AGENCIES: we must target our fight against them now!

[Simona]

Ratios scrapped but agencies is our next fight and we must act now the pressure is building and Early Years very much in the news
We also have little time...weeks actually

Write to your MP...find him here ..emails are just as good
MPs - UK Parliament (http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/)

Keep it short and to the point:

no evidence they will lower costs to parents or help cms
they are a barrier to established cms and we may lose our businesses
no evidence those who run them have experience of cms
what are their qualifications or expertise in supporting us
safeguarding is an important issue
cms will lose their individual inspection
cms will be 'deregistered' and no longer under Ofsted
they will be costly to cms who join
parents will lose the choice of finding their own cm
they will prove bureaucratic
Ofsted can only inspect agencies on paperwork evidence not actual practice in care and education
Agencies will have the right to terminate a cm's m'ship
agencies could go out of business leaving cms without work

These are just some of the issues...do not attack Truss just be positive and engaging

Copy your email to Vince Cable...he is the Business Secretary and 60,000 small businesses should matter to him???
cablev@parliament.uk

get going everyone and keep your spirits up!!

[The Juggler]

def. going to do this later today.

[Simona]

I have reported in another thread that at the PLA conference Ofsted said they had received interest about agencies from:
Head teachers
LAs
Employers (not sure who these are)

and in addition we know who is on the list below given by Truss:

Ofsted,
the National College for Teaching and Leadership,
4Children,
Family and Childcare Trust (previously Day Care Trust)
National Day Nurseries Association,
National Children’s Bureau,
Pre-school Learning Alliance,
Northamptonshire Childminding Association,
Norland College,
Independent Childminders Social Enterprise,
Bright Horizons,
Busy Bees,
Kidsunlimited,
Association of Nanny Agencies,
ARK Academies,
Redgrave Children and Young People’s Centre,
Trio Childcare
@Home Childcare.

Specific individuals attending from these organisations vary from meeting to meeting (We assume these are by invitation)

I have spoken this week to people who head these groups such as NDNA, Family and Daycare Trust, PLA, 4Children
All have said they are concerned about agencies ...so maybe they are not developing them but also listening and expressing worries???

Maybe worth writing to them?

[hectors house]

I have reported in another thread that at the PLA conference Ofsted said they had received interest about agencies from:
Head teachers
LAs
Employers (not sure who these are)

and in addition we know who is on the list below given by Truss:

Ofsted,
the National College for Teaching and Leadership,
4Children,
Family and Childcare Trust (previously Day Care Trust)
National Day Nurseries Association,
National Children’s Bureau,
Pre-school Learning Alliance,
Northamptonshire Childminding Association,
Norland College,
Independent Childminders Social Enterprise,
Bright Horizons,
Busy Bees,
Kidsunlimited,
Association of Nanny Agencies,
ARK Academies,
Redgrave Children and Young People’s Centre,
Trio Childcare
@Home Childcare.

Specific individuals attending from these organisations vary from meeting to meeting (We assume these are by invitation)

I have spoken this week to people who head these groups such as NDNA, Family and Daycare Trust, PLA, 4Children
All have said they are concerned about agencies ...so maybe they are not developing them but also listening and expressing worries???

Maybe worth writing to them?

Thank you for this reminder - I was away for weekend and only just spotted your post, so thought I would reply rather than just "like" to bump it back up the list in case other members didn't log in over the weekend either. I will try my MP but he wasn't very helpful or supportive when I wrote and e-mailed him before (even though he is Lib Dem).

[Simona]

Hector House...Sarah has also done a separate thread on this and added useful emails for people and associations we can write to

If your MP is for any proposals it does not matter...what 'matters' is the volume of letters/emails they get with our objections so a short message will suffice to state your concerns...hope many cms will do so
Agencies are our fight and I feel many in the workforce support us ...hopefully they will help us as cms have helped against ratios!

[Mouse]

Is the forum planning a petition against ratios?

I think many of us know there is already one up & running and that for various reasons we can't post links on the forum, but it would be good to know if another one will be set up that can be publicised on here. It would be good for anyone who doesn't use faceebook or twitter :)

[The Juggler]

Is the forum planning a petition against ratios?

I think many of us know there is already one up & running and that for various reasons we can't post links on the forum, but it would be good to know if another one will be set up that can be publicised on here. It would be good for anyone who doesn't use faceebook or twitter :)

but how daft to have 2 running - there were 2 against ratios - together we'd have had nearly 100k of signatures, separately only half that. I'm disappointed we can't share petition links :(

[maisiemog]

I childmind for my local MPs caseworker so I'm going to make her bully him into fighting agencies! I don't often get political so she knows this is important to me and will probably really want to help and know other people who could help as well! In politics it's unfortunately not hat you know but who you know! Just a shame my MP isn't a very well known one!

[sarah707]

Is the forum planning a petition against ratios?

I think many of us know there is already one up & running and that for various reasons we can't post links on the forum, but it would be good to know if another one will be set up that can be publicised on here. It would be good for anyone who doesn't use faceebook or twitter :)

No, the Forum has no intention of starting a petition against agencies.

It has been decided, after consultation within admin, that the forum's time and effort is better spent supporting those childminders who want to be successful and independent.

Therefore our efforts are being directed at developing the new forum Independent Childminders website -

Independent Childminders - Supporting each other (http://independentchildminders.co.uk/)

Adding information and advice in freely accessible areas of the forum as pinned posts...

Making sure free Forum resources is updated and full of useful, freely accessible information...

Developing the new Forum Independent Childminders Facebook group -

https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/

And lots more to come... :D

[Mouse]

No, the Forum has no intention of starting a petition against agencies.

It has been decided, after consultation within admin, that the forum's time and effort is better spent supporting those childminders who want to be successful and independent.

Therefore our efforts are being directed at developing the new forum Independent Childminders website -

Independent Childminders - Supporting each other (http://independentchildminders.co.uk/)

Adding information and advice in freely accessible areas of the forum as pinned posts...

Making sure free Forum resources is updated and full of useful, freely accessible information...

Developing the new Forum Independent Childminders Facebook group -

https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/

And lots more to come... :D

Thanks for explaining Sarah.