Have your say on the Children and Families Bill!!

[sarah707]

There is a consultation on the Children and Families Bill here -

Have your say on the Children and Families Bill - News from Parliament - UK Parliament

This is a really big opportunity to say what you think about the parts of the bill that affect you and the children such as agencies, ratios and qualifications.

Responses must be submitted by 22nd April 2013.

Your response needs to be in Microsoft Word format - if you do not have Microsoft Word please ask and we will convert it for you.

You need to follow the template in the attached document because that is how they want the reply to be set out. If you have any problems using the template please let us know and we will help.

The forum is here to support every childminder who wants to respond to the consultation and has produced 2 documents to help.

I have attached them on here and they are also online -

www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/haveyoursay

www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/sampleletter

They are freely available to anyone who wants to use them so please pass the links to your friends and via FB / Twitter feeds.

Let's tell the committee what we think about Truss' 'More Great Childcare' plan guys!

[AgentTink]

I know what I will be doing on my day off on Friday

[jo.jo76]

Thank you for doing this Sarah, I am having a look at it now and working out my response. About the ratios and qualifications, I thought those were specific to the Great Childcare Plan, isn't it only the childminder agencies which are in the Children's and Families Bill? Aren't they two different things? Is there any relevance to mentioning them in this?

[sarah707]

Thank you for doing this Sarah, I am having a look at it now and working out my response. About the ratios and qualifications, I thought those were specific to the Great Childcare Plan, isn't it only the childminder agencies which are in the Children's and Families Bill? Aren't they two different things? Is there any relevance to mentioning them in this?

I see no harm in mentioning them because they tie in with the whole re-jigging of early education theme and they are relevant in that they are nothing like what Cathy Nutbrown envisaged and will further create a 2 tier system...

As Julian Grenier says in his recent blog they are not even going to be fully qualified teachers!

Inside the secret garden: When is a teacher not a teacher?

This will simply lead to more confusion for parents and more uncertainty in the sector.

So... an EYT will be able to look after 6 x 2 year olds simply because they have taken a course and qualified.

Ok, you are upskilling the early years workforce but put them in a school and they won't be able to run a class...

So you are upskilling why exactly?

Simply to get more children per adult into nursery with the intention of bringing down costs.

So these poor EYTs won't even be teachers - they won't get teacher salaries - but they will be working significantly harder that at present and with a lot more much younger children.

How is that right for the children? How is that fair on the adults?

Do you see? It's all endemic of the absolutely dreadful way the Govt is trying to manipulate the sector

So no, I see absolutely no harm in mentioning it.

However the sample response is mine - and is for people to do with exactly what they choose - as long as they PLEASE do something with it!!

[AgentTink]

I have finally got around to sending off my response. Come on everybody please use this opportunity to raise your valid points, if you only have one thing to say it all counts

[sarah707]

Have you had your say on the Families and Childcare Bill yet?

This is the best way to get your thoughts heard because it goes direct to the decision makers.

If you are not sure how to reply please ask there is lots of support for everyone on the forum

[AgentTink]

I just wanted to let everyone see that if you do write your concerns down in regards to the children and families bill, it will be given to the 21 committee members who are debating this document right now in the House of Commons. This is our best chance to get our voices heard by the very MP's who are debating it and have the power to do something.

Here is link so you can see who has given evidence to the committee. Just click on the link and scroll down to th bottom of the page were it says Associated Memoranda

House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Children and Families Bill 2012-13 — UK Parliament

there are 7 responses from childminders, I am one of them Stacey, and you may also notice Sarah707. Feel free to read them so you can get ideas for your own response even if you only write 1 concern it gets our voices heard

[lisbet]

I agree Stacey - I think this is our best shot to get heard. Truss does not want to listen, but the committee members may well want to - either because they're concerned parents, or because they possess a healthy dose of common sense, or even because they have a grudge against Truss, but any reason will do!

[loocyloo]

i've been slowly writing one over the past week ... will attempt to get it done today!

[mrs robbie williams]

Am doing mine today x

[The Juggler]

i sent a really stonking e-mail to the scrutiny@parliament e-mail address today. Got me right wound up - had to go and sit down for a bit afterwards to cool down

[sarah707]

i sent a really stonking e-mail to the scrutiny@parliament e-mail address today. Got me right wound up - had to go and sit down for a bit afterwards to cool down

[lizann]

working on mine now might be asking for help though

[loocyloo]

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!

just wrote a LONG letter ... took a couple of hours ... and somehow then totally lost it !!! ( all whilst trying to send it whilst Dh was talking to me ! ARGHHH! )

so ... going to have to find a couple of hours another night !!! ARGHHHHHHHHH!

[The Juggler]

i am being a bit stupid! where do you see who/how many people have replied ????

[AgentTink]

i am being a bit stupid! where do you see who/how many people have replied ????

Ser my post earlier in the thread from yesterday with a link to the page and were to see the responces x

[The Juggler]

Ser my post earlier in the thread from yesterday with a link to the page and were to see the responces x

tink I clicked on the link and it takes me to the page with committee members but can't see the repsonses????

[AgentTink]

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!

just wrote a LONG letter ... took a couple of hours ... and somehow then totally lost it !!! ( all whilst trying to send it whilst Dh was talking to me ! ARGHHH! )

so ... going to have to find a couple of hours another night !!! ARGHHHHHHHHH!

I hate it when this happens, and it always seems to happen on my longest documents!

I have become obsessed with saving since I lost a load of coursework a little while back. Where you typing straight onto a email or into a word document? Had you saved the document at any point?

[AgentTink]

tink I clicked on the link and it takes me to the page with committee members but can't see the repsonses????

Scroll down to associated memorandum and there is a huge list of documents that have been submitted. Some are by indivduals other are by companies.

[The Juggler]

Scroll down to associated memorandum and there is a huge list of documents that have been submitted. Some are by indivduals other are by companies.

cool thanks tinks xx