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Home Learning Environment and Early Years Team

The Home Learning Environment and Early Years Team strives to provide support and advice in all early years education and childcare aspects.

We aim to improve outcomes for all children under five through focussing on the following priorities:

  • Communication and language
  • Reduction in equality gap for targeted children
  • Ensure sufficiency
  • Workforce development

The team comprises of:

  • Home Learning Environment and Early Years Team Lead
  • Early Years Advisory Teacher for Inclusion
  • Early Years Advisory Teacher
  • Early Language Consultant
  • Two Early Years Development Workers
  • Three Portage Home Visiting workers
  • Home Learning Environment Outreach worker
  • Early Years Finance and Business Officer
  • Business Support Officer

If you wish to contact a member of the team, please email earlyyears@torbay.gov.uk outlining your request and it will be forwarded to the team member with responsibility for this area.

We can offer support and advice through:

  • An offer of training is provided for professional development and courses for parents via https://torbay.learningpool.com
  • Advisory visits to individual settings for children under five whether the setting is a nursery, a preschool, a childminder or a school-based nursery.
  • Support for children experiencing additional needs through a virtual consultation or a visit to offer advice.
  • If the child was eligible for Portage, visits would be offered at home and in their setting if attending one.
  • Home visits are also offered to families whose children under five are not attending a setting to support the home learning environment.
  • Advice is available regarding any aspect of Safeguarding.
  • A member of the team attends the Early Help panel each week to support families with early years children to receive support.
  • The Local Authority receives funding to offer additional support to settings for children experiencing a high level of need. This is referred to as ALFI in Torbay: Activity Led Funding for Inclusion.
  • Parents can apply for funded childcare through the team.
  • Expansion of childcare provision is supported through our sufficiency report and advisory visits to settings who intend to create or extend their provision.
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