Healthy and Sustainable Pre-School Scheme

[manjay]

Has anyone else heard about this or had the chance to become involved?

It is a Welsh Government funded scheme and will work in a similar way to the current Healthy Schools scheme. Apparently 99% of schools across the country are signed up to the scheme so it is pretty widespread. It has been recognised as a successful scheme and now the WG are rolling it out to the pre-school sector. Again it will be dependant on the way each LA deals with childminders. Some LA's fully embrace the important role childminders play in the sector and some don't. This is a constant uphill battle which is always being fought by NCMA Cymru.

I am currently piloting the scheme for my LA and I am really enjoying it. It is evidence based so most of the time it is me collating evidence which I already have and putting together in an evidence folder. There are some bits of my practice that it has made me think about so it is a great tool for reflection on your setting.

If you get the chance to become part of the scheme then I would say it is definitely worth it

[aly]

yes something similar with evidence etc but its the caerphilly standards or something...but like you its reflecting etc....me and a friend were guinea pigs in trying this out ...still in very early stages.

[manjay]

Yes this one is a National Scheme so everyone works through the same criteria. I guess some LA's have their own ideas

[aly]

Yes this one is a National Scheme so everyone works through the same criteria. I guess some LA's have their own ideas

yep lol

[The Juggler]

ooh might have to find out about that. thanks manjay
x

[manjay]

ooh might have to find out about that. thanks manjay
x

When I say National I mean Wales. Although there may be an equivalent in England

[aly]

ooh might have to find out about that. thanks manjay
x

Lol it's a wales thing

[aly]

oh and manjay, did you get an incentive for doing it?...we are still waiting ont he outcome and what % of evidence produced....we get £100 for doing it.

[The Juggler]

When I say National I mean Wales. Although there may be an equivalent in England

oh pants !

[manjay]

oh and manjay, did you get an incentive for doing it?...we are still waiting ont he outcome and what % of evidence produced....we get £100 for doing it.

Lets just say I have received a very healthy grant

[someonethomas]

Thanks Manjay. Nothing going on in Newport to my knowledge. Could you give me some website link(s) for the Scheme please so that I may contact my LA and see if they are supporting it? Thanks again.

[littlequackers]

Caerphilly is doing it its called Caerphilly healthy early years and is a 3 year initiative and is different to the Caerphilly Quality standards (to be quality assured) but a lot of similarities. Only some nurseries, flying start units and network childminders were offered to do it. Only 4 childminders are doining it and are nearly completing year 2. They said a lot of it was stuff they were already doing anyway. I've got my name down to do it if they decide to expand, hope they do.

[aly]

Caerphilly is doing it its called Caerphilly healthy early years and is a 3 year initiative and is different to the Caerphilly Quality standards (to be quality assured) but a lot of similarities. Only some nurseries, flying start units and network childminders were offered to do it. Only 4 childminders are doining it and are nearly completing year 2. They said a lot of it was stuff they were already doing anyway. I've got my name down to do it if they decide to expand, hope they do.

There is no network now, so it's open to all childminders.

[littlequackers]

It is now open to all childminders and I asked the caerphilly development officer if I can do it, she took my name and said she'd be in touch when they are taking on more as its still a trial but I can do the healthy snack award if I wanted to instead. Not quite the same I dont think.

[aly]

It is now open to all childminders and I asked the caerphilly development officer if I can do it, she took my name and said she'd be in touch when they are taking on more as its still a trial but I can do the healthy snack award if I wanted to instead. Not quite the same I dont think.

We were always told by the caerphilly DO and Network leader that we couldnt do the healthy snack as we werent in the network, when the early years girls came out last month {to trial this this with me and a friend} they were shocked as it was never open to only network cms.....so they are putting us onto it .

Theres quite a few things that has come to light to the EY team that the DO and NL have told people....probably why they are no longer in those positions .

[tialil]

We were always told by the caerphilly DO and Network leader that we couldnt do the healthy snack as we werent in the network, when the early years girls came out last month {to trial this this with me and a friend} they were shocked as it was never open to only network cms.....so they are putting us onto it .

Theres quite a few things that has come to light to the EY team that the DO and NL have told people....probably why they are no longer in those positions .

I enquired about the healthy snack award too but to the EY team when it very first came out(not long after I had left the network several years ago) and I was told by EY team that it was just at the time being tried on the network childminders. Got to add never did I ask again about it so dont know if they then did change it for all but if I wasnt good enough to trail it then there was not a chance I was going to do it later. I only knew about it from other network childminders

[aly]

I enquired about the healthy snack award too but to the EY team when it very first came out(not long after I had left the network several years ago) and I was told by EY team that it was just at the time being tried on the network childminders. Got to add never did I ask again about it so dont know if they then did change it for all but if I wasnt good enough to trail it then there was not a chance I was going to do it later. I only knew about it from other network childminders

Can't remember how we found out about it but we asked N and she said no because it was under G to allow the Network cms to do it...

[butterfly]

We have a similar scheme in Devon available to group settings and accredited childminders. There's no money involved and it's a fair amount of work compiling the evidence and then having an inspection but I'm going for it!

[littlequackers]

The Caerphilly network is still sort of together but all the training and development is being offered through early years and the impression I got was that all training etc was going to be available to all childminders - but could of understood it wrong, wouldnt be the first time!

[aly]

The Caerphilly network is still sort of together but all the training and development is being offered through early years and the impression I got was that all training etc was going to be available to all childminders - but could of understood it wrong, wouldnt be the first time!

Yeah I think they are phasing the network out as the network leader is no longer working as one .

All training is also available to all childminders...they will be setting up childminder coffee mornings too so we can all get together and discuss issues and even ask for courses we think we could do with...if they have enough cms asking for these courses they will put them on for us.

I prefer this way because I/we get access to things now that we weren't allowed to because 'We are not on the network'. That line always used to make me . I went throught he network training, 1 little thing and me and the network leader clashed and wasnt allowed to complete it!! so wrong.

Im all for this. I'm curently going through SEN training. {went on a course last night and 1 tonight }