Introduction
There have been a number of changes to how the early year's sector is supported in Surrey. This document is designed to give the sector the latest information about the teams available to support providers in Surrey.
The Early Years Educational Effectiveness Team, Early Years , Special Educational Needs and Disability Team and The Early Years Commissioning Team support all registered Early Years providers to develop high quality, inclusive sustainable early education and childcare places which meet local demand. The teams coordinate support to raise quality for all children in existing provision within the private, voluntary and independent sector and in maintained nursery classes and nursery schools.
In addition to the above teams we also have the Funded Early Education Team who support the delivery of the Funded Early Education Funding across Surrey. They support the setting with their initial registration for funding, the administration of the funding and they provide advice and support for existing settings.
Early Years Quality, Education and Inclusion
The Early Years Quality, Education and Inclusion Service is made up of two teams, The Early Years Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Team and the Early Years Educational Effectiveness Team. The service aims to improve outcomes for all children by providing expert advice, guidance, training and challenge to the sector. We do this by empowering early years teachers, managers, owners, Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) and practitioners including childminders to provide high quality inclusive practice and to ensure that children get the right support at the right time.
Early Years Educational Effectiveness Team
The Early Years Education Effectiveness Team provide support and challenge to a range of early years providers including full daycare, pre-schools, maintained nurseries, childminders and out of school provision to promote quality improvements and maintain high quality inclusive provision. The team will provide advice and guidance on quality of provision and the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage as well as supporting setting to meet the requirements set out by Ofsted and other relevant legislation.
Early Years Education Effectiveness Team act as mentors and role models to settings in Surrey; providing training, advice, support and challenge to early years managers, practitioners and childminders.
The advisory team will liaise with both internal and external professionals to ensure that the Continuum of Support and Graduated Response in Surrey is fully embedded across the early year's sector and will play a key role in ensure young children in Surrey are effectively safeguarded and well supported by practitioners. The team will work with settings who have disadvantaged and vulnerable children attending to ensure that they are fully supported to achieve the highest possible outcomes. Early identification and intervention is key to the teams support to the sector. We work closely with the Early Years Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Team to ensure that settings provided inclusive practice where all children are given the opportunity to flourish. The team provide guidance and support to setting to develop fully inclusive practice with a particular focus on supporting children who are displaying distressed behaviour.
The team work alongside managers and practitioners in early years settings to empower them to become highly reflective practitioners and to continuously evaluate and improve their practice.
The team can be contacted by email earlyyearsadvisors@surreycc.gov.uk
The team consists of:
- Head of Education - Carrie Traill
- Service Manager Early Years Quality, Education and Inclusion - Philippa Gray
- Early Years Manager – Wendy Simpson
- Senior Early Years Advisor (North West) – Lindsay Ellery
- Senior Early Years Advisor (North East) – Justine Little
- Senior Early Years Advisor (South East) – Frances Smith
- Senior Early Years Advisor (South West) – Tanya Overman
- Quality Development Advisor - Childminding - Elke Bailey
- Quality Development Advisor - Quality Improvement - Sarah Scarth
- Quality Development Advisor - Early Years In Schools - Jane Appleby
- Quality Development Advisor - Under 3s - Kerry Batchelor
- Early Years Advisor (Woking) – Gemma Beer
- Early Years Advisor (Runnymede) – Valeria Vergani
- Early Years Advisor (Surrey Heath) - Nicole Tudor
- Early Years Advisor (Guildford) – Leanne Hunter
- Early Years Advisor (Waverley) – Karen Wilman and Toni Bridger
- Early Years Advisor (Reigate and Banstead) – Charlotte Smith/ Laura Edwards
- Early Years Advisor (Tandridge) - Lara Matthews/Laura Edwards
- Early Years Advisor (Mole Valley – Sasha Gibbs
- Early Years Advisor (Elmbridge) – Angela O'Sullivan
- Early Years Advisor (Spelthorne) - Estelle James
- Early Years Advsior (Epsom and Ewell) - Alisha Blanchard
- Early Years Advisor for Children who are Looked after - Rachel Clement
- Early Years Safeguarding Advisor - Kim O'Malley
- Early Years Workforce Development Advisor - Sharon Lock
Early Years Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Team
Supporting early identification and intervention through advice and support in implementing a graduated response to meet the needs of children with SEND and promote inclusion through:
- Enhancing Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinators (SENCO) knowledge and experience through delivery of training and termly network meetings.
