Working with other providers where care is shared.....

**hulahooper** · 23-06-2013, 03:44 PM

What do you actually do? I've written to them, and only one has sent a folder with nothing in it. What am I supposed to share or do? Im due to do a a small settling in assessment on 3 children that go to preschools as well as me. Thanks.

**sarah707** · 23-06-2013, 07:57 PM

Just keep talking to them and plugging away - look at wall displays - talk to parents - ask the child what s/he does there - ask to see learning journeys - keep pushing for information and sharing - ask for newsletters - document everything you do and put it in the child's file!

**hulahooper** · 23-06-2013, 08:12 PM

Someone suggested meetings with key workers and I got all confused. If I'm planning to do assessments, shouldnt preschool obs come into consideration?

**sarah707** · 24-06-2013, 06:41 AM

It depends on the pre-school - some engage better than others.

Meetings might be far out of reach - reading notice boards and chatting to the key worker trying to drag a few words out of her about the child's time there might be all you manage!

Introduce yourself, say what you would like to happen - ask what they are happy to give

**Nicola Carlyle** · 24-06-2013, 07:29 AM

I used Sarah's letter with a few tweaks to suit my setting to send to one nursery. They were really good and I was asked to go and observe my mindee for a few hours while they were there and got the chance to look through her learning journal and chat to her key worker. I printed off all the correspondence we had and wrote up a report on my time spent there. I put it all in my mindees file with an open ended letter about continued contact. I never pick up or drop off from this nursery so can't look at notice boards etc but I don now feel that if I were to contact them for info again they would be helpful.

I also have another mindee who attends a pre school. They are only there one morning week at the moment but thus us due to change in September. I have met his key worker and introduced myself both as childminder and mum as my own little one will be attending in October. We have agreed to meet up once his key worker has made his "next steps" and share learning journals. It will be easier for me to look at notice boards, get news letters etc as I will be picking up and dropping off.

So far I have found other settings quite keen and helpful to work together but I do find schools a little harder.

**rickysmiths** · 24-06-2013, 08:56 AM

I have a mindee who has attended a private Nursery since he was 18 months (I have had him from 8 months) I am his main carer and this Nursery has never made any attempt to contact me for information, even did his two year check while mum was on Mat leave and he was there 2 days and me 1 day, his sister who has been with me since 8 mths is due to go to the same Nursery one day a week from Sept at 16 mths!! I have asked Mum if I can see their LJ with no result so I have just noted all this in their file. To be honest I can be bothered if the Nurseries don't make an effort wht should we do all the running. It is about time they were marked down for not working with us.

The trouble is that they are so big like school Reception they probably don't even record that the child is being cared for by a cm as well and that way they don't have to show they are working with us. Why would they make more work for themselves. It makes me sick. The whole thing is a joke. We bend over backwards and Nurseries and schools on the whole don't give a dam.;

**hectors house** · 24-06-2013, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by rickysmiths

I have a mindee who has attended a private Nursery since he was 18 months (I have had him from 8 months) I am his main carer and this Nursery has never made any attempt to contact me for information, even did his two year check while mum was on Mat leave and he was there 2 days and me 1 day, his sister who has been with me since 8 mths is due to go to the same Nursery one day a week from Sept at 16 mths!! I have asked Mum if I can see their LJ with no result so I have just noted all this in their file. To be honest I can be bothered if the Nurseries don't make an effort wht should we do all the running. It is about time they were marked down for not working with us.

The trouble is that they are so big like school Reception they probably don't even record that the child is being cared for by a cm as well and that way they don't have to show they are working with us. Why would they make more work for themselves. It makes me sick. The whole thing is a joke. We bend over backwards and Nurseries and schools on the whole don't give a dam.;

I have a space on "All about me" form for parents to write name, address, phone number, key worker of any other setting child attends - if Ofsted see it and I say Nursery isn't being helpful at communicating with me, I still get marked down (happened last time). I'm tempted to take this section off my form and plead ignorance of any knowledge that mindees go to Nursery - "Oh do they - parent's didn't say, I thought they just came here 2 days a week"! As the Nurseries seem to do.

Simona · 24-06-2013, 07:59 PM

Oh dear oh dear my heart has sunk to its knees reading this!!

Why oh why can't we develop good solid respectful professional relationships with the whole sector, whether we are cms, preschools or nurseries ? better add CCentres too now as they seem to be the buzz word!
after all we are ALL singing from the same tune from the same framework....EYFS!!
info sharing is there in black and white for all to see so what is the problem in engaging positively, sharing a child's progress, value what each of us do in different ways?

I am amazed that since the EYFS 2008, cms still have to climb so many obstacles to engage with colleagues, be recognised and be respected for doing what others do within 4 walls and we do as home based educators and carers?

Wonder what would happen if in the NHS the nurse decided to avoid the consultant who in turn ignored the patient?

Maybe all the associations who are now widening their membership should reflect that this MUST be the first item on their agenda...equality, recognition, respect and a reciprocal value of who we are and what we do

**jenrunner** · 28-06-2013, 11:23 AM

Hi, I wrote a thread a little while back to find help as I had a school nursery a child attended for all their funded place and after a term when I asked what the childs next challenges were I was told they hadn't had time to assess? If I said that to the inspectors I would expect to be severely frowned on; I don't know the answer but it is not from lack of trying and raising the issue with my local development officer. This is where c/m becomes difficult; we are on the wrong side in this issue. I wish inspectors looked as closely at school nurseries; it doesn't feel fair or equal treatment. Appreciate others views.

**hectors house** · 28-06-2013, 12:05 PM

I went for a meeting with a mindees key worker yesterday - apparently I was the first childminder to ever go for a visit and they didn't know he went to a childminder (he is 4 1/2 years old - I have had him since he was 6 months), has been at Nursery for nearly 2 years, 2 days a week. Nursery said they didn't think any other children went to a different setting - well they wouldn't know would they as they don't as parents!

I originally had an appointment back in March, but was cancelled because keyworker was ill, rang again after a month to re-book was told that she had left and new one was ill, they would phone me to re-book. Eventually got fed up this week, so I rang them and got appointment.

She pinched some of my observations to tick things off in DM - she didn't know he could divide out fruit equally and do simple calculations on more or less required - she also didn't know he could write his own name.

When I asked for suggestions on how I can help him learn to recognise numbers 10-20 she said in DM it only goes up to numbers to 10! Surely if he can do that, I can try to help him learn higher - or do I have to say, wait til you get til school in Sept?

I took a copy of my summaritive assessment, but she wasn't able to give me anything in return - she had a sheet that had been highlighted with different areas of learning - working towards, meeting, exceeding - but when she checked with manager she was told that it needed to be moderated before I could have a copy.

The nursery does have a lovely feel, my mindee gave me a full guided tour, but other than lots more space, I feel I offer all the activities / resources they do but I give my mindees more adult interaction - the children at nursery were just left to get on with it. The only thing I can't provide is other children this mindees age, he is the oldest.