Support & resources for childcare & early years providers

The childcare team offers support to registered childminders and childcare providers in Northumberland.

We’re responsible for:

• supporting the development of new childcare places
• supporting the development of the early years and childcare workforce
• promoting the quality of services
• ensuring key elements of the Sure Start programme are delivered

We also have a childcare development team who are there to support, advise and train all childcare providers.

Our team of development workers are there to support, advise and train all childcare providers:

• provide information, advice and training to all childcare providers
• develop new childcare places in areas of identified need
• facilitate engagement by childcare providers with initiatives, eg children’s centres, the extended school’s programme and community regeneration
• make contact with individuals, groups and networks within communities, in order to bring people together in planning and providing childcare
• support local communities and providers in accessing resources from external funding sources
• support and mentor childcare providers to improve quality of care

We have a childcare development officer responsible for specific areas of Northumberland:

• Julie Murray, central Northumberland (including Ashington, Bedlington, Choppington, Lynemouth, Morpeth, Newbiggin and Pegswood)
• Maureen Doherty, north Northumberland (including Alnwick, Amble, Belford, Bamburgh, Berwick, Felton, Coquet, Rothbury, Seahouses and Wooler)
• Jill Prescott, west Northumberland (including Corbridge, Halthwistle, Hexham, North Tyne, Ponteland and Prudhoe)
• Diane Williamson, southeast Northumberland (including Blyth, Cramlington, Seaton Delaval and Seaton Sluice)

To contact any of the team call: 01670 623563.

• Click here to download the statutory guidance for early education and childcare provision from the Department for Education (DfE).

All three and four-year-olds are entitled to free high-quality early education, starting in the term following a child’s third birthday until compulsory school age.

The current free entitlement is 15 hours a week (570 hours a year) for 38 weeks of the year.

Parents/carers of two-year-olds who meet a range of criteria are entitled to the same amount of free high-quality early years education or childcare, from the term following a child’s second birthday until the end of the term in which they are three.

Below are useful documents for early years care and education providers who are on our list of approved free entitlement providers.

To find out how to get on our list of approved providers, please read our local code of practice FAQ below and call us on: 01670 623563.
 

Northumberland local code of practice	Early years funded free entitlement for two, three and four year old education	Northumberland local code of practice Sept 2017.pdf
Northumberland local code of practice FAQ	Frequently asked questions for childcare and early years education providers, plus parents/carers	Northumberland local code of practice FAQ.pdf
Application to deliver funded education pathway.	Application for early years providers	Early years application to deliver funded education pathway.pdf

• Click here to view the information we provide parents/carers including using and finding out about their free entitlement and a list of approved childcare providers.

Click here to download our funding guide and bank details form:

Northumberland local code of practice -  Sept 2017.pdf

early years providers bank_details_form.doc

Click below to download our latest childcare sufficiency statement: 

• Sufficiency statement 2018-19
• Visit the families information service page to find out more about the CSA and our obligations. 

• If you’re a parent/carer of children for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), click here to find out more about our local offer.

• Click on our safeguarding children webpages if you’re worried about a child, or would like further information on safeguarding children.

Useful documents:

• Working together to safeguard children 2013
• Local authority designated officer (LADO) information sheet