- Offering advice and guidance regarding SEND processes.
- Providing advice and support to SENCOs ranging from observation visits, SEND surgeries, telephone and email contact.
- Promoting multi-agency working with health and education to ensure a coordinated approach is in place to support children with SEND.
- Offering advice regarding funding using a graduated response including the Early Intervention Fund.
- Providing up to date advice and online resources through the SEND Local Offer website.
- Supporting transitions including Team around the Family meetings
- Providing advice and guidance regarding Early intervention strategies and support.
The team can be contacted by email for the following areas:
- Elmbridge, Spelthorne, Epsom and Ewell - sectorne@surreycc.gov.uk
- Woking, Runnymede, Surrey Heath - sectornw@surreycc.gov.uk
- Tandridge, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead - sectorse@surreycc.gov.uk
- Guildford, Waverley - sectorsw@surreycc.gov.uk
The team consists of:
- Service Manager Early Years Quality, Education and Inclusion – Philippa Gray
- Early Years SEND Team Manager – Lisa McMahon
North East
- Senior SEND Advisor – Michelle Blake
- SEND Advisor – Denise Eddy
- SEND Advisor – Nicola Clark
- SEND Advisor – Alexandra Dudley
North West
- Senior SEND Advisor – Charlotte Jones
- SEND Advisor – Amelia Harmer
- SEND Advisor – Vacant post
- SEND Advisor – Ruth Sands
South West
- Senior SEND Advisor – Karen Telling
- SEND Advisor – Nicki Wells
- SEND Advisor – Claire Masch
- SEND Advisor - Jacquie Brown
- SEND Advisor - Sophie Weston-Elphick
South East
- Senior SEND Advisor – Debbie Bullock
- SEND Advisor – Sarah Keaney
- SEND Advisor – Jane Winnan
- SEND Advisor – Linda Innes
Inclusion Development Advisors
- Communication and Language - Maria Boxley
- Transitions - Olivia Turner
- Autism - Sammy Pearce
- Complex Health and Physical Needs - Katie Sage
Commissioning for Transformation
Early Years Children's Commissioning Teams
The Early Years Commissioning for Transformation Teams below are led and managed by Carol Savedra, Assistant Director (AD) for Early Years, Education, Additional Needs and Disabilities and Julie Barker, Service Manager for Early Years, Education, Additional Needs and Disabilities. Function, responsibilities, what advice and support you can expect from each of the teams is listed below.
Early Years Commissioning Team
The Early Years Commissioning Team works to support the Early Years sector with advice connected to sufficiency of provision, business management, funded entitlements, sustainability and market management and stability. The Early Years Commissioning Team has a responsibility to ensure sufficient, good quality provision, achieving excellence and value for money for Surrey residents.
The team provides support to Early Years settings and childminders in setting up and running sustainable Early Years provision. The team can advise in areas such as financial and business advice including financial forecasting and modelling sustainable provision, governance and statutory requirements, setting up a childcare business and how to deliver the funded entitlements. We also work to ascertain need and plan for future sufficiency of Early Years places.
The team works closely with the other Early Years teams within Education with close links with the Early Years Educational Effectiveness Team, the Early Years Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Team and the Funded Early Education Team who are responsible for making all payments to providers.
The Surrey Early Years Teams work together to provide a holistic package of support for the early years sector.
