The first agency pilot has appeared!

[sarah707]

So guys... this is what an agency will look like then...

Part Time Flexible Childcare in Nottingham and Sheffield, Childcare Jobs, Childcare Training (http://www.athomechildcare.co.uk/homechildminding.html)

Nice that they are listening to us and taking note of our arguments isn't it :(

[FussyElmo]

Frigthening to see how quickly they are being set up - wonder how long they have actually known :thumbsup:

[welshgirl]

Oh my god! I am really shocked at this. It is just all too quick. I have clicked on the link and looked at the home page, then closed it down. I can't even bring myself to look any further.

[FussyElmo]

The Government’s recommendation to develop ‘Childminder Agencies’ will allow childminders to deliver better care, according to Yvette Oliver-Mighten, owner of childcare provider @Home Childcare, which already delivers childcare under an agency model

Should I email them and tell them to kiss my backside (insert other words if you like)

[AgentTink]

Did you read this bit Sarah... that they have been piloting it since September 2012

Since September 2012, we have been piloting @Home Childminding in the form of a focus group of childminder learners interested in mentoring and compliance support. The group consists of new childminders and established self-employed childminders, both of which benefit from our quality development mentoring support in the following different ways:


New childminders benefit from professional, individual mentoring support commencing with the start-up stage, through to registration and beyond in the development of successful childcare businesses.
Established self-employed childminders benefit from a regular mentoring support service, when it is needed most e.g. EYFS compliance, Ofsted inspection or CPD training. The support helps them to maintain and develop their business or future career aspirations.

For both groups, mentoring support has enabled childminders to become more confident and knowledgeable in areas of their service such as parental engagement, marketing their business and developing best practice.
Department of Education Because of our close links with childminders and our home childcare model, we have been asked by the Department of Education to use our @Home Childminding pilot to help formulate their strategy and plans on childminding agencies.

[teacake2]

Reading it quickly Sarah, they sound just like the company Sitters but with a bit of training included at a cost of course, although the first aid isn't too bad compared with some areas.
They are only offering part-time childcare though and of course we would be employed by them, not self-employed anymore.
Teacake2

[blue bear]

Agencies have obviously been looked into for while and just put into MGC to give them cover as they knew people would concentrate on the ratios. Full steam ahead then regardless of what childminders think or want.

[wendywu]

Oh my god! I am really shocked at this. It is just all too quick. I have clicked on the link and looked at the home page, then closed it down. I can't even bring myself to look any further.

Ha ha i did the same

[sarah707]

Yes AgentTink I did read it!

Remember when the 'deregulation' petition was closed down last year and I said at the time - this thing is not going away just because it's gone quiet?

I am so sad that I was right :(

[Shamai]

Shocking that its obviously been on the back burner for months :( I'm wondering what the hourly rate is for such a flexible service. Not good news :mad:

[AgentTink]

I have just read a article on the site and i am even more confused... On one hand the owner is lobbying about how important it is that Nannies are regulated and then on the other hand is going to pilot a Childminding Agency Model where individual childminders will not be regulated by Ofsted...im a bit confused, i think i have read too much too quickly :rolleyes:


Part Time Flexible Childcare in Nottingham and Sheffield, Childcare Jobs, Childcare Training (http://www.athomechildcare.co.uk/21st_century_childcare.html)

[AgentTink]

Shocking that its obviously been on the back burner for months :( I'm wondering what the hourly rate is for such a flexible service. Not good news :mad:

Apparently its £3.70 per hour

Based in Nottingham and Sheffield, it offers wraparound childcare in the home, including care for the children of shift workers, pick-ups from after school clubs and nursery for those working late and drop offs in the mornings plus holiday and weekend childcare. The childcare is provided in the parents' home and can be used on a pay as you go basis, with a flat rate of around £3.70 an hour per child being charged to make it more affordable.


