Not in a good frame of mind at the moment

[JCrakers]

A few of you might have read my posts banging on about becoming accredited and how my local cc are making it extremely hard for me.its basically like they don't want childminders to offer the funding so let's make it as hard as possible to put them off. I started in January, decided against it and then changed my mind in June.

Well, I've stuck with it. Completed the generic business plan that was aimed at a larger establishment, had three visits where I was told my paperwork and ljs are really good but just I'm not using the correct forms. I've tweaked here and there, booked myself on a course so I can use the correct paperwork layout and now have a 3 hr inspection in September with two improvement advisers.
I have a quality review form to fill in which is like an sef but I have to choose what level I am from a list 1-4. 1 being outstanding etc.
Again it's geared towards a preschool/nursery because number 2 is
'most practioners Provide children with a sense of belonging and being part of a group'
Whereas number 1 is the same wording but with 'all' instead of 'most'
This in itself has made me cross :angry:

They will use the form to score me and then we can look at where to improve on an action plan. Problem is I'm happy with what I do , I don't want to improve to be the 'absolute best'. Parents and kids are very happy and I don't want to put more stress on myself to improve further when I'm not ready for it. My job is manageable at the moment, I have 15 children and 2 of my own, a dh that works away a lot and if I put extra stress on myself I'll probably end up with no job at all.

Why can't they just take the fact that I'm a childminder, not a nursery who has a manager. I am a sole trader and All the work they are asking me to do is just too much.
I have an ofsted good,level three in childcare so shouldn't that just be enough to qualify without all the admin and boxes to tick.
All this stress to fund 1 child is ridiculous. Mum and dad reap the free care by doing nothing where as I'm feeling so low at the moment I don't know if I even want to carry on minding anymore.
And it's not about the money but extra stress for a job that brings in about 10k a year for a 50hr week??

Ive lost my mojo and Ive got to smile sweetly on my inspection while inside I'm furious.

[FussyElmo]

Ok simple dont do it if it is stressing you. Ring them and tell them why you are ending it.

Our catorgerisatoion has just changed again and its long winded but I got to admit the ey advisor was very good seeing as she hadnt been to a cm before. But our do has done a separate form for childminders so that was good.

Are there any other cms around you who have done it, about to do it get them all together and tell them its unfair :)

But remember you need to put yourself first and stress is no good for you

[BucksCM]

I feel for you , I really do.
This is exactly why when they keep asking me to become accredited I smile sweetly and say NO!!
I have two extra meetings/mini inspections a year to stay a Bucks Buddy.
I did, a few years ago, start the NCMA Quality Assured thing, but stopped. All I was doing was writing a few lines and then photocopying my file to put into another file to send off to be looked at!! Why not just come and look at the file i already have?!

If it's getting you down so much, can you not just draw a line under it all and stop? After all, as you said, you're only doing it for the one child.
I think at the end of the day, if it's making you feel the way you are, I would consider it. Better to stop this now than stop cm all together?
You're doing it for one family but the stress it's causing will be detamental to your own family.

[jumpinjen]

Is there a manager at the local EY team that you can speak to and explain how you're feeling and that you are doing this to support a family but that it's being made so difficult it's making you feel like quitting minding altogether?

I know that feeling of wanting to push through and complete something just to prove them wrong.....


But I also know the relief of tossing in the towel and pulling back to the point where I actually enjoy the children and the minding again....

Don't make yourself ill honey over paperwork - yes it IS unfair - but lots of life is unfair and you have to remember to consider yourself and your children who need a happy mummy!

Hugs, Jen x

[Mouse]

Why do they make it so difficult for cms?

I have been asking for months about accessing the funding. I have at last received an email saying, sorry it's not up & running for cms yet. Hopefully it'll be in place for January, but possibly not.

I have am graded outstanding and have a level 4 qualification, yet I cannot provide the funded spaces. Our local nurseries(graded satisfactory, lots of upheld complaints against them) can offer the spaces with no problem.

It's all very unfair :(

[JCrakers]

Thanks everyone for replying to my morbid moaning post :D

Im not enjoying these holidays at all. I think I need to sit down and think about what to do next summer hols. I need to have more time off during them because I love working with under 5's and the hols are taken with older children who i find extremely hard to entertain.:(
Plus my lack of car is getting me down too and the fact that I'm not spending any time with my own children so I can't enjoy the hols :(

I hope I'm feeling better when they go back to school but then that makes me feel worse because I'm wishing it away For my own children :(

Thanks for the advice about the funding. I'm nearly there so don't want to give up now but I think I will definitely give some feedback once I've done it

[rickysmiths]

Don't even think of giving up!

I'm sure once things have settled down and become more routine it will get better. It does seem a bit OTT but this seems to happen everywhere for cms.

In my County we have to jump through more and higher hoops as well. I am girding my loins for starting the process in Sept!

[babs]

well i passed my accreditation yesterday and yes its been a long process and at times i felt like packing it in seems to have taken a life time and you really dont feel like paperwork after 11hour day. if its stressing you out take a back seat and sit on it for a while and if you feel its not for you then dont do it. i have a really good network coordonator who has help me loads otherwise i wouldnt of carried on and would of thrown in the towel .. just one more thing to get out the way my inspection due september 1st...:eek::eek::eek: