expert-led training courses, fully funded by Comic Relief. 

  1. An Inclusive Approach to Curriculum & Assessment 

This course is designed to help practitioners build the confidence and knowledge to ensure their curriculum is underpinned by inclusive practice. You will learn to make necessary adaptations so your curriculum is accessible for all children and understand how to use effective assessment tools to identify needs early and accelerate learning. 

Inclusive curriculum assessment | Birmingham City Council

  1. Supporting Communication Development for Early Years Children with SEND 

Designed to respond to the growing number of children with early communication challenges, this course explores the stages of development and the barriers children with SEND can face. You will gain the confidence to identify needs and act quickly to support every child's communication journey. 

Developing communication in early years | Birmingham City Council

See the attached leaflets for further course information. 

Sign up to access the new courses here: 

https://forms.office.com/e/V3zvR1cPKr 

Other free courses available from Dingley’s Promise includes: 

  • An introduction to Early Years Inclusive Practice 
  • Early Years SEND Transitions  
  • Managing Behaviours that Challenge   
  • Having Difficult Conversations with Families 
  • Voice of the Child   
  • Leadership and Management for Inclusion 
  • Intersections within Early Years Practice 

You can access these other courses here - Comic Relief Early Years Inclusion Programme - Dingley's Promise but remember, free access to all of these 9 courses is only available for a limited time, so it's a good idea to prioritise completing them while you can!  

NEW Inclusive Practice in Early Years Resources From a Collaboration Between Childcare Works & Dingley’s Promise 

Creating an inclusive environment is essential for every child to thrive. To help you achieve this, Childcare Works, in collaboration with Dingley’s Promise (England’s largest specialist provider of nursery education for children under 5 with SEND) has developed a collection of practical resources designed to support inclusive practice in your setting. 

What’s Included? 

Note: Birmingham’s Ordinarily Available Provision document is called Ordinarily Available Guidance (OAG). 

We have three versions available: 

  1. Early Years Ordinarily Available Guidance 
  2. School Age Ordinarily Available Guidance 
  3. Post-16 Ordinarily Available Guidance 

The Early Years version is currently in draft form but can still be used. 

How to Access: 

Click the links or visit: Dingley’s Promise & Childcare Works: Inclusive Practice in the Early Years 

Speech, Language and Communication (SLC) and the Home Learning Environment (HLE)

WellComm Data Collection for Schools and Nursery Schools 

For the attention of schools and nursery schools. 

WellComm is the approved screening tool in Birmingham, and it supports a consistent universal approach to assessing and supporting children’s speech, language and communication needs. We ask each setting to share their termly screening data with us so that we can track the impact of the WellComm screening tool. For schools and nursery schools we collect your WellComm data via an online form each term. The Autumn term data collection form is now available for schools and Nursery Schools. If you are a day nursery or childminder, you do not complete this form. 

The deadline for the form to be submitted is 31st March 2026. 

To complete the survey, please click here.

‘Introduction to WellComm’ Training Dates for Spring 2026

For the attention of all EEE registered providers. 

WellComm is the approved screening tool in Birmingham, and it supports a consistent universal approach to assessing and supporting children’s speech, language and communication needs. All PVI settings are now required to submit their WellComm screening data on the EEE funding portal during headcount. If you are not yet using WellComm to screen your children’s speech and language, please attend one of our online training sessions to receive your free WellComm toolkit. Settings that have received a WellComm screening tool can continue to send staff that are new or require a refresher of how to use WellComm onto the training. Please click your preferred date to book your place. 

This entry was posted by Jessica Wykes on 18/03/2026.

Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

  • Share on google plus
  • Share on linked in