Enter if you’ve washed your hands

[nomski100]

Did I hear him say they will pay 80% of staff wages????? 

[anju]

Yes that’s what I heard. Wonder if it will apply as well as keeping the EYFE?

 

Guidance for settings including the list of key workers. They want children to stay at home where possible though, which makes sense as it obviously limits the virus more than sending them to school or nursery

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

guidance for parents 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

[sunnyday]

3 hours ago, finleysmaid said:

wow what a day. The confusion caused by the government advice is rediculous....i just wanted to assure people that Everyone should be in isolation unless they have essential jobs...the safest place for the children is at home with their parents . It is also the safest way to ensure our society gets back to normal, quickly Please don't open for children unless they REALLY need to be with you and have no one else to look after them. Think of your family and your staff...please don't put them at risk

Very well said fm

[zigzag]

1 hour ago, nomski100 said:

When you sign post you must also have a member of staff to go with those children that have parents that are keyworkers 😬

Our LA is not saying that (at the moment) They are saying they are compiling a list of settings that are open to share with our parents.   

[sunnyday]

4 hours ago, finleysmaid said:

wow what a day. The confusion caused by the government advice is rediculous....i just wanted to assure people that Everyone should be in isolation unless they have essential jobs...the safest place for the children is at home with their parents . It is also the safest way to ensure our society gets back to normal, quickly Please don't open for children unless they REALLY need to be with you and have no one else to look after them. Think of your family and your staff...please don't put them at risk

Our LA have had to send a reminder for the 'hard of understanding' that it cannot be and I quote "business as usual" from Monday

[finleysmaid]

49 minutes ago, zigzag said:

Our LA is not saying that (at the moment) They are saying they are compiling a list of settings that are open to share with our parents.   

we had one child who we were struggling to sort out ...we were told quite firmly that he would need a keyworker to go with him (maybe because he has SEND?)

[lynned55]

We weren't told this- also weren't told it included children on 2 year funding OR SEND funding. Goodness we have 13 children on our SEND funding- we may as well have stayed open to all! However by the time our LA had got them selves organised and sent a list of what all groups were doing- it was 17.10 and most places were closed. 

[Mouseketeer]

I didn’t think it was funded 2’s or send (unless EHCP) 

We are opening for 2/3 but prob not needed every day for the time being, all staff on full pay, hoping we can apply for something to help cover the loos of paid fees.

What a strange day, so much to do to give much time to the children we might not see back with us again ...very sad 😢 

[anju]

Definitely EHCP and not funded 2s or other SEND. hopefully we will qualify for the 80% wage refunds for staff who are ‘laid off’ which would help with loss of fees.
 

Guidance for settings including the list of key workers. They want children to stay at home where possible though, which makes sense as it obviously limits the virus more than sending them to school or nursery

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

guidance for parents 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

[lynned55]

4 hours ago, nomski100 said:

Just got this from LA: 

‘We continue to ask you all to remain open to support the children of key workers as identified by the government. As well as these children, we also ask you to continue to offer care to vulnerable children which we can now confirm includes FEE2 and those in receipt of SENIF funding’ 

 

came a bit late for me as as I closed today! 

This LA is clearly thought it was 

[anju]

I know! Didn’t read the government guidance then!

 

[twinthinguk]

ours finally sent us a questionnaire to fill out, I don't think they are going down the hubs route but are asking settings that are planning to open if they will take other children in the locality. I spent all day with the manager planing and contacting parents and it was not till at least 4.30 that we had any solid advice from the local authority.  So many questions and not enough answers, I am so incredibly sad and could not face saying goodbye to our children today, only a handful was present. I still have not really come to terms with the closure and the possibility of only have 5/6 children in for the foreseeable future, we don't have too many key workers or vulnerable children.

[nomski100]

YOUR INSURANCE POLICY:

we are asked to stay open for vulnerable but I have read this....

[Stargrower]

15 hours ago, blondie said:

will the chancellor help with his news?

Yes, things look better now I think.  Have just arrived at work to figure out staffing, having spent most of last week trying to figure out what to do about children.  Onwards and upwards!

[sunnyday]

2 hours ago, nomski100 said:

YOUR INSURANCE POLICY:

we are asked to stay open for vulnerable but I have read this....

Useful info 

[sunnyday]

2 hours ago, Stargrower said:

Yes, things look better now I think.  Have just arrived at work to figure out staffing, having spent most of last week trying to figure out what to do about children.  Onwards and upwards!

That's good Stargrower - how many children will you have attending?

[trekker]

so compared to normal capacity what sort of numbers of children will you have in next week?  We still have about a quarter!! All staff will be in but for slightly less hours. Im shocked its so many AND I think management is suggesting reducing the rooms accessible so children will not be any more distanced than usual....

I don't think is what was intended at all...I don't feel any safer than I did this past week thinking about what next week will be like for us 'keyworkers'!!

[anju]

This is awful and definitely not what was intended. The headline messages are stay at home and socially distance, not have even larger groupings. So sorry to hear this - is there anyone you can speak to? Would your LA give ‘advice’ to your management? 

