Support for Early Years Providers from London’s Boroughs
The London boroughs provide a range of support, resources and training services for early years professionals and providers. Browse the support available in your borough below.
London Borough of Barnet provides advice, business support and training for both new and existing early years providers.
Resources include:
- Financial planning and market research.
- Services for registered childminders including training opportunities.
- Early years practitioner training at the Barnet eLearning Hub.
- Avenues for funding.
- Support for children’s centres and early years settings.
- Libraries Early Years Team.
The London Borough of Bexley Early Years Team offers support to settings and childminders. Services include:
- A range of training courses, including safeguarding, SEND and paediatric first aid.
- Bespoke support sessions offering information, advice and guidance.
Brent Council’s Children and Families Information Service offers advice for prospective early years providers in the borough.
Topics include:
- Training courses.
- EYFS resources and guidance.
- Sufficiency guidance for prospective providers.
The Bromley Borough Education Matters website features regular training sessions for local early years providers.
Topics include:
- Introduction to child protection.
- Child protection for childminders.
- Introduction to the reviewed Development Matters.
- Child protection for designated leads in group settings.
- Early years safeguarding updates.
- Individual support sessions for providers awaiting first inspection.
- Individual support sessions for good and outstanding providers.
- Early years area quality forums.
Providers need to be registered to book and based in Bromley.
Bromley Council also offers advice and resources for those looking to open an early years provision, both childminders and non-domestic.
Camden Council provides guidance on setting up and registering as a childcare provider.
The City of London Early Years Hub offers advice and support for providers based in the City.
Areas of support include:
- Forums and training.
- Childcare job vacancies.
- EYFS resources and guidance.
- Safeguarding information.
- Mental health resources.
The Family Space Croydon website has information for existing and prospective childcare providers in the borough.
Support includes:
- Guidance on setting up a business for prospective preschool managers and childminders.
- Policy and legislation guidance.
- Training for early years professionals, including bespoke team training, e-learning, safeguarding, SEN and paediatric first aid.
- Practitioner development forums.
- Learning and development events organised by the Early Learning Team, with targeted support for settings not yet rated “Good” by Ofsted.
- EYFS and inclusion support.
Ealing Grid for Learning features guidance for early years settings and childminders.
Enfield Council provides a variety of services and resources for both prospective and established childcare providers.
Services include:
- Training and advice for prospective childminders and practitioners thinking of opening their own setting.
- Child protection and safeguarding information and training.
- SENCO resources.
- EYFS guidance.
The Royal Borough of Greenwich Early Years and Childcare Service provides information, support and guidance to providers in the borough.
Areas of support include:
- Advice and guidance for new providers and those thinking about entering the market.
- Monitoring and guidance to those delivering early learning funded provision.
- Pre- and post-Ofsted inspection advice, challenge and support.
- Inclusion in the Community Directory to promote services offered by individual settings.
- Safeguarding and welfare guidance.
- A programme of continuing professional development training.
Hackney Services for Schools offers information and support for childminders and non-domestic providers in the borough.
Support includes:
- Advice on becoming a childminder and opening/expanding a childcare business.
- Free and fee-paying training courses.
- Policy guidance and other resources.
The Hammersmith and Fulham early years advisory team consists of early years teachers who support local practitioners in private, voluntary and independent (PVI) settings that receive the early years entitlement funding. They also support nursery and reception classes in schools.
The team can provide information and advice on:
- Setting up an Ofsted registered childcare provision, including:
- The registration process with Ofsted.
- Local links such as safeguarding and food business registration.
- How to sign up for three- and four-year-old childcare places funding.
- How PVI early years providers can meet EYFS requirements.
- Support for special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs).
- Termly SENCO Forums for SENCOS to network and share queries. Information on funding is also available, as well as supporting children with SEND.
- Training linked to the EYFS curriculum areas as needed.
To find out more, please email eyfservice@lbhf.gov.uk.
Haringey provides support, resources and training for early years providers in the borough.
Training covers a range of topics including:
- Planning, assessment and equality in the EYFS.
- Safeguarding.
- First aid.
- Effective learning and experiences for children.
- Developing your curriculum and practice.
They also offer advice and information on setting up and funding a childcare business.
The Harrow Council Early Years Team offers a number of services for early years providers in the borough.
Support includes:
- Early Years Business Advice Hub.
- Continuing professional development from the Support Services for Education Harrow Portal.
- Advice for prospective childminders.
- Bespoke childminder training courses.
