Extended Serivices workshop

[Sandie]

Hi just wondered if anyone had done this workshop I am going to do it tommorow night, its supposed to be telling you about how to work with the local shcools. Hopefully I will gain something from it. Starting my DHC unit two on Saturday so wish me luck really looking forward to doing the courses.

[Spangles]

We've not been offered anything like that here yet as far as I'm aware so will be interested to see what they say!

Hope it's beneficial!

[sarah707]

No... not heard of that one either - feedback would be great please! :D

[miffy]

I haven't heard of anything like that in my area so would be interested to know what's said

Miffy xx

[angeldelight]

Not heard of this

Good luck let us know how it goes

Angel xx

[Blaze]

Sorry...haven't heard of it either!
Tasha:)

[Sandie]

No problem will let you know all about it when I get back. From what I can make out it is a workshop helping you to make a port folio and then sell your services to the schools offering wrap around care before and after school.

As soon as I know more I will let you all know

[Sandie]

Sorry I have taken so long to post this but have been so busy this week.

The idea of the workshop was for chilminders of cetain areas to get together and produce a profile folder of said chidlminders then approach the schools in that area and offer a wrap around service to the parents. This profile stays at the school and is made available at all times for parents to look at. So if the parent didn't want there child to go to Breakfast club or after school clubs this would be an alternative option for them.

I did say at the workshop that a lot of us are involved with the schools anyway, but I suppose if you do not have school age children of you own or minded it is a good way to get yourself known.

Hope I have explained it ok.

[sarah707]

That sounds like a great idea! I wonder how it would work in practice though... I know a lot of areas where childminders back bite and are very competitive... they'd really have to work together or you'd just get 1 or 2 doing all the work...

I'd be very interested to hear how it goes as it's something that I think they might do round here when the new Children's Centre opens :D

[miffy]

Hmmmmmm I have huge reservations about this - I can't see schools which have breakfast and after school clubs of their own pushing childminders at parents as the school has an interest in keeping it's own clubs running because of the huge amounts of funding involved.

It may wok where the school doesn't have it's own clubs.

Miffy xx

[Sandie]

I know what you mean Sarah about clicky childminders we get a lot of that here. But it is entirely up to the individual childminder if they want to go in the portfolio and there is only one portfolio, the parents get to look at the portfolio and then choose a child minder then and only then do the parents have any contact with that childminder. Its has been started at a couple of the schools in the area and as you said the schools were a bit aprehensive because of there clubs but so far it seems to be working as some parents do not want there children and school from 8 in the morning till 6 at night.

[sarah707]

I have a good few before and after schoolers through the week so I know what you mean about children not wanting to be in school 8-6pm... it's a long day!

I want something like that to work round here as I think it would help to fill our spaces. It is def something I intend to mention at the next Governors meeting as I am on the SureStart centre committee :D