Do you get support from you local Early Years Team ?

[loobyloo168]

Hi all,

Was just wondering how much support you get form you local Early Years Team ?

The reason i ask is that since iv been registered (2008) iv not heard anthing from them at all. They did my pre reg risk asesmment check, then nothing.

I has a support mentor who contacted me by email once to make sure i had completed my work book, but that was during pre reg, then again to say she was leaving childminding and did i want to buy any of her stuff.

I get an anual training schedule, a quarterly magazine covering all sections of early years providers. And i get Safeguarding updates via email and that it.

I did get a letter a couple of months ago saying that part of inspecton was now how much suport you get, and that they wanted all CM's to attend a SEF course, and that they were gonna start doing an annual visitand were gonna visit all cm's Sept/October but iv not heard anything ?

Just wondering if this is the norm or not ?

[Pixie dust]

In my area we have a childminding support network which works the Early years team. I must say they are fantastic we have support visits, regular training. I think we are lucky though as every area is different.

[Mookins]

we are quite lucky where i am too...although only recently registered so far we have regular newsletters, support groups, emails and calls to book various check on pregress etc etc

shame you arent getting any help
xxx

[snufflepuff]

Not much! I know who the CMDO is in the area but only because I found out for myself, I asked for the training magazine to be sent to me (sometimes i get it but more often that not they forget me) and signed up to a course she was running. A CM friend has been trying for a while to get some training sorted for a group of us at her house but the CMDO hasn't gotten back to her yet.

[loobyloo168]

I know im not he best for asking for help when i need it ! I usually just come on here.

Iv had a visit from the Childminding Network asking me to join but as i dont drive and my OH works shifts i couldnt commit to attending all there meetings.

Is the Childminding Network the same as the Childminding support Network ? Our Childminding Newtwork is for minders who have achieved at least a GOOD OFSTED report and work to be acredited to free childcare and having children on the care to learn scheme.

The network wanted me to have a child on the Care to Learn Scheme but i HAD to join the network, have quartrly visits and i HAD to make a commitment to attend there meetings. They also insisted i picked this child up from home, and as i dont drive i turned it down.

Im glad though im not the only one feeling abit deserted !

[Beetlejuice]

In a word NO - not unless you are a Network childminder. It's a huge bugbear of mine and the introduction of the network in this area has created a two-tier system in our county with network minders getting lots of support and the rest of us left to fend for ourselves. Luckily a lot of us meet and support each other for inspections etc.

[Hebs]

Hi all,

Was just wondering how much support you get form you local Early Years Team ?

The reason i ask is that since iv been registered (2008) iv not heard anthing from them at all. They did my pre reg risk asesmment check, then nothing.

I has a support mentor who contacted me by email once to make sure i had completed my work book, but that was during pre reg, then again to say she was leaving childminding and did i want to buy any of her stuff.

I get an anual training schedule, a quarterly magazine covering all sections of early years providers. And i get Safeguarding updates via email and that it.

I did get a letter a couple of months ago saying that part of inspecton was now how much suport you get, and that they wanted all CM's to attend a SEF course, and that they were gonna start doing an annual visitand were gonna visit all cm's Sept/October but iv not heard anything ?

Just wondering if this is the norm or not ?

same here :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[loobyloo168]

Thats another reason i didnt want to join the network ! I feel like there a little gang looking down at the rest of us. Sometmes i just get a bit lonely and would like a "normal group" to attend.

I alway seem to be the one in the corner no one talks to on training, i only took my DD twice to playgroup as no one spoke to me, and if i tred to make converstion with them they would look at me like i was an alien !

Im sure i dont smell !!


In a word NO - not unless you are a Network childminder. It's a huge bugbear of mine and the introduction of the network in this area has created a two-tier system in our county with network minders getting lots of support and the rest of us left to fend for ourselves. Luckily a lot of us meet and support each other for inspections etc.

[loobyloo168]

Haha, i bet all us loners are in the same area !


same here :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Pixie dust]

Is the Childminding Network the same as the Childminding support Network

We must be very lucky in my area as although we have a childminding network all minders have access to early years training as everyone gets a copy of the training available for all early years staff and some courses are just for childminders, the CDO offers termly visits to ALL childminders wether you are in the network or not.

Pixie dust

[Pipsqueak]

Now the NCMA development workers are fabulous.
The area network CDO's are ok

BUT i am not backwards in coming forwards when I need some help.:D

[kentcfis]

there's nothing stopping you from reviewing FIS directories and contacting childminders to create your own networks

[Beetlejuice]

there's nothing stopping you from reviewing FIS directories and contacting childminders to create your own networks

We have a local childminding association which many of us belong to but it seems very unfair imho that you only get the support from our local early years team/childminding support workers if you are on their accreditted network. There are around 150+ minders in our area and only 20 places on the network. I have a problem atm with a child I know has additional needs but I can't approach the childminding support person for help because I'm not on their network (Ftr I know this sounds like sour grapes but I was on the network previously but came off it because I didn't feel comfortable with the 'elite' label that the network minders had given themselves.)