Parents who use the service include council workers using after-school care from 3.30pm - 6pm; lone parent working shifts, using before and after-school care from as early as 6.30am and up until 9pm; lone self-employed parent using after-school care until 10pm plus three full days per week during school holidays; and two teachers using term-time only care from 7am.



Many of the people who work for @Home Childcare covering short hour demands such as after school pick-ups are students or older people, such as grandmothers, who are given appropriate training. Longer hours such as those needed by shiftworkers are covered by experienced childcare workers who want to work in the home. One family where both members are ambulance workers and work shifts have three carers – one main carer and two back-ups.

[loocyloo]

Apparently its £3.70 per hour

Based in Nottingham and Sheffield, it offers wraparound childcare in the home, including care for the children of shift workers, pick-ups from after school clubs and nursery for those working late and drop offs in the mornings plus holiday and weekend childcare. The childcare is provided in the parents' home and can be used on a pay as you go basis, with a flat rate of around £3.70 an hour per child being charged to make it more affordable.


Parents who use the service include council workers using after-school care from 3.30pm - 6pm; lone parent working shifts, using before and after-school care from as early as 6.30am and up until 9pm; lone self-employed parent using after-school care until 10pm plus three full days per week during school holidays; and two teachers using term-time only care from 7am.



Many of the people who work for @Home Childcare covering short hour demands such as after school pick-ups are students or older people, such as grandmothers, who are given appropriate training. Longer hours such as those needed by shiftworkers are covered by experienced childcare workers who want to work in the home. One family where both members are ambulance workers and work shifts have three carers – one main carer and two back-ups.

this sounds like nannies to me, not childminders.

[FussyElmo]

We believe we offer a more affordable form of childcare through our flexible pay-as-you-go childcare.

We provide you with childcare options that will fit your needs and household budget.

Once you have agreed the amount of childcare hours you would like to use, we only charge you for what you have used.

We do not charge any cost penalties for extending your childcare if you are late home. If, for any reason, you are running late or you need to pre-arrange extra childcare minutes or hours, we only charge you for the extra time in blocks of 15 minutes.

You can use your tax credits or childcare vouchers to help pay for our childcare. We accept all major childcare vouchers including Accor, Computershare, Kiddivouchers and Care-4.

Our service is even more affordable for families with 2 or 3 children.

If you need childcare for 1 or 2 children, our Share @Home Childcare service allows two families to share the cost of one of our home childcarers.

[AgentTink]

this sounds like nannies to me, not childminders.

I agree LoocyLoo, the current model is more based on Nannies, however the company is hoping to do the same for childminders. The thing that still is not discussed is the fee for the company to have childminders on its book, and it is part of the whole proposition.

They have been piloting the following


New childminders benefit from professional, individual mentoring support commencing with the start-up stage, through to registration and beyond in the development of successful childcare businesses.
Established self-employed childminders benefit from a regular mentoring support service, when it is needed most e.g. EYFS compliance, Ofsted inspection or CPD training. The support helps them to maintain and develop their business or future career aspirations.

I would like to know if the pilot childminders had to pay a fee for this service or was it free as it was a pilot

They are now moving the pilot forward and want to offer the following:
@Home Childminding (@HCM) is a range of support services and opportunities to help childminders set up, develop, improve and maintain a successful home-based childcare business. Our prime purpose is to provide continuous professional support, advice and guidance to childminders on demand, whilst focussing on the best possible outcomes for children and their families. This can be summed up as Quality Development Support.

These things do not come free.

[The Juggler]

Sarah = had you ever heard of them as a training provider or anything else before this? If they have been around since 2005 supporting minders, I would have thought you would have heard of them? Sounds fishy to me.:panic:

[singingcactus]

This is currently for childminding in the childs own home. This is different to what we do. Maybe it will include care in the minders home in the future, but this agency is currently for childminding in the childs own home. I have done this before, as a respite minder. I would mind, through the council, in the childs own home. It isn't some big scarey thing, it is something that has happened for a long time.

