Early Years Strategic Action Plan November 2022 – March 2024

Introduction

The Early Years Strategic Action Plan has been developed to ensure a focus on early years children during the Family Hubs Transformation process until the Start for Life Strategy is launched in March 2024.

The Action Plan has been developed based on feedback from the LGA Stakeholder and Early Years workshops and in the context of:

- Increasing number of children with SEND

- Ongoing recovery from impact of Covid-19 pandemic on early years children, their families and settings

- Low central government funding for early years providers to offer the Early Years Free Entitlement

- The impact of the cost of living crisis on early years providers, including increased energy and salary bills

- Crisis in recruitment and retention of early years staff, across private, voluntary and independent providers as well as Children’s Centre Nurseries

Priority	Actions	Outcome measures	Lead	By when
1. To ensure sufficient and appropriate support for early years children identified with SEND	1.1. Embed strategic approach to Raising Early Achievement Literacy SEND	Targets achieved in implementation plan	Early Years Team	March 2023
	1.2 Review ASF funding including grant terms and conditions	ASF rates reflect the cost of employing staff and providing support	Early Years Team	March 2023
	1.3 Map groups to support SEND and ensure families are aware and know how to access. Including Jeanne Saunders, Children Centre groups, Early Language support team and Nursery provided groups. Work with Amaze and PACC to support this action.	Increased number of groups available and clear information on where and how to access. Number of children and parents accessing groups.	BHISS and Early Years Team	March 2023
	1.4 Review process for initiating early years education Health Care Plans	Children and families receive timely support meeting statutory timescales	BHISS	March 2023
	1.5 SEND team reviewing specialist spaces in special schools and support for transitions.	Increased numbers of specialist spaces available	SEND team	September 2023
	1.6 Review Early Years SEND training offer and action learning opportunities including best practice hub.	Best practice hubs developed and implemented	Early Years Team	March 2023

Priority	Actions	Outcome measures	Lead	By when
2. To ensure clear and consistent assessments and pathways for early years children	2.1 Review the integrated process review pathway to ensure joined up approaches to assessment for 2 year olds	Increase in number of integrated progress reviews completed and shared in line with process	Early Years Team and Healthy Child Programme	June 2023
	2.2 Develop and embed Brighton and Hove Speech, language and communication pathway	Professionals and parents to be aware of the pathway and using it to support children with identified Speech, Language and communication needs	Early Years Team	June 2023
	2.3 Develop tools to support practitioners and families including videos to ensure consistent approaches to speech, language and communication	Toolkit developed and disseminated to all Early Years professionals Number of children and parents accessing speech and language interventions	Early Years Team	March 2023
3 To ensure there are sufficient early years childcare places in the city so that all children can take up their early years free entitlement and parents can work	3.1 Develop and implement early years recruitment support strategy	Decrease in reported recruitment issues	Early Years Team	December 2022
	3.2 Embed and audit new provider agreement for Early Years settings	All Early Years settings accessing Early Years funding are compliant with provider agreement	Early Years Team	ongoing
	3.3 Complete childcare sufficiency assessment	Childcare sufficiency assessment completed and published with action plan for identified sufficiency issues	Early Years Team	March 2023
4 To ensure early years provision is good quality and supports outcomes for disadvantaged children with the aim of closing the gap between them and their peers	4.1 Review training package and offer to Early Years professionals	Training package updated Number of professionals accessing training	Early Years Team	June 2023
	4.2 Review of support for settings with focus on those with high numbers of children with early years pupil premium and two year olds with early years free entitlement	Plan developed and support in place for identified settings	Early Years Team	ongoing
	4.3 Review EYSFP data for 2022 to inform future support for early years settings	Data used to inform training and support packages	Early Years Team	December 2022