Campaign against deregulation

[sarah707]

Here is the letter I sent to my MP - and the quite worrying reply I received today...

What do you guys think? Is the decision made already? Can our lobbying make a difference?

We all need to get behind this! I really don't like what I am reading

[singingcactus]

I read his response as, there is an investigation underway into how the way we do things here can be improved. There is an ongoing study of other systems including the dutch system.
I don't read that everything has been decided, and that our opinions count for nothing and there is no point in continuing to express our opinions. Just that other ways are being considered. Lets face it, there have been many many many discussions on this forum about how the current system is failing childminders and families, so change is needed. The only way to find out how best to change things is to look at other systems and way up the pros and cons of those systems and compare and contrast them to ours and each others.

[onceinabluemoon]

I read his response as, there is an investigation underway into how the way we do things here can be improved. There is an ongoing study of other systems including the dutch system.
I don't read that everything has been decided, and that our opinions count for nothing and there is no point in continuing to express our opinions. Just that other ways are being considered.

Thats pretty much the way I read it too.

[jellytot]

I also dont see it as full decision made, but did get a feeling that deregulation is going to happen regardless but maybe something in place to preserve the voucher/tax credits system

[sarah707]

I forgot to link to this too -

http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1...-childminders/

This is Nursery World's article on why Elizabeth Truss (who is listened to in Government) thinks it is a good idea for childminders to pay around 10% of our gross income to an agency who will regulate and inspect us.

xx

[murrayspud]

What concerns me the most is that these ideas and proposals have been created, seemingly without actually asking the people who will be affected (Childminders) what we think!!!!

[SYLVIA]

The nursery world bit is interesting. How does their system make it safer to have higher numbers of children on their books. I just don't understand how Ofsted can be so strict at the moment and then the new system will say it's ok to care for more children. I hope parents start to get involved and begin shouting as loud as us childminders

[Mouse]

I read it that George Osbourne hasn't got a clue what any of it's about ("I have taken this opportunity to look into the issue"), that he's passed the buck to a different office ("I have written a letter on your behalf") and will pick it up again if they ever get back to him ("write to you again as soon as I have received a response")

[sarah707]

I read it that George Osbourne hasn't got a clue what any of it's about ("I have taken this opportunity to look into the issue"), that he's passed the buck to a different office ("I have written a letter on your behalf") and will pick it up again if they ever get back to him ("write to you again as soon as I have received a response")

I suppose he is busy trying to balance the country's budget...

I wrote to Sir Michael Wilshaw as well - hopefully he is more clued in since he started all this in the first place

[loocyloo]

I have just written to my MP, and emailed her too.

Have CCd my letter to micheal gove and micheal wilshaw! and will post tomorrow, once i get addresses sorted!

[mum2two]

I agree sounds like he hasn't a clue - its someone else's dept....

xx

[Ripeberry]

All of this sucks, that's all I can say

[Mouse]

I suppose he is busy trying to balance the country's budget...

I wrote to Sir Michael Wilshaw as well - hopefully he is more clued in since he started all this in the first place

Sir Michael Wilshaw...clued in? A bit of an oxymoron there I think

That's how this whole mess started - someone who didn't have a clue talking about something they didn't have a clue about. I really hope he regrets opening his mouth now!

I think we need to keep fighting & get it all shut down before they all figured out what they are actually talking about

[angeldelight]

Thanks for that Sarah

Will have a read a bit later

Angel xx

[Two Princesses]

I forgot to link to this too -

http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1...-childminders/

This is Nursery World's article on why Elizabeth Truss (who is listened to in Government) thinks it is a good idea for childminders to pay around 10% of our gross income to an agency who will regulate and inspect us.

