Let the Govt know what you think about childminder agencies

[sarah707]

The Childminding Forum is totally dedicated to supporting all childminders including those English members who want to remain independent of agencies in the future.

The Forum has been actively campaigning against them since agencies were first mentioned - sponsoring documents, encouraging letter writing campaigns, Tweeting information, hosting sections for independent childminders, starting a Facebook group and providing a range of campaign information.

We would now like to ask EVERY childminder in England who disagrees with agencies to take a few minutes out of their busy lives and send a copy of this letter to the Department for Education - either by post, email or via Twitter. If you do not like the format of the letter, then please feel free to use it as a template and write your own.

It is very important that we make our concerns about agencies and 'More Affordable Childcare' known before it is too late.

Come on guys! One big push over the summer so they know what we think about agencies before September!! Share the link with your childminder friends, on your walls and in your groups!

The letter is here - http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/campaigns/121844-make-your-concerns-about-govts-plans-known.html

Thank you :)

[4365]

I have written to my MP, Ofsted and the DFE. I think they are counting the number of complaints in a way which makes most of them not count. Perhaps it needs "Formal complaint about planned the agencies for childminders" or some defined wording we are not allowed to know in the title. I can't believe there were not hundreds more.

So I will resend and check they are being included as formal complaints.

Anni

[Simona]

I have written to my MP, Ofsted and the DFE. I think they are counting the number of complaints in a way which makes most of them not count. Perhaps it needs "Formal complaint about planned the agencies for childminders" or some defined wording we are not allowed to know in the title. I can't believe there were not hundreds more.

So I will resend and check they are being included as formal complaints.

Anni

There were well over 200 comments against agencies in the Children and Families Bill when it was open to opinions....

[CH1957]

I've just emailed Elizabeth Truss, my local MP, DfE and David Cameron. Lets hope they take notice!

[Simona]

I've just emailed Elizabeth Truss, my local MP, DfE and David Cameron. Lets hope they take notice!

Make an appointment and go and see her at her surgery...take the letter with you!!

[The Juggler]

will send a letter AND have shared with my local CM FB group. Thanks Sarah

[babs]

Maybe we sud deliver them in person.

[loocyloo]

I have written to my MP, Ofsted and the DFE. I think they are counting the number of complaints in a way which makes most of them not count. Perhaps it needs "Formal complaint about planned the agencies for childminders" or some defined wording we are not allowed to know in the title. I can't believe there were not hundreds more.

So I will resend and check they are being included as formal complaints.

Anni

I agree, there has to be some dodgy counting going on! I definitely wrote to DFE as well as Ofsted, PM, my MP, Liz Truss and several others ! ( can't remember who now! )

i'm going to send all of mine with 'formal complaint' written all over it! :angry:

[babs]

ive just redone my letter if you would like me to post it I will ..

[Bambini2]

I have written to the Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, Stephen Twigg (Shadow Education Secretary), Elizabeth Truss , Dept of Ed, and my local MP. Email address's for mp's can be found on the parliamentary website, they all seem to be:
first name.second name.mp@parliament.uk

[sarah707]

ive just redone my letter if you would like me to post it I will ..

I know that members are looking for all the help they can get with letter writing Babs thank you :D

[CH1957]

Well, I had a reply from my local MP today, which is quite a quick response, but doesn't say anything much really.

Quote:-
[I]Many thanks for your email and attached letter setting out your concerns about the reforms in the area of child care.

I am grateful for the detailed analysis which is very helpful. I do not think it is the Government's intention to push people into working for agencies for the very reasons that are set out in the letters you sent me.

I will though keep an eye on this area of policy, certainly now I know the strength of feeling of local childminders like yourself. I]

[Simona]

Well, I had a reply from my local MP today, which is quite a quick response, but doesn't say anything much really.

Quote:-
[I]Many thanks for your email and attached letter setting out your concerns about the reforms in the area of child care.

I am grateful for the detailed analysis which is very helpful. I do not think it is the Government's intention to push people into working for agencies for the very reasons that are set out in the letters you sent me.

