What would you do?

[saintsue]

Hi everyone
one of my parents has got in touch with someone from the network about me joining,
i have looked into joining before and think its just to much work, what should i say to this parent? she wants me to join then she gets the free 15 hours a week.
What would you say to her?
Thanks Sue xxxx

[Chimps Childminding]

I had a similar problem!! One of my mindee's dads was made redundant and mindee was coming up to 3 (June) so could get the free funding (Sept). Mum doesn't particularly like the nursery so asked if I could take the funding. I said no, and then she asked if I would be interested in doing "whatever needed doing" to be able to take the funding. To be honest with everything else I have got going on (long story), I really wasn't keen, but said I would look into it.

June (who is accredited) rang her DO (or whoever) and she said you have to join the network first, then wait until there was a space on the next available course which wasn't going to be till Sept/Oct. Anyway, by the time I could get through it all, it looked as though it would be 6 months or so (next Feb/March) and as funding would only be available till July and then lo would be going to school anyway, decided it wasn't worth doing!!

Thankfully dad managed to get a new job quite quickly, so wasn't a problem.

Not really any help, but if you really don't want to do it, don't feel pressurised into it, parents sometimes forget we have other children and our own families to think about, not just them :rolleyes: !!!

[Mouse]

You could look into exactly what it entails in your area. Here you need to join the network (that takes time) then work towards becoming accredited. You have visits every 6 weeks, must use some of their paperwork & attend a certain number of courses every year.

I have to say, people I have spoken to who have done it have said it's not worth the extra work, especially just for one child.

In some areas though it doesn't invlove much work, so might be different.

If you really don't want to do it though, just tell the parents that.

[lisal5632]

I'm on the network and to be honest it is a pain - first you have to get visited by a network co-ordinator then fill out a form (about 10 pgs long) then wait for them to go through it to see if you can be excepted! then you attend the meetings, I sent my forms in in about Feb this yr and still waiting for them to come and visit again - you should get visited every 6-8 wks and they can just turn up if there in the area Hope this helps! :-)

[miffy]

I think you should be honest and tell her that you don't wish to join the network.

The trouble is you may have to be prepared to lose the lo if you can't offer the free places.

Miffy xx

[youarewhatyoueat]

I would earn less money by offering the free places!!

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I would earn less money by offering the free places!!

Isn't it £3.85 per hour. When I was doing it (not got any children in this age group) I charged a higher rate in the afternoon for part time.

[jo f]

If u want to become acredited it should be your choice not theirs! I have felt pushed in the past to do it and its not the right time for me, not having the time or tbh the interest to do more paperwork. If u decide to do it then great! But don't feel forced, I'm not sure but by the time u are acredited that little one will probably be at school anyway!

[louised]

I had exactly the same thing happen to me, I told the parent I would look into it but when i found out that the governement paid less per hour than I charged there was no way i was interested. Just tell them that it's too much paperwork and you won't benenfit from it at all, the parents that asked me were under the impression that i would benefit financial

[Bushpig]

I was pressured to do this by a parent whose child I had ONE day a week. I told her I have enough to do for OFSTED and couldn't possibly take on any more work. They stayed on anyhow :thumbsup:

[appleblossom]

I was on a Network for several years. I never became accredited because the only minder in our area who was told me she wished she had never bothered as there is so much extra work involved. I also understand that the funding is less than a lot of minder's rates.

Another thing with our Network is that you have to attend a minimum number of meetings and do a minimum number of hours training.

When I was widowed I had to leave the network as I couldn't do the meetings and could just about manage the compulsory first aid, safeguarding etc. training. When I mentioned to my DO that I couldn't get to evening meetings/training she was surprised that I wouldn't leave my daughter alone for the evening (6.30pm to 9.30pm). She was 11 years old and had just lost her Daddy FGS. I've had very little time for the Childminding Development Team here since then.

[Ripeberry]

My parent is hinting at it, but I've been honest with her and told her that we have to have an NVQ3 here before we can even think of joining the network and that can take a couple of years, which by then mindee will be starting reception!

I'd rather keep minding him and maybe drop him off at the local pre-school and then do pick ups.
He is quite shy and I think a pre-school once he turns 2.6yrs old in spring would be perfect for him.

[The Juggler]

i would find out what the hourly rate is for offering it. i would not offer free funded places for less than my current hourly rate.

[teacake2]

The funding round here is £3.46 an hour now. We have to attend 4 meetings a year, have a visit from network co-ordinator every 6-8 wks and attend a minimum of 18 hrs training a year.
As we are all doing the eyfs now the paperwork here is not that much different (although it was before the eyfs came in as we were the only ones having to do obs etc).
You cannot become accredited until you have NVQ 3 and our thriving network has now been split up and is now only for accredited minders so only about 8 of us.
I don't understand why different areas have different views about networks, it is like OFSTED inspections, every area different.:( :(
Teacake2