xx

a few questions/discussions

1. Lets face it, if "The agency takes a percentage of the cost the parent pays for childcare (approx 10 percent in the Netherlands)" then there's no way our money grabbing society will do it for less than 20% surely? And by the looks of it they will be dictating what we could charge so we are no longer in control of our business.
2. They seem to want to up the number of children we take (to 5 under 5 years)? As a new childminder who only has 2 under 3's ATM that thought scares the pants off me BUT presumably IF they dictate charges I would need to have the maximum numbers to maximise profit thereby possibly putting children as risk of not having enough attention.
3. There's the risk of preferential treatment if existing networks share out the work "These agencies then act as intermediaries between parents and childcarers, handling payments and help negotiate the hourly rate." You hear of this now were potential mindees details are given to the minders known to the vacancy co-ordinator first.
And not to mention the whole inspection angle.... from what I hear Ofsted are inconsistent enough without throwing another degree of separation into the formalities of inspecting. Each (current) inspector has a different take on what the guidelines say so can you imagine how distorted that would be if another agency trained more people to inspect?

Or am I reading this all wrong?

[sarah707]

a few questions/discussions

Or am I reading this all wrong?

No I don't think you are reading it wrong at all

[Penny1959]

Thank you for sharing the reply from your MP Sarah. Mine has yet to respond

I don't think the letter says that they have made a decision but I think it is a clear indicator that the government will be doing 'something' (as I have said on other threads).


Hopefully other more sensible alternatves to the agency model will be put forward and discussed.


Penny

[It's a small world]

Hi

Sorry not had time to read will do later just wanted to ask a question. Not very up on politics ( I know I should be with this) but have I heard right that if deregulation goes ahead parents will not be able to use childcare vouchers or tax credits to pay for childcare?

Most parents these days pay for childcare this way if that is the case how will they be able to afford childcare and how will we be able to pay 10-20% to who ever if we have no children?

Think its a disgrace from what has been discussed at local playgroups. As for having 5 under 5'S or having as many children as you want surely (some greedy cm's - there are some out their) will take on more than they can care for and it defeats the whole object of parents choosing childminders because they want a home from home. We will be more like nurseries but in our own home. I too have written to my local MP and Newspaper re this matter (only on info I am aware of as also pointed out that I am feeling discriminated against that I am not able to get funding for Level 3 as I have to pay beacuse I have a degree (not in childcare) I have to pay as need this job as no other alternative apart from unemployment - of which the figures will increase (despite being on a low this year) because we will all be on the unemployment line... apologies if I have misunderstood this topic so many rumours going round .. will read attachment later Sarah and hopfully understand better

[sarah707]

Hi

Sorry not had time to read will do later just wanted to ask a question. Not very up on politics ( I know I should be with this) but have I heard right that if deregulation goes ahead parents will not be able to use childcare vouchers or tax credits to pay for childcare?

We don't know... this is just one area of our future provision that is 'up in the air' at the moment.

NCMA mention it in their online survey... would they note it if it was nothing to worry about? I don't know.

xx

[Daftbat]

I have read the information - thank you Sarah - and it would seem to me that what the Government is saying is that this Dutch version is being scrutinised to see what benefits there may possibly be to our own system.

According to the Nursery World article there could be some benefits to childminders:
Having an agency which will act on a more local level to help childminders and handle inspections could help new childminders feel more confident to enter the profession.
Inspection would still be carried out - and more frequently from how the article reads which would help either weed out those childminders who are breaking the rules, or help support those childminders who, in the early stages of setting up business may feel under a lot of pressure. At the moment new childminders and even some long standing ones are terrified of seeing an ofsted Inspector and people thinking of entering are put off by the amount of beaurocracy there may be. I read the article thinking that perhaps some of this could be reduced.

I don't agree with the funding of it from our own pockets with a percentage of our earnings but just because this model is being looked at it doesn't necessarily mean that this would be applied.

Afterall it is surely good that systems are being reviewed and we all seem to agree that the present one is far from perfect so a possible way is to cherry pick the best elements of systems to try and improve our own.

We should definitely still be regulated - if that can be done more locally with more local knowledge and a support system which may help the industry as a whole I for one am not going to shout it down until we actually see something definitive on paper.

I don't think that anything that has been brought to our attention shows it to be a "done deal", the whole matter is very much still up for consideration.