I will though keep an eye on this area of policy, certainly now I know the strength of feeling of local childminders like yourself. I]

I thought your MP was Truss....obviously not...silly of me to say take the letter to her...although I wouldn't mind if I knew where she was!
I an getting sooo tired of this agency promotion by the govt but it is obvious cms are raising concerns...my MP emailed the same reply!

[sarah707]

Are we all writing our letters?? Please let us know if you have written so we can definitely say 'a LOT more than 22 have been sent!!' :clapping:

[k1rstie]

I sent one to my MP too - Phillip lee.

[Bambini2]

Had a reply from my MP. He "appreciates the concerns" but "as this is a consultation at the moment I think we should await the outcome and the governments response before coming to a conclusion".

[hectors house]

Had a reply from my MP. He "appreciates the concerns" but "as this is a consultation at the moment I think we should await the outcome and the governments response before coming to a conclusion".

Yes that is his standard reply - I got that one this time and last time when I e-mailed and wrote to him about Ratios!

[Bambini2]

Yes that is his standard reply - I got that one this time and last time when I e-mailed and wrote to him about Ratios!

Perhaps we can organize a demo outside his office.:D
Not sure from his reply whether he is for or against.:)

[Bambini2]

Hectors House thought that everyone would like to see this email. It's my 2nd to Nick Clegg, i'm still waiting for a reply to the first.:laughing:


"Dear Mr Clegg,

I wrote to you recently to convey my opinion on Childminder agencies. Having read even more on the subject I am even more strongly against them. I would urge you to read the following article in Nursery World:

A model for failure? | Nursery World (http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/article/1194209/model-failure)

Trials of agencies are now underway. Perhaps you would like to look at :
@homechildcare.co.uk (http://www.@homechildcare.co.uk) to see for yourself the true cost to childminders of belonging to an agency. £40.00 per month for support and mentoring alone, something that until recently was provided to me by Somerset County Council for free.

The Nursery World is providing a sterling service to all early years providers and yesterday i was made aware of an article highlighting a statement that you had given and that will be included in the speech "Balanced Working Life".As a childminder the words "Not award outstanding unless the availability of flexibility is high" make me want to weep. I work four days a week, often 10 hours a day. Paperwork is done in the evenings and at weekends. My fees are £4.00 per hour per child. That covers the hours the child is here not all the extra evening and weekend hours. I now realise where I have been going wrong in my business . It's quantity of hours NOT quality of care that will finally let me get the outstanding grade that I so desire.

Perhaps this policy could be rolled out to other sectors,food outlets for example. Here in Somerset there is a star rating system, 5 stars could now mean open 24 hours a day just ignore the quality of the food and rats in the kitchen..

I fear that my days as a Lib Dem voter could be over.It would seem that you have lost your way."


i wonder if I will get a reply to this one.:D

[Simona]

Hectors House thought that everyone would like to see this email. It's my 2nd to Nick Clegg, i'm still waiting for a reply to the first.:laughing:


"Dear Mr Clegg,

I wrote to you recently to convey my opinion on Childminder agencies. Having read even more on the subject I am even more strongly against them. I would urge you to read the following article in Nursery World:

A model for failure? | Nursery World (http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/article/1194209/model-failure)

Trials of agencies are now underway. Perhaps you would like to look at :
@homechildcare.co.uk (http://www.@homechildcare.co.uk) to see for yourself the true cost to childminders of belonging to an agency. £40.00 per month for support and mentoring alone, something that until recently was provided to me by Somerset County Council for free.

The Nursery World is providing a sterling service to all early years providers and yesterday i was made aware of an article highlighting a statement that you had given and that will be included in the speech "Balanced Working Life".As a childminder the words "Not award outstanding unless the availability of flexibility is high" make me want to weep. I work four days a week, often 10 hours a day. Paperwork is done in the evenings and at weekends. My fees are £4.00 per hour per child. That covers the hours the child is here not all the extra evening and weekend hours. I now realise where I have been going wrong in my business . It's quantity of hours NOT quality of care that will finally let me get the outstanding grade that I so desire.