If you would like to contact the team, please email us on: eycommissioningteam@surreycc.gov.uk
The team consists of:
- Commissioning Manager for Early Years – Olivia Barton
- Senior Commissioning Officer (South East Surrey) – Amy Riddlestone
- Senior Commissioning Officer (South West Surrey) – Kate Addley
- Senior Commissioning Officer (North East Surrey) – Natasha Garthwaite
- Senior Commissioning Officer (North West Surrey) – Melissa Tome
- Commissioning Officer (South East Surrey) – Caroline Pain
- Commissioning Officer (North East Surrey) – Tanith Perry
- Commissioning Officer (South West Surrey) - Lucy Bower
- Commissioning Officer (North West Surrey) - Rebecca Mullins
- Commissioning Support Officer - Jillian Turner
- Commissioning Support Officer - Katherine Stone
Early Years & Wraparound Childcare Expansion Team
The Early Years & Wraparound Childcare Expansion Team are responsible for supporting the delivery of the expansion to Early Years funded places and increasing the availability of wraparound childcare in phases from April 2024 to September 2026.
- From April 2024, eligible working parents of 2-year-olds have been able access 15 hours funded early education and childcare (over 38 weeks a year) from the term after their child's 2nd birthday.
- From Sept 2024, eligible working parents of children aged 9 months and above can access 15 hours funded early education and childcare (over 38 weeks a year) from the term following their child turning 9 months.
- From Sept 2025, the offer will be rolled out in full, with eligible working parents of children aged 9 months and above able to access 30 hours funded early education and childcare (over 38 weeks a year) from the term following their child turning 9 months.
- By September 2026, all working families who need it should be able to access a wraparound childcare place for their Primary School aged child.
We are responsible for managing grant funding allocated by the Department for Education to support the realisation of the Early Years roll out and wraparound childcare ambition. There is a capital allocation for both Early Years and wraparound, then a separate revenue grant fund to support the increased availability of wraparound places.
We are a project team and are responsible for identifying opportunities and risks associated with the overall programme, we then work closely with Early Years colleagues to realise or address these.
- Early Years and Wraparound Implementation Programme Lead – Charlotte Hards
- Project Manager – Ruby Bestwick
- Wraparound Coordinator – Liam Roberts
- Wraparound Coordinator – Emma Floyd
Early Years, Education, Additional Needs and Disabilities Commissioning Team
The Early Years, Education, Additional Needs and Disabilities Commissioning Team works closely with colleagues across Education, Health and Care Teams to ensure that commissioned services work well with Surry County Council's (SCC) own services and that together we are prepared to meet the needs of children and families. Colleagues across Surrey County Council and Health teams ensure that early year's children are included when planning for all children. The team's remit is broad and across a range of programmes and workstreams. Below is some of the work that we do.
The Best Start for Surrey Strategy aims to ensure that we have joined up approaches and looks at how we can remove any barriers to accessing help and support for Surrey families with children aged 0-5 years. We work closely with the Inclusion Teams by providing support for the sector to include children with any barrier to learning, including children with additional needs and disabilities, through Early Intervention Funding (EIF).
The team of Reception Planning Pathway Leads(RIPPLs) aim to support children with additional needs and disabilities when transitioning from an early year's setting into a mainstream Surrey school. The aim of the team is to ensure the interventions and strategies that have been supporting the child, are continued within the school.
We hold the Early Years Governance Panel on a yearly basis to understand whether children with additional needs and disabilities are thriving in inclusive early years settings, if we think that children need a specialist school nusrery in the year before they go to school, an Early Years Inclusion Pathway Planning (EYIPP) meeting will be held with parents/carers, the setting and any involved professional to understand the child's education needs. Children who may require more than is currently being provided will be discussed (at parent/care's discretion) at the Governance Panel. We also work with SEND Area Teams, SEND Admissions and SEND Placements to ensure that children finishing at an early year's setting have an education in a school that best meets their needs. The team manages education contracts to ensure that children have the right support in education.
