Intervention Team

The Early Years Intervention Team provide training, support, guidance, and challenge to early years settings (in accordance with the local authority's statutory responsibilities) in the following circumstances:

• Ofsted inspection outcome of 'Requires Improvement' or 'Inadequate'

• Ofsted inspection outcome of 'Not Met' or 'Not Met with Actions'

• Ofsted Welfare Requirements Notice

• Ofsted suspension of setting registration.

An Intervention Adviser is allocated to the setting and an improvement plan will be created based on the recommendations or actions set by Ofsted. Early years and childcare providers who do not have an Ofsted judgement of good or better do not have an automatic right to Nursery Education Funding, funded two’s grant or Early Years Pupil Premium. Part of the Local Authority’s role is to assess each case to determine if funding will remain.

Intensive support will take the form of bespoke training, brokered visits to other providers, and/or coaching and mentoring within the setting. The support may be at the whole setting level focused on members of staff or focused on a particular theme. During the intervention process, representatives from the setting management will be expected to attend Early Years Rapid Improvement Group meetings. The meetings are Chaired by the Senior Adviser Intervention and Safeguarding and will also include the local authority professionals involved in supporting the setting. The purpose of the meetings is to check that progress against Ofsted actions and recommendations are effective and to identify any further action required.

Intervention support will remain in place until the setting achieves an Ofsted outcome of good or better or until any Ofsted compliance action is closed.

A similar process will apply in relation to childminder agencies in the event of an Ofsted inspection outcome of 'Ineffective' or a suspension.

Intervention support is also provided to reception classes/early years in schools that have been judged less than 'Good' by Ofsted. This support forms part of the broader School Improvement Service improvement plan.