Ofsted possible inspection fee??

[cbj1609]

It would be nice just to know one way or the other about what on earth is happening. The Government made such a HUGE hoohaa about childcare a few weeks ago, we were all over the news now I have parents asking what is happening and I have no answer as its all gone quiet. It seems we get told one thing then someone objects and we end up back at square one.

I have every intention of staying an independent childminder, I've worked B***** hard at getting where I am and I love my job but if fees are going to be £700 there is no way I can afford that for an inspection. If I have to choose between an agency or not, I feel I will have to change my profession. I wont sign to an agency for them to be getting credit for finding the "perfect person" when we are the ones doing all the hard work.

If Someone from Ofsted or somewhere could officially let us know sooner rather then later it would be great. In the meantime I'll keep checking on here until we here something positive.

Thank You....feel like I've had a good rant now.
Catherine

[Simona]

I disagree Rickysmiths...this thread will reassure many cms that the news is not confirmed and it started on Facebook
Yes we need to have facts but at present none are coming

If anything it will make more aware that, at times like this, we need to act, not just by sharing info on forums but doing something concrete and raising concerns where it matters
I have lodged my concerns with Ofsted and will, as suggested by them, follow it up with a letter to HMCI...do you know anyone representing cms who is doing so to calm our nerves??

We have always known that the price of being independent was a higher Ofsted fee when £35 became obvious was not enough to cover Ofsted costs to register and inspect us as Wilshaw announced several months ago??

I will be happy to pay the £700 or whatever, within reason and affordability, and have already put savings away for this but it is totally disrespectful of cms that we continue to be kept in the dark when the reforms affect us 4 times over and are not just to do with higher ratios!

[Petshrinklj]

Oh dear hope its not true. That's a lot of money

[Simona]

The fact that it is an 'inspection fee' suggests it is for the inspection 'cycle' not a yearly fee so I agree with Mouse's calculations (exactly like mine) it would mean £175 per year ...which means saving £15 per month.

The DfE went to a lot of trouble to produce some dubious calculations on how much it would cost nurseries to increase the higher ratio..well maybe someone ought to calculate our inspection fee and publish it and as soon as possible!

[SammySplodger]

As you know Simona, I flit from forum to forum on a daily basis, in and out of twitter and Facebook if time allows... These days I tend to get less upset by all the rumours (not sure if that's me feeling more 'in control' as I'm getting used to the idea of remaining Independent, busy planning and preparing... or whether I'm just developing a thicker skin).

I have seen this same rumour posted in several other places, but also on the ******* website. HOW DO THEY KNOW?!!!!!! :-0

Actually I'm sort of relieved (if it's true) as I'd attempted to calculate this figure months ago and reached an answer of circa £1000!

I don't like the idea one little bit, BUT if you break it down over 3-4 years it's likely to be similar or even slightly better than agency fees.

Ironically, I have also seen that many CMs are planning on increasing their fees slightly to cover what they will need to put away for it... Cheaper childcare for parents? I think not...

What irritates me most is that nurseries, schools and clubs are not having their fees hiked up at such an appallingly high rate, are they? We are being discriminated against by Ofsted and Truss... big time! :-((

[Simona]

Sammy..I think we have established this is a rumour and wait for Ofsted to finally tell us what they have in mind.

The difference about this is that it is stated it came from 'someone close to Ofsted' who could not be mentioned

Yes the figure of £700 is clearly stated on the website you name as is a figure for nursery inspections as well...ICM we know are observers in the DfE discussions ..maybe that is where they got it from...who knows?

I asked pacey in Pacey Local if they would put some 'pressure' on DfE and Ofsted to release figures of our fee as soon as possible since they bothered to release those dubious calculations about nurseries...so they may give a go at releasing something about us...we live in hope!

[SammySplodger]

Sammy..I think we have established this is a rumour and wait for Ofsted to finally tell us what they have in mind.

The difference about this is that it is stated it came from 'someone close to Ofsted' who could not be mentioned

Yes the figure of £700 is clearly stated on the website you name as is a figure for nursery inspections as well...ICM we know are observers in the DfE discussions ..maybe that is where they got it from...who knows?

I asked pacey in Pacey Local if they would put some 'pressure' on DfE and Ofsted to release figures of our fee as soon as possible since they bothered to release those dubious calculations about nurseries...so they may give a go at releasing something about us...we live in hope!

I did not realise this figure was for nurseries - thanks for pointing that out.

