Please can you help a newbie understand about agencies

[line6]

I am newly registered and haven't started working yet but am avidly reading all the threads regarding agencies. Can anyone give me an idiots guide? I apologise for my ignorance! Perhaps someone can point me in the right direction to read up about it all. Thanks

[Natalierose]

I'm going to jump on this one if you don't mind. I received my certificate today and have heard lots about the agencies but don't really understand it either. X

[AgentTink]

No problem Trudie one of the lovely moderators on here Sarah of knutsford childminding did a wonderful blog giving the history of how agencies first got introduced

Here is a link to her blog, she wrote the blog on 14th May 2013.

Sarah's Blog: May 2013 (http://knutsfordchildminding.blogspot.co.uk/2013_05_01_archive.html)


The brief idea of a agnecy is that some childminders would join a agency to help them set up as a childmidner, as the agency would support them in the intial stages, help them with paperword, register them with no need for Ofsted to do a visit, and they would then be the middle man between the childminders and parents.

Once a childminder has children the agency is then meant to support with all aspects of paperwork, do regular inspections, give training, be a ongoing support, and all manner of other things.

It would be the agency who gets insected by OFsted with a single grade given to the agency, a few childminders would be sampled.

The big issue with most of this, is that they are meant to be being introduced to reduce fee's to parents, however all of the above services come at a costs, which at present nobodies knows what that will be, however there is a good guess of anything from £50 upwards a month. Most childminders could not afford this.

Other issues for childminders are
1) There are 56,000 childminder who run their own businesses very successfully right now and do not need this support at a charge
2) some LA's already offer all of the above services for free or a small fee for some training
3) Childminders like the fact that we have close parent relationships and would not want a agency to pair us with parents
4) There is a issue os sustainability ie - lots of people could become childminders under agencies, however in some areas childminders are struggling right now to get work, let alone more childminders being added to the mix
5) Agencies can be run by anyone interested. However what makes them the expert of how childminders work?

Plus lots more issues in the threads on this site

[sarah707]

At the moment all childminders are registered with and individually inspected by Ofsted.

The Govt has decided, in its wisdom, that we are costing them too much money.

So what they want is to herd us into agencies and just inspect the agencies - the agencies then support / inspect / train us.

In preparation for this - without asking us what we want - they have been cutting back LA support.

The vast majority of childminders are not happy about this and have been writing to Govt, MPs etc and lobbying against the changes.

DfE has ridden roughshod over our complaints and agencies are coming.

More information and support about remaining independent of agencies here -

The story so far... (http://independentchildminders.weebly.com/the-story-so-far.html)

And here -

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

I hope this gets you up to speed. Any other questions please ask :D

[line6]

Thanks. I will have a read today. I have to say I did not understand why there was a need for an agency. Maybe that's because of where I live but it just doesn't feel like we need this help. If I feel that way as someone who has just set up I can only imagine how experienced cms are feeling. Am I right in thinking it won't be compulsory to join an agency? Does anyone know if any research has been done on parents views or if this is just the government making up things they think are needed?

[sarah707]

Thanks. I will have a read today. I have to say I did not understand why there was a need for an agency. Maybe that's because of where I live but it just doesn't feel like we need this help. If I feel that way as someone who has just set up I can only imagine how experienced cms are feeling. Am I right in thinking it won't be compulsory to join an agency? Does anyone know if any research has been done on parents views or if this is just the government making up things they think are needed?

As far as we have been told there won't be any need to join one...

Parents are generally confused - the Govt appear to have cooked this one up with Ofsted for their own money saving benefit.

We just want to be left alone to get on with our jobs :(

[line6]

As a parent I can't imagine wanting a middle man involved. Why the need? I would still go by personal recommendation and by making my own choice. I don't get it from a cm or parent point of view. As you say it seems to be purely a government/Ofsted money saving scheme which no-one involved wants or needs. Surely even people setting up only really need the help and support if a local cm with experience to set them on the right path? Or am I being naive because I was lucky enough to have mindees lined up before I was even registered?