[AgentTink]

The pilot information does not say anything about getting you clients,they are just piloting a support package, which is very similar to some LA/NCMA/Networks. But yet again no mention of costs?
What are our support services? As @HCM is in its infancy, we will be launching with three key services which, from our research with our focus group, we understand as being a priority amongst childminders.
Quality Development Mentoring Our Childminder Development Mentor provides quality development support and guidance to childminders. They support childminders by providing opportunities for you to reflect and improve on your EYFS practice, as well as offer practical advice with your developing business.
Our Quality Development Mentor, an expert in Early Years, is an ex-Ofsted inspector and a university lecturer for the Early Years Foundation Degree programme. More importantly, as an ex-childminder with extensive experience, she is passionate about supporting and developing childminders to enable them to fulfil their professional and personal potential.
Our Quality Development Mentoring programme is closely mapped to the EYFS and the requirements of Ofsted self-evaluation report so you will be able to receive expert guidance and support in these areas.
Training As an accredited training centre, we provide flexible training specifically designed for childminders. Our training is SFA funded which means there are stringent qualitative measures we have to adhere in order to receive the funding. We deliver the following:


Pre-registration training such as Paediatric First Aid, The Home-based Childcare unit (CYPOP5), An Introduction to the EYFS, Safeguarding Children etc
Qualification training including the Level 3 Diploma and Level 5 in Leadership
CPD and Awareness training i.e. short courses tailored to suit childminder’s needs – all delivered at time and place childminders can easily access including evenings and weekends
English, Maths and ICT (equivalent of GCSE/Level 2) if you need to refresh or brush up on your Functional Skills

Start Up Support We understand that for individuals who are thinking of becoming a childminder the process can be time consuming, stressful and costly – especially when some costs have to be made before they are earning an income from their business.
We can offer professional support, advice and practical solutions to this start up process either as a total support and training service, incorporating the mandatory registration and qualifications a new childminder requires, or as a new starter mentoring and support service to help with the first few months after a childminder has registered.
To help with the financial aspects of becoming a childminder, we can offer a number of different options to spread the cost.

[sarah707]

No Juggler I've not heard of them - and neither have friends in Yorkshire / Notts who I have spoken to today.

My contact tells me they were nanny based and are now moving into piloting for childminding agencies - but it's still in the early stages of development.

It isn't 'supposed' to be starting properly until Sept according to Ms Truss - so I suppose a few things will still be undecided.

They are just the first ones I am aware of to put their heads above the parapet and say what they will be doing.

I have just thought of at least one more that will be coming online soon too - I've seen the signs and only just recognised them :( what a clot :(

xx

[SammySplodger]

They have been piloting since last September!

:-(

[shelly2012]

:( just seen this post. Shocking

[The Juggler]

its very scary how fast this is going without anyone actually being in favour of it. :panic:

[migimoo]

I suddenly feel queasy:(

[SYLVIA]

I suddenly feel queasy:(

I know that feeling, It's like an army marching towards us that we can't stop!

[hectors house]

They have been piloting since last September!

:-(

Everytime I see the word "piloting" my brain subsitutes the word "plotting" - think that is closer to the truth:angry: We have been well and truely stitched up!

[Christi]

:( What I really don't get is how their model could really provide 'quality' childcare. Gutting.

[SammySplodger]

It's not Childminding - it's Nannying using a slightly different name. Have just sent them some tweets... couldn't stop myself :-/

[chriss]

sorry but I have just skimmed over the threads, dont even want to read what you guys are saying, or read the link. Maybe tomorrow when I have calmed down a bit.
I am self employed and want to stay that way, run my own busisness how I want. :angry:

[mama2three]

Ive heard of them.
I did my initial 1st aid course propr to registering with them , and I did my nvq 3 with them.
They have been around for a few years I believe , offering nannying services , and training.
I believe Bunyip hasw come across them too from a previous post.