We are almost in June and the end of term (for those of us doing term-time only contracts) is not that far away... It's absolutely disgusting that we still have so little information about our future from September :-(

DH was asking earlier about the legality of effectively attempting to 'destroy' a whole raft of self-employed businesses. Has anyone tried this angle yet, via European Human Rights? He also suggested re-visiting the Unions. Apologies if this is happening already, I've been busy preparing for.... Ofsted!!!!

This coming Saturday will be a day of letter writing / emailing / tweeting etc for me.

[blue bear]

This is current annual fees for all early years providers,you will see most are only paying £50 or £35 per year, the new rumoured figures are way higher than these.

Setting details
Fees due from 1 September 2012
A playgroup that operates for two and a half hours a day, five days a week, for 42 weeks of the year, and registered with Ofsted after 1 September 2008
£35
A day nursery running for eight hours a day, five days a week, for 40 weeks of the year, and registered with Ofsted before 1 September 2008
£50
Childcare on domestic premises operating for eight hours a day, three days a week, where the providers were registered as childminders before 1 September 2008
£50
A pre-school running for three and a half hours a day for four days a week and 52 weeks of the year, and registered with Ofsted before 1 September 2008
£50
A pre-school running for three and a half hours a day, for four days a week, and 52 weeks of the year, and registered with Ofsted after 1 September 2008
£35
A pre-school running for three and a half hours a day, for five days a week, and 52 weeks of the year, and registered with Ofsted before 1 September 2008
£50
An after-school club running for three and a half hours a day, for five days a week, for 39 weeks. Also running for eight hours a day, for five days a week, for 11 weeks of the year, and registered with Ofsted before 1 September 2008
£50
A pre-school running for three and a half hours a day, for five days a week, and 52 weeks of the year, and registered with Ofsted after 1 September 2008
£220

[Houlgated]

i'm due an inspection (last one was Aug 2009) and i'm also struggling to find work at the moment with my only mindee due to leave me in 8 weeks, i am seriously considering giving up altogether as i'm just feeling overwhelmed by all the 'what ifs' and keeping up with all the info that's been bounded about and it's really starting to stress me out. Unfortunately this is all seeming to be much harder work than the few quid an hour i earn is worth. my current monthly income is approx £500 and tbh the paperwork, hours and crappy parts of the job just aren't worth it when i could just enjoy spending time with my own kids :-(

[rickysmiths]

I have no idea why the true cost of a 2 hour inspection is £900. Even if it then takes them the rest of the day to write up the report. Even taking training, travel, wages into account it can not possibly cost this amount.

+ the cost of the manager checking over the report before it is published, making any changes we ask for or responding to any complaints we make, any variations, processing any assistants, CRB checks for family members, processing any complaints, responding to any questions we may have.

[TooEarlyForGin?]

I know this is all rumour, and am sitting back waiting for the government to make up their mind on which way they want to get rid of independent childcare. I know you can break £700/£900/£10000 over a period of months which is all well and good for those that are busy and earning a good regular wage. How will new minders afford it when they have only just been registered? I work 4 days a week with part-timers, already struggling to make a reasonable income with be amount of work I do.

Why should I bother when a lady down the road does it illegally, is full up and doesn't have all this pressure, and nothing is done to her. This will be one step too far for me personally. If the government carries on with the systematic abuse of our jobs, undermining us and making us constantly look like we are babysitters who dare make money looking after children, when we should be pretty much doing it for free as its such a "rewarding" job.

If they treated teachers or nurses in this way, they would have all been on strike in a heartbeat.

Sorry to sound so down, but I am. I try really hard not to take it to heart, but feel like many others on here that enough is enough and i'll let the new generation of Truss's super minders take over.

[Simona]

Come on girls...hold your nerve!!!
don't give up now as that is exactly what the govt is hoping for: we cave in to their pressure and they get their way: agencies, higher ratios, hubs, less LA support, tougher inspections ...all leads to cms thinking agencies maybe the better option...NO WAY!

Let's continue to support each other in any way we can...lots of barriers to overcome but they are worth fighting against.

[Simona]

For those who do not read the pacey bit of this forum I have posted a request in local for them to clarify various issues on behalf of cms and copied it there.

In addition I have just sent an email to Ofsted Sue Gregory asking her for a rough idea on a date when cms will be told if an increase in our registration fee is due or not as the case maybe...
Sue Gregory has replied before to 2 emails so I see no reason why she would not address this simple question...if she does not then I will put the question to her directly on 8 June as she is addressing the conference in Birmingham and I will be attending that.

At this stage what else can we do but knock on every possible door???

