Truss report now making more sense than ever!

**lilac_dragon** · 02-02-2013, 08:24 AM

I posted this as a reply to another post re Manchester City Council and new Childcare companies, but decided it was important enough(?) to stand alone as yet another testament to the "Are we being conned" theory.

When Childminders were inspected by the Childcare Manager of Social Services rather than OFSTED, I was told by my Childcare Manager that the Government had a long term plan that would mean that all Childminders would become Nurseries or work for an Agency rather than be self-employed.

That was in 1995 and she said it would happen "within the next 20 years". I laughed it off at the time, as she was trying to persuade me to accept local funding to start up a Nursery, and I didn't want to do it.

I ran into her last week, and she asked me how I felt about the Truss report, commenting " I did warn you, all those years ago".

Never occurred to me before, but she obviously knew something in 1995 that we didn't.
Really worried now- as if I wasn't before - but also feeling really cross

**loocyloo** · 02-02-2013, 08:49 AM

Scary.

I joked about becoming a ' micro nursery ' when talk about deregulation first came about, but now maybe that is the way I'll go if agencies come in.

**Wheelybug** · 02-02-2013, 09:06 AM

I totally agree and believe that although voluntary at first, membership to agencies will become compulsory. I think they are voluntary now because just the task of getting agencies set up and childminders signed up is huge. By introducing them as voluntary allows them to be set up gradually and some childminders will sign up to them (think they are going to be targeted at new childminders first with the incentive that they make the set up process easier). NCMA I think will be one of the first organisations to start setting them up. Once they are in place, I think then it will become compulsory.

Cathy
Pre-school Play

**sarah707** · 02-02-2013, 09:51 AM

So do you think we are about ready to change the focus of the campaign ... keeping it on ratios because they are vitally important for ensuring better outcomes for the children... but broadening to encompass the agency issue?

**Kiddleywinks** · 02-02-2013, 10:06 AM

By getting the majority of people/the wider public to focus on one issue - ratio's, the main issue for us as childminders - agencies, I feel is getting lost into the abyss.
The ratio's are going to be what they are, it doesn't mean an independent minder HAS to take on the maximum allowed if they don't want to, but being part of an agency - being told what you're doing, will put us in a situation I doubt any of us want.

I for one, would be happier for there to be a focus on the agencies agenda

**lilac_dragon** · 02-02-2013, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by sarah707

So do you think we are about ready to change the focus of the campaign ... keeping it on ratios because they are vitally important for ensuring better outcomes for the children... but broadening to encompass the agency issue?

Definitely!

I can see the advantages as well as the disadvantages -
If I was new to Childminding I know what it's like to struggle and build up your equipment and resources, the advertising and uncertainty of trying to get work and cope with the training and the paperwork etc, and MAYBE i'd like the choice of joining an agency to help me with all that.
BUT
I'm well established, well thought of, 95% of my work comes from word of mouth, my 2 year olds are staying with me despite no accreditation as the parents and children love the way I work and how well children do with me and would rather pay me than have free Nursery placement. - so I would not personally choose to be part of an agency.

More than anything it's about MY CHOICE as a British individual to be a self-employed person delivering a quality service.

I feel like I'm going to be Compulsory Purchased the way a property is because someone wants to build a road!

**mum26** · 02-02-2013, 11:18 AM

Yes, I definitely feel that the agency issue needs to be put in the spotlight too. The trouble is there isn't a lot of information regarding how these agencies will operate - however, I am worried that it could be the beginning of the end of childminding as I know it.

**Ripeberry** · 02-02-2013, 11:28 AM

And the big plan many years down the line is to have all young children in 'institutions' and eventually turn us all into 'group minds' such as the Danish childcare model. Parents and other relatives can't be trusted to look after their own kids. Get hold of them as they turn 2yrs old and stick them in school.
Scary times in society as a whole. But then I don't like 'Big Society' stuff when it involves our most vulnerable people. The young and the elderly.

I should have been a Hippie

**SammySplodger** · 02-02-2013, 11:36 AM

Short answer to Sarah - YES!

I am far more worried about agencies and find the vagueness sinister. Of course they know what the plan is! They can't say because they know how we will all react.

Ratios are not really a huge concern to me - I am planning on simply ignoring, in fact, turning to my advantage, as I like to have max 3 children anyway and that is why Parents choose me.

I am of course very concerned about ratios in a general sense though - poor kids :-(

**watgem** · 02-02-2013, 12:34 PM

I'm very worried about the agency issue Sarah, at the moment we are free to set our own fees and terms and conditions, but will this be possible if we are controlled by agencies? Just so many unanswered questions

**emmamc** · 02-02-2013, 01:40 PM

I am new to childminding, have done the neccesary courses and am in the process of getting paperwork sorted before registering with Ofsted (huge thank you to the people of this forum!)
I am completely against registering with an agency even with being new, as the point of it for me and probably many others is that I want to be my own boss and not be told what I can and can't do with my business.
Becoming an agency would mean answering to others and possibly relying on them for work!

**sharonmanc** · 02-02-2013, 02:27 PM

I totally agree about the agencies issue, and i feel it is being lost in the ratios debate

**lilac_dragon** · 02-02-2013, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by sarah707

So do you think we are about ready to change the focus of the campaign ... keeping it on ratios because they are vitally important for ensuring better outcomes for the children... but broadening to encompass the agency issue?

What about approaching Zoe Williams, who did the Guardian report on trying to care for 6 children, and asking her if she'd be interested in a follow up article - concerning the Agency idea?
She might be interested.

**sarak31** · 02-02-2013, 03:28 PM

I think they will end up being compulsory as all funding, training, ability to use childcare vouchers etc etc will only be possible I am guessing through the agencies - it just isn't going to work otherwise - therefore ultimately we might be forced to join up to remain profitable.

Yes I think the focus should be on agencies not ratios but I also think it's a done deal and there's not much we can do about it...