We also have a responsibility for managing and recording SEN Support Notifications (SSNs) in order to support children with additional needs and disabilities and help to guide the sufficiency of places for children when they go to school. We also work closely with the Holiday and Food (HAF) Programme team to provide governance and support.
We work together with our early years' colleagues on the expansion for Early Years Funded Entitlement for 9 months+, 2-year-olds and 3- and 4-year-olds.
If you would like to contact the team, please email us on: SENDEdEyCommissioning@surreycc.gov.uk
The team consists of:
- Commissioning Team Manager – Gessica Diprima
- Senior Commissioning Officer (Best Start for Surrey Lead) – Kat Link
- Early Years Governance Panel Co-ordinator – Rachel Gunton
- Early Years Governance Panel Co-ordinator - Vicky Plowman
- Commissioning Officer - Eve Siewierski
- Commissioning Support Officers – Jessica Barker, Michelle Clancy and Susan Kiteley
- Senior Team Administrator – Hannah Nash
- Commissioning Officer (Reception Inclusion Pathway Planning Lead, North East) – Kerry O'Neill
- Commissioning Officer (Reception Inclusion Pathway Planning Lead, South East) – Anna Louise Symcox
- Commissioning Officer (Reception Inclusion Pathway Planning Lead, South West) – Nicola Couch
- Commissioning Officer (Reception Inclusion Pathway Planning Lead, North West) – Danielle Bell and Emily Carnie
All Age Autism Strategy Commissioning Team
The All Age Autism Strategy team focuses on the implementation of the All Age Autism Strategy 2021 to 2026.
The strategy aims to achieve an autism friendly approach across the county in education, health, social care, work, and communities. Five workstreams have been established to achieve this. The team primarily focus on workstreams 1. Information, Awareness and Understanding Autism and workstream 2. Education and Preparation for Adulthood and the Partnership for Neurodiversity in Schools project (PINS).
The strategy has been coproduced with a wide range of partners including autistic children, young people, adults, families, parent carers and professionals. Coproduction continues to be at the heart of implementation. The team works closely with Family Voice, Surrey National Autistic Society and Accept Teach Listen Access Support (ATLAS).
Areas of work focused on to date includes:
- Pathological Demand Avoidance
- Masking
- School Autism Friendly Reviews
- Transitions
- Autism: Gender & Sexuality
- Autism: Healthy Eating & Sensory Differences
The team consists of:
- Jane Gupta-Autism Strategy Service Manager
- Kim Collen-Autism Strategy Senior Project Manager
- Lisa Nash-Autism Strategy Senior Integrated Project Manager
- Sabrina Peters-Autism Strategy Coordinator
- Sarah Foreman_ Autism Strategy Commissioning Support Officer
- Robbie Morrison-Autism Strategy Apprentice
- Kai Henderson-Autism Strategy Supported Intern
If you would like to contact the team about any aspect of our work, please email allageautismstrategy@surreycc.gov.uk
Funded Early Education (FEE)Team
The FEE Team supports the Early Years settings, schools and childminders. The FEE Team process payments and offer assistance to the Early Years directorate in actioning the Funded Early Education claims for 2, 3 and 4 year olds through;
- Registering settings on to the Surrey Directory of Providers
- Actioning changes and requests received through the online registration form
- Updating childminder vacancies
- Arranging access to the Funded Early Education Portal
- Assisting settings with setting up their Provider Agreements
- Support settings with changes to funding claims on the portal
- Helping settings to enter their claims and assisting with any queries or system issues
- Process and review FEET applications from parents and settings
- Complete eligibility checks for Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) for PVIs and Schools
- Complete eligibility checks for 30 Hours for PVIs and Schools
- Calculating and making payments to approximately 1000 Providers each month
- Making payments in respect of 15,000 children for Universal funding, 7,000 children for extended funding for 3 & 4 year olds, 1,500 2 year olds (FEET) and 5,000 2 year olds (working entitlement)
- Raising invoices to reclaim funding where necessary at the end of each funded period
- Making payments of Inclusive practice funding, Disability Access Funds, Sufficiency and Sustainability Grants
- Attending panel meetings for Early Intervention Funding (EIF) and processing the agreed funding offer
- Collecting information required for Census, completing and following up on queries relating to Census submission
Our contact details are: Address: County Council, Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 8EF Email: fundedearlyeducation@surreycc.gov.uk
Early Support Service
The Early Support Team works with families holistically to improve outcomes for their children, 0-5 years old with multiple, complex health needs and disabilities. Putting the child at the centre, we listen to parents and establish a team around the family to coproduce a plan of support. This approach builds confident parents and enables children to reach their full potential. Our aim is to make life a little bit easier as simple daily tasks can be very challenging when you have a child with complex needs. There may be a large number of people and services involved and we can help by coordinating these. We work closely with colleagues from health, education, the voluntary sector and social care.
