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View Full Version : Accreditation is it worth it?!



jo.jeffery
10-03-2011, 10:01 AM
HI guys,
I'm really struggling with it all right now! :(

I have been trying to get accredited for ages and finally finished my dhc just to find that my development worker hasn't done the paperwork. Now she's saying its not a priority as shes got to do the ragging thats outstanding by the end of March and I may not be able to claim the funding for my 3 year old from April like I planned! This is because the contract for supporting childminders in our area has been awarded to the preschool learning alliance and they take over in April.

On top of this I currently have no kids on my books coz people are relying more on friends and grandparents in my area, so my finances are really suffering and I've been considering quitting childminding and going to work in a nursery. The business just isn't paying enough for me to get by!

How much funding does a childminder get when claiming Government Education Fund?

Advice would be greatly appriciated,
Jo.

Penny1959
10-03-2011, 01:58 PM
Will depend on the average price in your area - the funding in my area is a little bit more than the average fee but then there are extra requirements to be met - so overall works out about the same.

It can be worth it as parents may decide not to send their child to another setting to access NEF - and stay / start with you.

A classic case of swings and roundabouts - some gains - some losses. However if not many children in your area it may give you the extra 'selling point' needed.

Penny :)

Cammie Doodle
29-03-2011, 09:37 AM
I was accredited and only ever had one child in a year who used the Nursery Funding with me and that was for 6 months only. We are being FICCERed in my area which I think is a good self assessing tool, but to have someone here 6 hours judging me and my equipment/ resources and then to have a 2-4 hrs follow up interview was just a step toooooo far for me :blush: The rate is less that my hourly rate , although that was not really an issue. I just felt that I already do enough paperwork etc and I want to spend more time with the children and less with red tape :idea:

Pipsqueak
29-03-2011, 09:39 AM
the rate in my area is less than what I charge , but as Penny says it can vary from area to area

MaryMary
29-03-2011, 10:05 AM
Welcome to the forum :D

I am considering becoming accredited aswell. I went to a network support meeting last week & a lady there has about 20 on her books! (she works with her dh & another cm). The hourly rate is slightly less than her rate, but she makes up for it other ways (with that many children it can make quite a significant difference over the year!).

The reason i am considering it is that I want to move away from after schoolies (they are driving me mad!!). It is an extra selling point, as Penny says. There are a couple of schools in my area that don't have pre-schools, so there might be demand if I make myself known at those schools :)

It sounds like you have worked really hard, and it would be a shame to chuck it all in now :( It is really frustrating when you don't get the support you obviously deserve. It may not be a priority for your dw, but this is your livelihood :angry: Good luck, I hope you work it all out :thumbsup:

dobby
29-03-2011, 10:16 AM
I might be asking a stupid question here but can you not charge a "top up" for the differance between what the government give and your normal fee? Thats what almost all the pre schools and nurseryies around here do as the amount awarded is nowhere near the amount local market demands - this is South east London?

Cammie Doodle
29-03-2011, 11:27 AM
I might be asking a stupid question here but can you not charge a "top up" for the differance between what the government give and your normal fee? Thats what almost all the pre schools and nurseryies around here do as the amount awarded is nowhere near the amount local market demands - this is South east London?

No you are not allowed to ask Parents "top up" unless it has changed, maybe someone in the know will tell us if it has

venus89
29-03-2011, 12:01 PM
I'm accredited, for nearly a year now. I'm the only CM locally who is and I've never got any business out of it. The rate is lower than I charge, by about 50p I think. On the plus side we just got a £200 bursary for CPD, which was a nice little bonus, and I really like the extra access to training and resources that I get as a Network minder.

ryanna
29-03-2011, 05:06 PM
I had my accreditation assessment this morning and I have to say I'm now wondering if it's worth it. You are NOT allowed to charge a top up to your normal rate but you can add on extras like food and outings, just not to actual cm fees.

