Child care services and fees
This information is for parents and carers using childcare provision.
Businesses behaving unfairly during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
During COVID-19, the Government expects childcare providers to comply with the law and take a reasonable and proportionate approach to parents’ fees, considering these unprecedented circumstances, and to communicate any arrangements clearly with them.
If you feel you have been affected by unfair charges for your childcare during COVID-19, you can report it online to the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA).
30 hours free childcare and/or tax-free childcare
If you are temporarily not meeting the minimum income requirement for 30 hours free childcare and/or tax-free childcare as a direct consequence of COVID-19 and would normally meet the threshold for these schemes or you are a critical worker that has temporarily exceeded the maximum threshold, you could still be treated as eligible.
You should continue to apply or reconfirm if you have a childcare account already. You will be contacted if you need to supply further evidence of eligibility.
Find out more information at Gov.UK
Select and Collect Service coming to a W Sussex library near you
Libraries in West Sussex are introducing a phased reintroduction of services from Monday 6 July, starting with a ‘Select and Collect’ service.
The service will allow residents to collect books from the front doors of all 36 West Sussex County Council owned libraries without the need to enter the building.
People will be able to reserve specific titles in the usual way online or by phoning their local library. In addition, people who may not know exactly what they want to borrow, will be able to ask for a more general selection of books chosen by a member of the West Sussex Library team.
Customers can complete a short online form or phone their local library giving them some basic information so that appropriate books can be selected.
People will also be able to pick up existing reservations made before Monday 23 March.
When items are available, the library service will let customers know and arrange a time for the items to be collected.
Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Fire and Rescue and Communities, said: “Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the West Sussex Library Service has done their utmost to make sure that they offer all library users an alternative service to tide them over until lockdown restrictions were eased.
“Now, they are taking their first step back to a ‘new normal’ by offering this fantastic ‘Select and Collect’ service. We hope that this will get our regular library users comfortable with heading back into their local library when they re-open fully at a later date. It will also allow library users to see some of their regular library staff and have a chat or talk through any worries or concerns they may have about using the libraries at this current time.
“Whatever you plan to do, the staff at all of our libraries are looking forward to welcoming you back.”
Browsing inside the library is not yet available and all libraries will be operating with reduced hours for the foreseeable future.
Once the ‘Select and Collect’ service has been trialled, the next priority is to restore customer access to IT whilst still enabling staff to work safely.
For anyone who cannot visit the library and would like to borrow a selection of stock or request specific items, the Essential Delivery Service, which was set up when libraries closed towards the end of March, will still be available.
There are currently no overdue charges for outstanding items, so please do not worry if you are unable to return your books at this stage.
To take advantage of the ‘Select and Collect’ service, visit arena.westsussex.gov.uk/web/arena/staff-select and fill out the short online form.
Manhood Wildlife & Heritage Group - 3 voluntary roles available
The Manhood Wildlife & Heritage Group (MWHG) currently has three voluntary roles available in their fabulous organisation, and are seeking people passionate about the wildlife and natural environment on the Manhood Peninsula to fill them.
The roles are:
1. Chairperson
2. Secretary
3. Treasurer
The MWHG has been an extremely active charity on the peninsula for over 20 years. The group has an army of volunteers who make projects happen and contribute to the natural well-being and heritage of the area. An excellent example is the National Lottery funded FLOW project that helped us with Fixing and Linking Our Wetlands.
The best people to tell you about the Manhood Wildlife & Heritage Group are the organisers and volunteers themselves, so here is a video made to celebrate 20 years of MWHG: http://mwhg.org.uk/about-us/
Can you please circulate this request via your networks, to enable MWHG to reach as many people who may be interested as possible.
Please send responses or questions to Alex Ainge by email: alex.ainge@btinternet.com