Some of the ways we support our families
- Home visit - depending on the current guidance/risk assessment this could be virtual or socially distanced
- Allocating a key worker who can be one point of contact for the family
- Keeping in touch regularly, not just when there is a problem
- Offer information, advice and practical support about local services
- Organise an Early Support Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting (currently virtual)
- Run and support holiday and term time SEND drop in groups with Family Centres, Education and the Voluntary Sector
Our criteria
We are a targeted level 3 service with each full time equivalent Early Support Key Worker holding a caseload of 12 to 15 families.
- Child with complex health needs, disabilities and/or special educational needs aged: 0 to 5 years (a diagnosis is not required)
- 3 or more specialist health/education professionals involved (or referred to)
- Parent/carer gives consent for Early Support to be involved
- Family in need of regular input to increase resilience and improve child's outcomes due to significant social, financial, health and/or community challenges
To refer a family to Early Support
Do contact us to discuss any possible referrals and let us know if you have made a referral. Complete a Children's Single Point of Access (C-SPA) Request for Support Form stating a referral to Early Support is wanted clearly on the form with as much information as possible about the child's special needs and the family's situation. A less than 3 month old Early Help Assessment is also an acceptable way to refer in. There is a link to the Request for Support Form on the Surrey early Support Service for young children with disabilities webpage.
Email: earlysupport@surreycc.gov.uk
West Team
Lisa Fogerty-Scott – Co-ordinator Lisa.fogertyscott@surreycc.gov.uk
East Team
Dorothy (Dolly) Walker – Co-ordinator Dorothy.walker@surreycc.gov.uk
Education Safeguarding Team
The Education Safeguarding Team provides advice, information and guidance to education settings on their safeguarding arrangements and practice. Our aim is to support education staff with the knowledge and skills to protect every child and young person in Surrey from harm, support them to develop their potential and to create an environment where they feel safe to learn.
Contact the Education Safeguarding Team by email: education.safeguarding@surreycc.gov.uk
The team consists of:
- Education Safeguarding Team Manager: Clare Stewart
- Education Safeguarding Advisor: Emily Smith
- Education Safeguarding Advisor: Sarah Ellis
- Education Safeguarding Advisor: Narinder Ghosal
Schools Family Workforce Development Officer - Andrea Page
Early Years Learning Portal
The Early Years Learning Portal is a one stop shop where Surrey providers can access specific training sessions from a range of Surrey services including Education safeguarding and Race, Equality and Minority Achievement (REMA) and provide access to resources, documents and information. The new portal will allow setting owners or the manager to access the training records for the setting, download training materials, provide feedback on course and access to certificates of attendance for staff. Eventually all our Bookstart resources will also be ordered via this system.
If you require any support to access the system please contact Tina Black who is our Early Years Learning and Development Officer tina.black@surreycc.gov.uk.
Early Years Phase Council
A Voice for the Early Years Sector in Surrey – Representing your views.
This Council is comprised of an elected membership of representatives designed to capture the views across the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors of Early Years providers. The Early Years Phase Council (EYPC) mirrors the work of the Primary, Secondary and Special Phase Councils and works in close partnership alongside them.