Although they will have all my details I wasnt approached about a pilot scheme. Probably a good job !

[loocyloo]

I suddenly feel queasy:(

Feel the same ( using my phone & as typed same, the word danger came up... Does my phone know something we don't?! )
I couldn't eat my tea I feel so sick.

[miffy]

I have heard of them - one of their staff phoned me yesterday as I am the contact for our local group. They didn't mention agencies but I asked them if the company was interested in setting up an agency. The person I spoke to said they already have childcarers working for them who provide unsocial hours care ( the kind of hours not usually covered by childminders, nurseries etc) and offer training and support for childminders so yes they were looking at the possibility of extending that and they had been approached by the DfE to be part of the pilot to shape the agency model - not quite the whole truth if what it says on their website is to be believed!

Poor soul must have thought I was keen as they asked if it was the sort of thing I'd be interested in. The call ended quite abruptly when I said no and I wouldn't want my name associated with any company that was forming an agency.

I'm sure they'll be the first of many to come crawling out of the woodwork.

Miffy xx

[Trouble]

It looks tacky and unprofessional:panic:

[Mouse]

It looks tacky and unprofessional:panic:

That was my first impression. It looks like something cobbled together in a hurry. It certainly would attract me as a childminder or a parent.

[gingerjames1]

Sorry people but i cant click on the link cos i know ill be giving them to much internet traffic and when some one is searching for a childminder it will be these twits that end up top of your google list!!!! And taking all our work we have spent years building up our businesses!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Childminding Forum

[MessybutHappy]

I thought it wasn't a good website either, but does seem to solve a parents every need so I can see what we're going to have to compete with. It may be enough to jolt others into being a but more aware?

[mazza58]

Hi they are based about 6 miles from me and I did my nvq3 with them. They had government funding so I was offered the course for free and it was all done by computer and a mentor came out to observe me in the areas needed.

[TNT]

I am in Notts and had heard of them before this. I did my first aid course with them in 2010, they werent the providers of the course but they set it all up and there were people that worked for @home childcare there as well as self employed childminders. I had heard about the service that they provided but saw it as more 'nannying' than childminding.

[Lilylulu]

Hypothetical question as frankly the whole scheme stinks but - I don't get how we can change to being 'employed'. What about our expenses such as resources, meals, petrol, outings etc? When we set our own fee and contract that includes funding our USP's. Everyone is just going to get paid for a bog standard service which is not what childminding is all about.

[SammySplodger]

Have had series of tweets with them this morning, the details of the new Childminding service is not yet up on the website. I have suggested they change the text to say so, as currently it's causing confusion.

We'll wait patiently to see what details emerge over the next few days and weeks....

[phoenix2010]

as a parent I would not find what this agency is offering as attractive to be honest

it mentions 2 or 3 people caring for the childen , well id rather put a bit more effort in and find one person that can care for my children

it also mentions grandparents and students providing before and after school care , well i dont know many students that would do that and frankly i wouldnt want a student or a grandparent looking to top up their pension to look after my children

it all seems a bit odd to me , im surprised they get any business , and would not fill me with confidence

and as a childminder quite frankly it sucks , and as it stands i would not be threatened by it one bit

I understand these are the beginnings of it , but where are these agencies going to get minders to sign up , when 97% are against them ???

[SammySplodger]

Yes I know - I'm hoping to tease a bit more info out of them... so far they seem to be a bit clueless. :-) looks likely (at the moment) to fall flat on its face. Ha!

[nipper]

We have a simple goal to provide a valued, professional and reliable service which is accessible to all families.

Your children would be in safe, trusted and vetted hands.


Er, I already do this?

[SammyL]

I started childminding so I had the flexibility to work for myself & I feel so sick at the uncertainty if everything. I'm starting to look into fostering now.
It will mean having them 24/7 but it might be an option x

Very sad :(

[miffy]

I understand these are the beginnings of it , but where are these agencies going to get minders to sign up , when 97% are against them ???

