We are up against some nonsense :(

[sarah707]

I have replied to 2 ‘consultations’ recently which have asked questions which surprised and, sadly, disappointed me! :(

The NCB consultation asked...

‘What key services should childminding agencies provide? Please tick all those that apply’ and gave a list of various services an agency might perform for us...

The Cheshire East consultation asked...

‘No business model is prescribed - where do you think they should generate income?’ and offered suggestions for generating income from families or childminders.

Neither consultation had a tick box under these options for us to answer most important question -

Do you want agencies? So we could all answer, ‘NO! Childminders do not want agencies!’

Since when did a ‘consultation’ start with a fait accompli?

Should a ‘consultation’ really say - it’s happening - let’s choose the least damaging option?

Where is the consultation process if we are not given the option to say, ‘No, we do not want this to happen’?

What happened to democracy? :(

I have written to both NCB and Cheshire East with my comments.

NCB thanked me politely but I note that, as yet, no changes have been made to the wording of their consultation. Cheshire East has yet to reply.

These consultations will present biased and false results because they start from the premise that childminders want agencies.

Come on guys!! We need to shout louder because the message is still not getting out there to the people who need to hear it!

Childminders reject agencies! :cheerleader::cheerleader:

[christine e]

WE DO NOT WANT AGENCIES PLEASE LISTEN TO US

[hectors house]

I was really disappointed that the number of childminders, other professionals and parents who have signed petitions and filled in questionnaires saying WE DON'T WANT THESE CHANGES were not mentioned in the 2nd reading of the bill this week.

Still haven't had any replies to any of the letters I have written, when our childminding meeting was cancelled on Monday evening I managed to get the Development Officer to forward on an e-mail from me about all the changes and what people should/could be doing to fight them as I'm sure half the people in town don't know the full extent of the proposals!

[The Juggler]

i know it is awful, they just want to know what we want from agencies - WE DON'T - go away!

have you seen the new petition on fb - to sign against childminder agencies?

[AgentTink]

Sarah I got some news last night from the head of our local authority early years. Apparently she had been in a meeting with DfE on Tuesday with loads of other LA's in regards to more great childcare, and she said that the DfE is aware that there is a huge backlash against agencies, and that they were waiting for the minister to provide more information on them. So our voices are being heard in some places.

[The Juggler]

our LA team has prepared a huge 'dossier' to present their cases to our local council. it will go before the council for them to decide whether they want to keep LA early years support now the government don't /arent' forcing them too. Therefore, it's in their interests to argue against agencies. I hope it works :panic:

[Daisy1956]

Hi Juggler
I am not on fb, how can I sign the petition.

[The Juggler]

here is the link. i will post in a separate thread too.

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/liz-truss-stop-plans-for-childminder-agencies?utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition

[SammySplodger]

Warning: there is a technical issue with signing change.org petitions by iPhone - there should be an acknowledgement screen. Double check you got one. Ta! Sammy x

[julie w]

If the agancies come into force they may get the message when none of us join them .

[teacake2]

I had to tell my DO about the agencies, she hadn't got an idea so what hope have we got?:panic::panic::panic::panic:
Teacake2