[angeldelight]

Sorry ...while its great sometimes to be one step ahead I think these sort of rumours can cause panic

I think if any thing like this were to happen then it would be time to panic then and if

I spoke to a few new minders yesterday who said reading this made them not want to continue ...it scared and worried them .

No ones fault at all .... But rumours are rumours

I agree with mouse and RS

Angel xxx

[Simona]

Angeldelight...I would suggest you read the original blog where the discussion was started and also follow Facebook where many have said they saw the news posted
As you say rumours are rumours...exactly what we have said here
Also read Sammy's post where she clearly states she has seen the figure mentioned as I have a long time ago
Being ahead is better than actually being not informed at all...in my view

I have not spoken to one cm who is panicking...all are saying the same: let's get some clarification and we can get on and plan for the fee ...whether it gets increased or otherwise

If our discussing this is not what you think we should do what is your action plan? what have you done or who have you written to to get it squashed or confirmed?? are you attending any conferences where these issues are being debated??

Social media is a great tool for spreading news...good or otherwise...all we have done is pick up the pieces and trying to get answers
May I suggest you stop being negative and join those who are showing positivity in wanting FACTS!!

[shortstuff]

Simona Sorry but I think the last post you made was uncalled for. You have now made is personal and there was no need for that. I keep quiet about my opinions sometimes as what I would write will be seen as offensive. Personally I find what you have just put as such. We are all able to voice our opinions but in no way should it turn to this.

[Simona]

I am sorry if you see this as personal please be reassured it was not meant to be...messages can get misinterpreted
What I have stated is that we are discussing something that is openly in the public domain and trying to get clarification

We could sit here and wait for answers or trying to do something different to get 'possible' results

[barbarella68]

Can I say it was actually E.Truss who mentioned the Ofsted registration of £700 (well actually it was slightly more) in August last year at a meeting of Childcarers,so whilst people might get angry because they think it's a rumour but it was started by the same woman who thinks that Childminders should be no more.

[Simona]

Thank you for posting that Barbarella68

On 10 August 2012 at 1.30pm I sat in Portcullis House with E Truss for an arranged meeting I was invited to and took a colleague along.
Truss had some complicated figures in front of her and her main concern was the total funding for early years, where it was going and how to account for it
She also touched on LAs who she said were not passing their funding to frontline providers, she was also made aware of the barriers cms face in order to access funding and the unacceptable red tape we face.
She discussed her agency idea and said clearly the future Ofsted fee for cms would be in the region of £800 for those wishing to remain 'independent'
I interpreted that to mean for the inspection cycle not a yearly fee.

She also said very clearly then that cms would not have to join an agency and that cms could form their own agency if they wished or stay independent
All has come to be as she said although details are very sketchy and very secretive.

I still have the notes from that meeting but have never posted anything about it as things can always change but I have always kept that figure in mind and started saving for that as it linked to Wilshaw saying cms were costing too much to register and inspect.

She then went off on 2 weeks holidays but I received emails from her researcher and Truss herself afterwards...she needed ideas.
I di not give her any because I was against agencies then and I am still now!

I continued to correspond with her until she blocked me on Twitter in October but still got a reply from her via my MP...she also blocked other cms some months afterwards
A few months later at the Daycare Trust conference on 4 Dec 2012 when she announced the flat rate of £5.09 I stood up and asked her why she had failed to reduce the red tape with LAs she was so keen to remove and why cms were still facing barriers and discrimination in accessing funding for the FE.

If it turns out that the fee she mentioned will be lower then great but if true then I was pre warned and acted on it.
All this amounts to is financial planning and not getting caught unawares.

I remain of the idea that representing associations must be aware of the proposed increase in our registration/inspection fee but are very quiet about it.
My worry is that the final announcement will come very near to September...all we are asking is for a 'rough idea' when that announcement will be made.

I hope this clarifies my position...yes we think this is a rumour but is there some truth behind it??
Who knows??

[SammySplodger]

Can I say it was actually E.Truss who mentioned the Ofsted registration of £700 (well actually it was slightly more) in August last year at a meeting of Childcarers,so whilst people might get angry because they think it's a rumour but it was started by the same woman who thinks that Childminders should be no more.

Yes - I also turned up various annoying snippets of rumour/info when I was really worrying about Ofsted fees back in February. I got the impression it was closer to £1000.

Genuinely sorry if some are feeling upset by this, but personally I'd rather know what is (or might) be going on than not know at all.

It is criminal what is happening to us - I am deeply concerned, but trying to channel my anger and frustration positively.

No other self-employed profession is being treated like this - can you imagine what would happen if the Gov decided they no longer liked self-employed plumbers or electricians?!