The EYPC gives all stakeholders the opportunity, in partnership with our SCC colleagues, to support children and families on their journey of learning. It has a very broad representation from across the sector with members from maintained Nursery Schools, Childminders, Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) providers including pack away sessional settings and full daycare settings. This offers us an opportunity to really understand the perspectives of the whole sector and ensure that we have a voice that represents all children under 5 when Surrey County Council seeks information and opinion in order to inform future planning and policy for future of Early Years.
The EYPC will work as a conduit to support wider consultation on a broad variety of issues and strategies including service delivery, funding and targeted priorities including SEND and social mobility. We will continue to have representation on Schools Forum, which is instrumental in deciding future funding policy. We will also have opportunity to meet with the SCC Director of Education at regular intervals, along with the Chairs of the other Phase Councils, to influence and input into future strategies.
The Early Years Phase Council is keen to support the sector in Surrey and have been looking at ways to do this. We want to hear from you with any concerns, questions, feedback or even positive messages you have! If you would like to contact us directly please send and email to surreyeyphasecouncil@gmail.com.
For further information and details of current member please visit Early Years Phase Council
Useful information
Early Years Networks, Childminder Networks and Early Years SENCO Networks
Each term the Early Years Educational Effectiveness Team and the Graduated Response Early Years SEND Teams run information network sessions. These networks are an opportunity for owner/managers, practitioners, SENCOs and Childminders to come out meet the team and be updated on the latest early years and SEND news. There are sessions held across the county and while we encourage you to attend the one in your area we are happy to see you at any session.
Safeguarding training
Working Together to Safeguarding Children e-learning is suitable for all new staff and for those who have previously attended training but need to refresh their skills and knowledge. The e-learning is available to book via the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) e-learning webpage. On the same page you will find a range of other e-learning session that support practitioners to develop their knowledge on a variety of safeguarding issues such as Prevent, Domestic Abuse, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and online safety. Practitioners who are not the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead should refresh their knowledge and skills every 3 years.
If you are the setting Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) then you will find the relevant training for you on the Surrey Children's Service Academy webpage. You will be required to complete Working Together to Safeguard Children (WTSC) followed by Advanced Safeguarding in Surrey and Early Years Designated Safeguarding Lead – combined new to role and refresher training. The DSL and DDSL should attend a refresher course every 2 years and should update their Knowledge on an annual basis as well as ensuring they are kept aware of changes in regulations and legislation by making and documenting regular checks on the SSCP website, attending training, signing up for the Childcare professionals E-Bulletin and signing up for updates to the SSCP Procedure manual reading updates and recording dates in a log.
Childcare Professionals webpage
There is a range of useful information for childcare professionals on the Surrey County Council Childcare Professional webpage. These pages including information regarding the Early Years Foundation Stage, providing funder early education, running your business, starting your childcare career and training.
Surrey Local Offer
The Surrey Local Offer webpage contains a wealth of information to support families and practitioners supporting children with a Special Education Need or Disability. The Early Years and Playwork practitioner page contains all the information that practitioners need to support children including Graduated Response documents, Individual Support Plans, Funding information and paperwork, making referrals to other agencies and a range of support tools and information.
Family Information Service
Surrey Family Information Service (FIS) is a statutory service providing free impartial information and signposting for families with children aged 0 to 19 (up to 25 years for those with additional needs). FIS also manage and maintain the Surrey Local Offer enquiry service and website.
The role of FIS is to help families get the most out of the information and services available in the community and online. This could be something like helping you find out about local events and activities for your child, or pointing you in the right direction when things aren't going so well and you need a bit of extra support.
FIS also support professionals in their work with children and families by providing centralised information resources to help them guide customers to the services and information that they need.
You can use the comprehensive Family Information Directory to find services, support groups, activities, events and more. And if you need some extra help you can always get in touch with us via our How to contact Family Information Service page, by email, phone or social media.
