COMMENT ON YOUR THOUGHTS ON AGENCIES - AN INVITE TO ON THE UK PARLIAMENT WEBSITE

[The Juggler]

Childminder Agencies etc. - UK Parliament (http://www.parliament.uk/business/bills-and-legislation/public-reading/children-and-families-bill/childcare/)


please have a look and post a comment.

[sarah707]

Another thread here! :D

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/campaigns-petitions/114756-agencies-government-want-our-views.html

[sarah707]

Here is my response - I got a bit cross :blush:

Childminders do not want agencies - have you read the document www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/mgc and taken the comments into consideration? The document has been sent to Ms Truss and we are eagerly awaiting her detailed response.

Meetings with groups such as NCMA, PLA and NDNA and academics have told Govt that childminders do not want agencies. Why isn't Ms Truss listening to her advisors?

Last year there was a petition against deregulation and agency control for childminders which reached over 11,000 signatures before it was closed - http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/uk-government-reject-proposals-to-deregulate-childminders. What part of 'childminders do not want agencies' was not clear because we can raise it again if necessary?

Agencies will mean that Local Authority support networks are disbanded - because of duplication and Ofsted becoming the 'sole arbiter of quality'. This is already happening in many local areas - talk about a fait accompli!
It will lead to thousands of high quality, established, committed and trained childminders having to either join an agency or go on benefits - so how is the 'More Great Childcare' plan giving us the option to stay independent? Anyone can work this out - they do not need an economics degree - anyone except, it appears, Ms Truss. I will be happy to explain it to her more fully if she would like to contact me.

Changing ratios for 2 year olds and babies in nurseries will risk not only outcomes for children but also severely damage childminder sustainability - and does the Govt really anticipate nurseries, with all their extra spaces for children when ratios are changed, will pass work on to childminders anyway?? You would have to be very naive to believe that. Does Ms Truss want thousands of childminders on benefits? Won't that simply negate the benefit of the people coming off benefits to start up as agency childminders?

The only people who seem to want agencies are Ms Truss and Sir Michael Wilshaw. They are outnumbered and need to listen to what the people who pay their wages and cast votes at elections are saying!!

Oh and while we are on the subject - don't forget the petitions against ratios changes which currently have in excess of 50,000 signatures between them. Here is one - perhaps you would like to read the comments from parents, childminders, early years workers and many more ... www.keepratiosdown.co.uk.

Please stop these dreadful plans before it is too late and the outcomes for the next generation of our children are compromised.

Or, as Community Playthings asked in a recent blog, 'Who will speak for the child?' Community Playthings | Who will speak for the child? (http://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/blog/2013/february/who-will-speak-for-the-child)

We are trying to speak for the child - but nobody is listening to us!!

I cannot imagine for one moment that this will be published... I believe from my colleagues who have answered this consultation that comments are being edited or ignored... so I will be sending it to news agencies as well.

[loocyloo]

Wow! Go Sarah!

Xxx

[The Juggler]

Here is my response - I got a bit cross :blush:

Childminders do not want agencies - have you read the document www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/mgc and taken the comments into consideration? The document has been sent to Ms Truss and we are eagerly awaiting her detailed response.

Meetings with groups such as NCMA, PLA and NDNA and academics have told Govt that childminders do not want agencies. Why isn't Ms Truss listening to her advisors?

Last year there was a petition against deregulation and agency control for childminders which reached over 11,000 signatures before it was closed - http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/uk-government-reject-proposals-to-deregulate-childminders. What part of 'childminders do not want agencies' was not clear because we can raise it again if necessary?

Agencies will mean that Local Authority support networks are disbanded - because of duplication and Ofsted becoming the 'sole arbiter of quality'. This is already happening in many local areas - talk about a fait accompli!
It will lead to thousands of high quality, established, committed and trained childminders having to either join an agency or go on benefits - so how is the 'More Great Childcare' plan giving us the option to stay independent? Anyone can work this out - they do not need an economics degree - anyone except, it appears, Ms Truss. I will be happy to explain it to her more fully if she would like to contact me.

Changing ratios for 2 year olds and babies in nurseries will risk not only outcomes for children but also severely damage childminder sustainability - and does the Govt really anticipate nurseries, with all their extra spaces for children when ratios are changed, will pass work on to childminders anyway?? You would have to be very naive to believe that. Does Ms Truss want thousands of childminders on benefits? Won't that simply negate the benefit of the people coming off benefits to start up as agency childminders?

The only people who seem to want agencies are Ms Truss and Sir Michael Wilshaw. They are outnumbered and need to listen to what the people who pay their wages and cast votes at elections are saying!!

Oh and while we are on the subject - don't forget the petitions against ratios changes which currently have in excess of 50,000 signatures between them. Here is one - perhaps you would like to read the comments from parents, childminders, early years workers and many more ... www.keepratiosdown.co.uk.

Please stop these dreadful plans before it is too late and the outcomes for the next generation of our children are compromised.

Or, as Community Playthings asked in a recent blog, 'Who will speak for the child?' Community Playthings | Who will speak for the child? (http://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/blog/2013/february/who-will-speak-for-the-child)

We are trying to speak for the child - but nobody is listening to us!!

I cannot imagine for one moment that this will be published... I believe from my colleagues who have answered this consultation that comments are being edited or ignored... so I will be sending it to news agencies as well.


brilliant reply Sarah. :thumbsup:

[SYLVIA]

why is this not showing any more replies

[jo.jo76]

why is this not showing any more replies

It says in the terms and conditions that it will be moderated on working week days. Someone is going to be busy on Monday :-) :laughing::laughing::laughing:

[Childrenatheart]

Ooh Sarah, you REALLY were cross weren't you. Well done