Newly registering childminders will not have a choice - they will have to join an agency.

Existing childminders will be able to remain independent but, as yet, we do not know at what cost - will we have to pay for our inspections, where will we access training and support?

Don't assume it won't affect you - these agencies will be our competition.

Miffy xx

[phoenix2010]

Newly registering childminders will not have a choice - they will have to join an agency.

Existing childminders will be able to remain independent but, as yet, we do not know at what cost - will we have to pay for our inspections, where will we access training and support?

Don't assume it won't affect you - these agencies will be our competition.

Miffy xx

Where did I assume it wont affect me ? Im well aware that it will thankyou !

I was simply commenting on this website and the fact that existing childminders are overwhelmingly saying that they wont be joining an agency

Where does it say that new childminders will have to join an agency please ?

[halor]

I just can't seem to get my head around all of this. I have yet to speak to a childminder that's wants agencys, on all the forums everyone is against them, I just don't understand how they can trample on what everyone wants only to find they will eventually fail anyway.
I'm yet to look after my first lo's but the while situation worries me terribly, this isn't why I went into childminding. I've had to make lots if adjustments In mine and my family's lives, we've sacrificed a lot all so I can become a childminder rather than the 3 jobs I was doing. I don't want someone to walk in my home, be my boss and determine who I look after and how u look after them :-(

As a newly registered childminder I have no chance against agencies!

[rosebud]

Where did I assume it wont affect me ? Im well aware that it will thankyou !

I was simply commenting on this website and the fact that existing childminders are overwhelmingly saying that they wont be joining an agency

Where does it say that new childminders will have to join an agency please ?

In the initial report it said that agencies would be compulsory for new childminders but not for existing ones. Anybody wanting to become a childminder once it goes ahead (if???) won't have a choice about registering with Ofsted -the option won't be available and they will have to find an agency. For the person who asked where agencies are going to find chidminders to register with them - this is how. Anybody coming into the profession in the future will have to go through an agency and I suppose it depends how many agencies set up in an area as to whether they'll get much choice about who they go with.

[phoenix2010]

Thankyou :)

[The Juggler]

In the initial report it said that agencies would be compulsory for new childminders but not for existing ones. Anybody wanting to become a childminder once it goes ahead (if???) won't have a choice about registering with Ofsted -the option won't be available and they will have to find an agency. For the person who asked where agencies are going to find chidminders to register with them - this is how. Anybody coming into the profession in the future will have to go through an agency and I suppose it depends how many agencies set up in an area as to whether they'll get much choice about who they go with.

that's terrible! so even if they want to registered with ofsted directly, they won't be allowed???:panic: mind you I guess they could go through the agency to register, then leave and be indpendent. Might be cheaper than what ofsted plan to charge for inspections:(

[Ripeberry]

This is all going.to be one huge mess!

[Mouse]

In the initial report it said that agencies would be compulsory for new childminders but not for existing ones. Anybody wanting to become a childminder once it goes ahead (if???) won't have a choice about registering with Ofsted -the option won't be available and they will have to find an agency. For the person who asked where agencies are going to find chidminders to register with them - this is how. Anybody coming into the profession in the future will have to go through an agency and I suppose it depends how many agencies set up in an area as to whether they'll get much choice about who they go with.

I still haven't seen anywhere where it says it will be compulsory for new childminders to join an agency. Which report is that in?

[phoenix2010]

I still haven't seen anywhere where it says it will be compulsory for new childminders to join an agency. Which report is that in?

I dont recall seeing that anywhere either , Id like to see where its quoted

[blue bear]

I dont recall seeing that anywhere either , Id like to see where its quoted

It's more hinted at than fully pointed out but I believe that to be the case when reading between the lines of ms truss and other peoples comments (ofsted). Our d/o sort of confirmed it for me when I asked how a potential new minder went about registering, she to,d me to get him to book onto the course ASAP as when the changes come in in September things won't be the same.