Planning guide for Early Years and Childcare

Email dated   26.05.20

Dear Colleagues,

We hope this finds you well and that you managed to rest a little over the bank holiday weekend.

Following the information update on Friday, the government has now produced the following additional guidance: ‘Planning Guide for Early Years and Childcare settings’  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-early-years-and-childcare-settings-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-early-years-and-childcare-settings

This guidance provides information relating to the implementation of a wide range of practical measures to reduce risk. It also includes a model letter for parents and carers for providers to adapt, as appropriate.

Please see attached some further supporting documents to assist you in addressing the following measures in your setting:

  • Personal risk assessment for staff. Providers are requested to carry out an audit of staff availability to work in the setting. The LA has produced a model risk assessment for vulnerable staff to complete and supporting guidance for your reference.
  • Protocol for responding to a suspected case of coronavirus. An example protocol is included.
  • Management of space. Settings are required to consider their premises and how they can best be used to keep small, consistent groups of children together throughout the day, and to keep the groups apart from each other. The guidance specifies indoor space requirements for different year groups. The attached spreadsheet is included as a quick check space calculator for your setting.

Both central and Lead Teacher teams are available to support your planning. Please do not hesitate to contact us if further support is required. We are also aware of the many helpful documents providers are producing to support families and staff during this return phase. Although these are necessarily bespoke to each setting, we are happy to facilitate a provider to provider exchange of documents. Please forward any documents you are happy to share with your colleagues to askcyps@bristol.gov.uk and we will post these on the Bristol Early Years website.

Contacts

Deborah Brown - (General Enquries)
Dawn Butler - (General Enquiries)
Nicola Theobald - (General and Nursery School Enquiries)