The London Borough of Havering provides business resources for early years providers.
The London Borough of Hillingdon offers training courses and briefing sessions for prospective childminders in the borough.
Topics covered include:
- Childminding as a business.
- Regulatory requirements.
- Safeguarding and child protection.
- Diet and wellbeing.
The London Borough of Islington offers a variety of services for local early years practitioners.
Services include:
- Training and networking events on their Early Years Training Channel, including safeguarding, SEND, health and wellbeing and childminder training.
- Online continuing professional development packages.
- Support for childminders through the Childminding Hub.
- Funding information.
The City of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea bi-borough continuing professional development programme provides learning opportunities for early years providers, children’s centres and schools.
The programme reflects Ofsted recommendations, statutory requirements and sector feedback. Topics include:
- Paediatric first aid for childminders.
- The revised EYFS Framework and the new Development Matters.
- The revised EYFS Framework for Childminders.
- Protection and safeguarding for early years settings.
- Early years leadership network.
Achieving for Children provides information for providers in Kingston-upon-Thames and Richmond-upon-Thames.
Services include:
- Business information.
- Continuing professional development from the Children’s Workforce Development Team.
- Safeguarding, SEND and EYFS policy advice.
Lambeth Council provides support services and training courses for school nursery classes, private, voluntary and independent nurseries, and childminders.
Support includes:
- Business advice and support.
- Consultancy.
- General and bespoke training.
- A home-based childminder course for new childminders.
- Safeguarding support.
- Locality workshops.
Lewisham Early Years Online provides updates, advice and training for early years providers in the borough.
Training covers a range of topics, including:
- Behaviour and safety.
- Teaching and learning.
- Achievement.
- Leadership and management.
- Business management.
The Merton Early Years and Childcare Training and Development Programme offers training sessions for Ofsted-registered nurseries, preschools, out-of-school settings and childminders in the borough.
Topics include:
- Designated safeguarding lead training.
- SENCo training for childminders.
- Learning and development.
- Manager and SENCo meetings.
- Childminder meetings.
- SEN awareness and inclusive practice.
- Supporting children with sensory impairment and sensory integration difficulties.
- Autism awareness and more.
Newham Council provides advice and information for prospective childminders and non-domestic providers in the borough.
Redbridge Borough Council offers services to both existing and prospective providers, including:
- Guidance on setting up a childcare business in Redbridge.
- Training courses for providers.
- Advertising job vacancies.
- Opportunities to advertise your service.
Achieving for Children provides information for providers in Kingston-upon-Thames and Richmond-upon-Thames.
Services include:
- Business information.
- Continuing professional development from the Children’s Workforce Development Team.
- Safeguarding, SEND and EYFS policy advice.
Southwark Education Learning & Achievement provides support, training and resources for local providers.
The Sutton Council Early Years Advisory Team offers support, advice and training for early years practitioners in the borough.
Support includes:
- Early years network meetings and training.
- Early years SEND surgeries.
- Setting managers network meetings.
- Training for prospective childminders.
- Advice on policy and procedures, quality improvement and inclusive practice.
Tower Hamlets Council provides business and financial guidance for early years providers in the borough.
Support includes:
- Understanding the local market and conditions.
- Resources for early years professionals.
- Training courses.
- Advice on becoming a childminder.
The Waltham Forest Early Years, Childcare and Business Development Service offers both tiered approach and packaged project training for providers in the borough.
Topics include:
- Early years business and finance.
- Teaching, learning and assessment training.
- Health and safety.
- Safeguarding.
- SEND (special educational needs and disability).
- Childminder training.
Wandsworth’s Family Information Service provides briefing sessions for prospective childminders in the borough. The sessions are free and offer advice, guidance and the chance to begin the process of opening a childminding business.
The City of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea bi-borough continuing professional development programme provides learning opportunities for early years providers, children’s centres and schools.
The programme reflects Ofsted recommendations, statutory requirements and sector feedback. Topics include:
- Paediatric first aid for childminders.
- The revised EYFS Framework and the new Development Matters.
- The revised EYFS Framework for Childminders.
- Protection and safeguarding for early years settings.
- Early years leadership network.
Visit the Early Years & Childminding page – a one-stop-shop to help early years providers across London access business support and guidance.
Related Resources
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Resource -
Strong Early Years London: Webinar Archive
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Webinars to support the sustainability of the early years sector.
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Resource -
Closure of an Early Years Setting
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Free resources for early years providers considering closing their provision.
