This Week in Childcare

Dear Colleagues,

These are the deadlines, information, and announcements for the week of 11^th – 15^th September 2023.

DEADLINES / IMPORTANT DATES:

Friday 15^th September (Today)

AIM Level 1 payments will be included in the ECCE payment.

Friday 29^th September (5pm)

Deadline for Learner Fund applications

Friday 27^th October 2023 (5pm)

Deadline to apply for new LINC graduate capitation backdated to the start of the programme year

Tuesday 14^th November 2023

Updating Aistear Phase 2 Consultation ends

Saturday 30^th September 2023

Gaeloideachas – conference for Naíonra educators in UCC

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Core Funding Quality Action Plan

Core Funding requires all early learning and care (ELC), school-age childcare (SAC) and childminding services that benefit from Core Funding to complete a quality planning template to compile their Core Funding Quality Action Plan. Today, Friday 15/09/2023, you will be receiving an email with the details of the QAP, and associated links required to submit same. Please read this email and the guidance document attached to the email very carefully.

As always if you require support or guidance, please contact your Development Worker.

AIM level 1 for 2023/2024 programme year

AIM Level 1 payments will be included in the ECCE payment today 15^th September 2023.

The AIM Level 1 application process has now opened on Early Years Hive for services with new graduates of the Leadership for Inclusion (LINC) programme.  A ‘new graduate’ refers to any person graduating in October 2023.

All applicants are encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible.  Applications received by5pm on Friday 27^th October 2023will be awarded the additional capitation from the Inclusion Co-Ordinator’s employment start date relevant to the 2023/24 programme year. Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as any applications received after this date will not be backdated. 

Applications must be submitted via the Early Years Hive. Prior to submitting the AIM Level 1 application, service providers must ensure that they have completed their ECCE programme readiness steps and activated the ECCE Funding Agreement.

Should you have any queries in relation to the AIM Level 1 application process please contact the Early Years Provider Centre by raising a Request on HIVE using the following categories:

• Programme: AIM Level 1
• Request type: Application
• Request type detail: How To

Learner fund

DCEDIY’s Learner Fund Bursary for Early Learning and Care practitioners is currently open until 29^th September for new graduates of a recognised Early Childhood Education and Care degree programme at level 7/8/9 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) which was achieved in the academic years 2015 – 2023.   Please email kmurray@westmeathchildcare.ie for the application forms and details on how to apply.

Application forms must be completed and returned to kmurray@westmeathchildcare.ie by 5pm on 29^th September 23. Please share the details with your staff members who may be eligible.

Fee Table 2023/2024- Checks

Westmeath County Childcare Committee are currently checking Fee Tables 2023/2024. We are approving Fee Tables as quickly as possible. Once your Fee Table is approved you will receive an email confirmation of approval to keep on file for Pobal compliance purposes. If changes are required, the Fee Table can be edited.

*Please note when changes are submitted to the Fee Table the changes do not carry over to the Parent Statement therefore if changes are requested you will need to redo your Parent Statement and if they have already been sent to parents, they will need to be resent and resigned*

NCS Compliance Webinars

Pobal are hosting a training session on the NCS Compliance Process 2023/2024.

This training has been scheduled for the following dates.

• 18/09/2023 @ 2:30pm
• 18/09/2023 @ 6:30pm
• 19/09/2023 @ 10:00am

Please find the Webinar Registration links below to register for the training. Please note each webinar will cover the same content.

NCS Compliance Process 2023/2024 SP1
18/09/2023 From 2:30pm
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8231744923707066458

NCS Compliance Process 2023/2024 SP2
18/09/2023 From 6:30pm
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/755168109411960149

NCS Compliance Process 2023/2024 SP3
19/09/2023 From 10:00am
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6724358462491619167

The PowerPoint Presentation will cover the following NCS related topics:

• Updates 
• What is involved in the compliance process.
• Recurring categories of non-compliance

A recording of the session will be published on the Early Years Hive along with a copy of the presentation once all sessions are completed and a Q & A document will also be compiled to clarify compliance queries resulting from the webinars.

NCS Compliance Inspections – 2023/24 Programme call

As the new NCS programme call 2023/2024 has commenced, NCS on-site inspections will continue. The compliance process will involve a series of standardised checks aimed at confirming adherence with programme rules, contract conditions and relevant legislation as set out by DCEDIY.

It is advised that services prepare for an unannounced compliance inspection by collating relevant information for review e.g. in a Compliance File which can be made readily available to the Compliance Visit Officer on arrival. This will ensure minimum disruption and speed up the compliance inspection. It is acknowledged that services file their records in different ways, which is acceptable, but it should be noted that records must be available to enable the Compliance Visit Officer to complete the compliance inspection in a reasonable timescale. In this regard the person in charge on-site must have access to the Compliance File/records. Please only maintain compliance related information in the Compliance Folder.

NB: NCS inspections require 12 months of records available and accessible for review.

With the commencement of the NCS 2023/24 inspection cycle, the Pobal Compliance team have updated the relevant NCS compliance support documents which are available on the Hive under the Resources section. These documents are listed below:

• NCS Compliance Checklist for Approved Providers 2023/ 2024

• NCS Compliance Approved Provider Guide 2023/2024

• NCS Post Inspection Rectification Actions for Approved Providers 2023/2024

• NCS Compliance Accessing the NCS Compliance Report on Hive 2023/2024 (NB: Being finalised and will be uploaded to Hive in due course)

(Please see above for details of NCS Compliance webinars)

Updating Aistear Phase 2 Consultations

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has begun Phase 2 of the consultation process to update Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. You can view the Consultation Report from Phase 1 here, while this video explains the proposed changes to Aistear.

Educators and other stakeholders are invited to share their views on the proposed Framework. This can be done via an online questionnaire, a written submission or by participating in an online focus group in the coming weeks. The consultation will run until Tuesday 14^th November 2023.

This is an important opportunity to have your voice heard and to help inform the updating of Aistear, so it continues to have a positive influence on the learning and development of babies, toddlers and young children.

To access all consultation materials, please visit: Updating Aistear Consultation 

Covid case advice

Please find below links to information from the HPSC in relation to Covid-19 and information from the HSE for ELC and SAC providers on preventing the spread of Covid-19 and children returning to ELC and SAC settings.

We would be grateful if you share this information with parents, guardians, and staff.

https://www.hpsc.ie/news/title-23357-en.html (updated 11th August 2023)

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/preventing-the-spread/

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/preventing-the-spread/child-returning-to-school-or-childcare/

In addition, please find link below to the Management of Infectious Diseases in Childcare Facilities guidance resource.

https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/lifestages/childcare/File,13444,en.pdf Management of Infectious Disease in Childcare Facilities and Other Childcare Settings (2012)

For general Covid-19 queries you can contact HSE on 1800 700 700 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 5pm Saturday and Sunday or visit the HSE website https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/

Should you have any queries on any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0449335454 – info@westmeathchildcare.ie