The other thing that puts me off is that you only get paid termly as it is, and lots of people have told me that they have to chase up payment as it takes forever to come through, plus additional paperwork (and it's apparently all paper, nothing done online or by e-mail!???!!) form filling and assessments.....ugh, I'm trying to reduce paperwork not do more of it!

Without meaning to sound complacent or blasé (promise I'm not) I'm not short of work either so I too am wondering what is the point?

mushpea
29-03-2011, 05:47 PM
I am accredited and have been claiming funding for children for almost a year,, the payments are twice termly, normaly 60% in the first half of the term and the rest in the 2nd half although in our area the council have taken over the payments from the NCMA and are now basing our payments on who we had last term,, so if i had 1 child this term and 2 next term I would automaticaly get paid for 1 child and then the payment for child 2 would come after the head count in may
anyway I have never had to chase up payments and the rate in our area is much higher than I charge. I have had 2 parents stay with me because of funding and one is choosing to stay with me when her child is able to accept the funding too so I think its worth it.
the PLA have also taking the contract in our area and not the NCMA and because of this I am considering going with mortan micheal and not NCMA this year cause cant see the point in paying nearly twice as much for the same thing.

sarah707
29-03-2011, 07:01 PM
I am looking into funding at the moment East Cheshire have just worked out the money and rules.

I don't know about extra paperwork yet but I imagine there will be some.

The money is less than I normally charge - significantly but I am hoping it will allow me to keep a child who would otherwise go off to nursery.

The way I look at it - it's a means to an end :D

Penny1959
29-03-2011, 07:59 PM
I am an ex network coordinator and I have now decided not to become accredited mainly due to LA dropping NCMA assessment method and putting FCCERS in instead - and as already mentioned by June - FECCERS is a good self assessment tool but in my opinion not a good tool for assessment or monitoring of accredited cms.

I did lose a part time child (2 days) as was not going to offer NEF BUT within a week had filled that space and the other 3 days and a vacant full time space (in other words took on 2 full timers) If I had not lost that part timer I would not have been able to offer these 2 sisters the full time spaces. So in this case it actually worked out in my favour to lose a child due to not offering NEF :clapping:

In the long term I am not too worried about losing children by not being accredited - as most parents will either be happy with what I do and not worry about losing out on a few funded hours or they will choose to send their child to nursery / playgroup to access the funding.

Penny :)

karensmart4
29-03-2011, 09:56 PM
As others have said, it differs area to area. I do get slightly more than my normal rates but I have had to chase the payments up from the begining :panic:

In our area you get paid 90% at the begining of the term and the other 10% towards the end.

If a child starts part way through the term you fill in another form and submit it BUT it can take up to 3 mths for any payment to come through because it has to be cross checked with other settings to make sure it hasn't already been claimed phew.

You have more detailed planning to do and you have to attend 6 training sessions per year (in the south west).

In my case it's worth it as I get to keep 3 of my 3yr olds in september :clapping: and have just taken another one on as she didn't like the cc's in our area.

justgoodfriends
08-05-2011, 07:51 PM
What is FICCERed? Thanks

tashaleee
08-05-2011, 08:26 PM
I am accredited - but I get less than my usual rate by about 70p an hour which adds up. I had one child but the parent chose to put them in nursery and I still got paid as normal.... I have another child who will be eligible in September and I can see the parent wanting the funded hours as they are always looking to pay me the minimum they can. I became accredited because I wanted to do SENCo training and it was the only way my LA would let me access it - I am now personally not sure if I want to stay accredited as I will loose out on a fair bit of money with this child which I just cant afford to loose :blush:

Trouble
09-05-2011, 09:23 PM
mines on hold

we hardly get any funding for our kids so unless someone really wants it in the near furture then it stays on hold

Carol M
10-05-2011, 07:36 AM
What is FICCERed? Thanks

Family Childcare Environment Ratings Scale.
Sorry, but I'm not impressed by this assessment tool because of the "scores"
and the upset it has caused in Worcestershire!
Carol xx