[geordiebunny]

So glad to hear others are getting no support, sorry if that sounds wrong but mine are really bad. I finally managed to speak to my area coordinator, last month been reg since sept 09, and she was pushing the local toddler group but that interferred with another playgroup we went to and when i was pre reg i met a couple of cm and they were snobbish so made me not want to meet them again. I have recently been wondering about becoming acredited as have a lovely little boy who is now 3 and parent finally spoke to me about free places after reading on here my source for help and everything else have decided not worth the extra hassle as parent happy as things are and tax credits pay.
Sorry to go on just nice to finally see isnt just my area that can be rubbish.

[Hebs]

well i've been registered since Jan 09, and i have only ever had 1 visit from our local early years team and that was in Feb when i had a malicious complaint made against me, they came out and were not even supportive during that even though it was obvious i hadn't done anything wrong!
She was saying....... ooooh i dont know if we need to inform ofsted i'll let you know,
well as soon as she left i rang ofsted myself as i had already informed ofsted i was expecting a malicious complaint from this parent, well Ofsted could tell over the phone that it wasnt anything to be worried about, and confirmed by email that they wouldnt be investigating.
That afternoon the EY team rang and said again that they hadnt decided if they needed to inform ofsted and were a little bit miffed when i told them i'd be on the phone myself to ofsted :laughing:

i said thank you SO much for the lack of support since i registered and in future they needed to back up us childminders and not judge us, thats for ofsted to do :D

worse than useless, i'm telling ya

[FussyElmo]

We have good support. We have two networks a neighbourhood network and a NCMA network.

Im on both and have a really good DO who comes once every month or so.

We must be one of the lucky ones :thumbsup:

[rickysmiths]

Development workers visit you at home :laughing: :laughing: Never.

I belong to a Network at our local childrens centre but they won't give us an acredited network because none of us have NVQ Level 3 so we are not worthy of being Acredited. Interesting that all of us have had Good or Outstanding inspections ever since Ofsted took over , most of us have been minding in excess of 10yrs and the only NVQ Level 3 childminder in the area has only had a Satisfactory on inspection :rolleyes: .

Our nearest Accredited Network is 15 miles away!

We do have training provided by the Early Years Team and our NCMA support workers but as for individual help its only there for the choosen few.

[manjay]

I would guess it depends on the remit of the development workers and network coordinators. Whilst I was registering i had basic support from a DO but couldn't really undersand what she did. However after having looked into it that is all she is paid to do. We do have minimal training in our area for all childminders but tbh I don't see it as my automatic right to have training provided for me. I am self employed after all. I decided I wanted more so I did join our local network. Yes there may be a few unsavoury characters but they don't bother me and I certainly don't think I am superior to anyone by just being a member. Not all networks are the same. Some may just be a group of minders who get together to support each other. Others are accredited (like ours) to deliver Early Years Education for 3 year olds, Flying Start Funded places for 2 year olds and community placements. There is more training on offer to me because of this but I do commit to CPD, attending meetings, picking up the community placement children. I understand that this is not for everyone.

If nothing else this job has taught me that if you want something you have to go out and get it;)

[The Juggler]

Now the NCMA development workers are fabulous.
The area network CDO's are ok

BUT i am not backwards in coming forwards when I need some help.:D

we now have one D.O. who has never been a childminder and worked in nursery about 20 years ago, the head of early years and a D.O. who is primarily there to look after group daycare settings - and about 200 childminders.:( :(

Like Pip, I would shout loud if I need something but there is no way they can offer a very personal service. One local authority in London no longer has any central early years team - all made redundant to meet Gov't budget cut requirements.:( :(

[IndigoMoon]

In a word - none! We do get all the pamphlets etc for training but a once a year tock box visit is all the support i ever had.

[kentcfis]

We have a local childminding association which many of us belong to but it seems very unfair imho that you only get the support from our local early years team/childminding support workers if you are on their accreditted network. There are around 150+ minders in our area and only 20 places on the network. I have a problem atm with a child I know has additional needs but I can't approach the childminding support person for help because I'm not on their network (Ftr I know this sounds like sour grapes but I was on the network previously but came off it because I didn't feel comfortable with the 'elite' label that the network minders had given themselves.)

Sorry to hear you didn't get the support you need in your area...

We currently commission out local NCMA branch to support all childminders but this does not mean our authority does not support them in addition to that.

Given your particular need for support we would signpost you to what we have in kent as our Specialist Teaching Service (STS) that have a bank of senco's and the service itself maybe able to support you - should you need information surrounding the need i would suggest contacting Contact A Family (CAF) who have expertise surrounding additional or special needs and they may have a group in your area (albeit they do not in Kent)

In regards to The Juggler's comment - I can see this happening more within other authorities.

[Mollymop]

I don't really get a lot of support from mine. I get the odd training letter or update and a magazine every other month but that is all. My DO is not the most helpful person, she has favourites and from what I can gather from others and from my own experience she only seems to have time for her faves. She has been round to visit me at home only twice since i have been registered and that was because she had to do my Quality framework - which took her months and months to come as she kept rescheduling :rolleyes: Which gave me the impression that she just couldn't be bothered. I never get a phone call but now and again I will get an email with no personality, no words, just a link and that is it!!

[buildingblocks]

I think I will pass on that but will say that all the help I need I find on this forum and that if I replied on our CIS then I would probably have given up years ago.

[sarah707]

We are very well looked after by our development workers.

There's quite a lot of training as well on days we can do... but not always at the best venues for everyone.

i can't complain too much with East Cheshire though! :D