 

[anju]

Also, parents should only be using the childcare which is absolutely necessary, even key worker parents. So if they only work 3 days a week but the child normally attends 5 days, they should only attend the 3 days. Everyone should be travelling less and mixing less. Staff shouldn’t have to travel any more than necessary and neither should children or parents. That’s how I understand it anyway.

[sunnyday]

1 hour ago, trekker said:

so compared to normal capacity what sort of numbers of children will you have in next week?  We still have about a quarter!! All staff will be in but for slightly less hours. Im shocked its so many AND I think management is suggesting reducing the rooms accessible so children will not be any more distanced than usual....

I don't think is what was intended at all...I don't feel any safer than I did this past week thinking about what next week will be like for us 'keyworkers'!!

Oh trekker that sounds really worrying

[trekker]

I hope I've just got it wrong and there will be much less in reality....perhaps some parents may rethink over the weekend or that firmer guidance is issued / reiterated about ensuring its a minority intake and checks made by the LA ...who knows!  

I mean im all for supporting the keyworkers but when I saw the  list my heart sank...and I feel SO guilty for feeling like that 

 

[anju]

You definitely shouldn’t feel guilty. Hope you are right and it’s not so bad or the LA intervenes. Think about contacting the LA and asking for someone to call the manager maybe if it’s as you originally feared. 

[Mouseketeer]

2 hours ago, trekker said:

I mean im all for supporting the keyworkers but when I saw the  list my heart sank...and I feel SO guilty for feeling like that 

Having agreed to open for no more than a few I am now feeling increasingly anxious about this and feel we have been put in a sh***y position ...say no and we’re not supporting who I consider to be our frontline parents (agree it should have said both or single parent ....it got silly) or open for them putting staff at risk and then their families in turn, I was hoping the ‘even if key workers chn SHOULD stay at home’ drive may have changed minds but instead they are emailing to chop and change days 😩

[sunnyday]

3 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

Having agreed to open for no more than a few I am now feeling increasingly anxious about this and feel we have been put in a sh***y position ...say no and we’re not supporting who I consider to be our frontline parents (agree it should have said both or single parent ....it got silly) or open for them putting staff at risk and then their families in turn, I was hoping the ‘even if key workers chn SHOULD stay at home’ drive may have changed minds but instead they are emailing to chop and change days 😩

Oh Mousie - I don't know what to say.....

[Mouseketeer]

1 hour ago, sunnyday said:

Oh Mousie - I don't know what to say.....

Thanks sunnyday....I know 😥

[nomski100]

Can someone please help to answer this question. 

Do we HAVE to stay open for keyworker children? 

What if we only have 1 child? That would mean we need a manager/designated safeguarding office/first aided on duty  and at least 2 staff. We would need to keep heating on.. electric on. This would be a large cost to us. Plus the government will not pay the 80% of those 2 staff wages as they are still working. 

 

Where do we we get these answers😒💆🏼‍♂️

 

 

[zigzag]

This is an email that we received from our Payroll service (EYA)

Please take a look at the link below, if you have some keyworkers but it is not viable for your setting to stay open, then please close and the parents can find another setting by contacting the local authority. It is vitally important that your group remains financially viable for when the get to the other side of this crisis.

[sunnyday]

nomski is this the situation that you find yourself in?

I think you would need to speak to your LA

Child might be sent to a 'hub' setting with one of your staff as keyworker

[sunnyday]

Just now, zigzag said:

This is an email that we received from our Payroll service (EYA)

Please take a look at the link below, if you have some keyworkers but it is not viable for your setting to stay open, then please close and the parents can find another setting by contacting the local authority. It is vitally important that your group remains financially viable for when the get to the other side of this crisis.

Crossed posts there - that all sounds sensible

[zigzag]

For our little ones who are finding this so hard to understand ❤

The Time We Spring-Cleaned the World

The world it got so busy,
There were people all around.
They left their germs behind them;
In the air and on the ground.

These germs grew bigger and stronger.
They wanted to come and stay.
They didn’t want to hurt anyone - 
They just really wanted to play.

Sometimes they tried to hold your hand,
Or tickled your throat or your nose.
They could make you cough and sneeze
And make your face as red as a rose.

And so these germs took over.
They started to make people ill,
And with every cough we coughed
More and more germs would spill.

All the queens and kings had a meeting.
“It’s time to clean the world up!” they said.
And so they had to close lots of fun stuff,
Just so these germs couldn’t spread.

We couldn’t go to cinemas 
Or restaurants for our tea.
There was no football or parties,
The world got as quiet as can be.

The kids stopped going to school,
The mums and dads went to work less.
Then a great, big, giant scrubbing brush 
Cleaned the sky and the sea and the mess!

Dads started teaching the sums,
Big brothers played with us more, 
Mums were in charge of homework
And we read and played jigsaws galore!

The whole world was washing their hands
And building super toilet roll forts!
Outside was quiet and peaceful,
Now home was the place for all sports.

So we played in the world that was home
And our days filled up with fun and love,
And the germs they grew smaller and smaller 
And the sun watched from up above.

Then one morning the sun woke up early,
She smiled and stretched her beams wide.
The world had been fully spring cleaned,
It was time to go back outside!

We opened our doors oh so slowly
And breathed in the clean and fresh air.
We promised that forever and always
Of this beautiful world we’d take care!

Hope everyone is still safe and healthy🤞