Perhaps this policy could be rolled out to other sectors,food outlets for example. Here in Somerset there is a star rating system, 5 stars could now mean open 24 hours a day just ignore the quality of the food and rats in the kitchen..

I fear that my days as a Lib Dem voter could be over.It would seem that you have lost your way."


i wonder if I will get a reply to this one.:D

Brilliant...'quantity over quality'...Clegg does have something else in common with Truss...remember the ratio issue? she wanted quantity at the expense of quality...Clegg stopped her with his 'intervention'

What goes around comes around dear Lib Dem leader...someone will stop you in your tracks!

Lets get more letters like this sent to him...which makes me realise I have not as yet tweaked my original letter to him, better get going now my anger has boiled over!

[CH1957]

Ive just had a reply to my email to Dept of Education I sent in July.

Quote:-

Thank you for your email and enclosure of 23 July, addressed to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Childcare, about ‘More Affordable Childcare ’. As I am sure you will appreciate the minister receives a large amount of correspondence and is unable to respond to each one personally. On this occasion I have been asked to reply.
The government recognises the important contribution made by childminders in providing quality childcare. Yet the number of registered childminders has almost halved between 1992 and 2011, from 106,000 to 57,500. We want more childminders to enter the profession and we think that the creation of childminder agencies, in addition to support for independent childminders, will help us achieve this.
In ‘More Affordable Childcare’, we announced that all good and outstanding childminders will automatically be eligible to receive government early education funding from September. At the moment local authorities act as gatekeepers to this funding. This change will mean that over 70% of childminders would be able to receive this funding. Less than 10% of childminders currently offer funded places. It will remain the case, however, that a childminder will have to be Ofsted-registered, either independently or with an agency, before they can access early education funding, to ensure that quality is maintained.

The department wants to emphasise that no childminder will be forced to join an agency. Some childminders, especially those entering the profession, may want to join an agency for support in starting up their business, training and development, and accessing parents.
We welcome the input of experienced childminders, and we have completed a number of consultations aimed at parents, nurseries, local authorities, childminders, health professionals, teachers and academics. From March to May 2013 we ran a consultation on ‘Proposed Changes to the Role of the Local Authority in Early Education and Childcare’ and have recently announced next steps which build on responses to the consultation. We are also currently consulting on ‘the Regulation of Childcare’, until 30 September. Further information is available on the department’s website here

We are working with Ofsted to make the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) clearer, as outlined in ‘More Affordable Childcare’. Whilst providers should ensure that the individual needs of children are met, the only requirements for written assessments for learning and development are a progress check for parents for children aged two and the EYFS Profile assessment in the summer term of the reception year.
Thank you once again for writing on this important matter.

Jackie Davies
Ministerial and Public Communications Division
Home - The Department for Education (http://www.education.gov.uk)

[sarah707]

Thank you for sharing CH1957!

It seems like another standard letter I've seen a few copies of almost the same thing over the last few days :(

Do they really think we don't communicate with each other :rolleyes:

[VeggieSausage]

Exactly the same word for word that I received.....this nonsense about free funding makes me cross......more childminders would take free funding if the hourly rate equaled what they charge, in my area it is under £4 per hour even though the hourly rate average around here is between £5-£6 plus food.....so why would anyone accept funding.....if they are not short of work there is no need......

[CH1957]

Thank you for sharing CH1957!

It seems like another standard letter I've seen a few copies of almost the same thing over the last few days :(

Do they really think we don't communicate with each other :rolleyes:



They obviously don't Sarah!
I'm going to reply again, I know it wont get me anywhere but......... :(

[Simona]

I know we are getting standard replies but, at least, we are been acknowledged and I bet this time the DfE will get more than 21 replies as previously stated...seems like the same woman is replying to all of us!

Don't be disheartened ...keep writing
I have raised this to the powers that be...unfortunately we need the representing associations to back us up and dig deeper....some are

[Bambini2]

Latest from my MP. These are not all "a standard response". Rather "a reply to points raised". "The fact you received a response in similar terms ....is hardly surprising" .

Think I might have got him a bit rattled.:laughing:

He is however going to "ensure your concerns are passed on to those responsible".