She's on radio 2 at the moment

[watgem]

its making me feel so depressed, am really not liking the sound of this, I just as well be employed in a nursery

[Belly2009]

We as childminders do NOT need to join the agency. Please read the report.....ive copied and pasted the section below.

"It will not be compulsory for childminders to join agencies. Many existing childminders have already overcome barriers to enter the market – the registration process, the costs of training – and have built up successful small businesses. It is absolutely right that these childminders continue to be free to operate independently. However, for new or existing childminders, such as those working in rural areas where support is lacking, for example, agencies can offer a formalised support network and a more secure way of working."

[LauraS]

If I had to become part of an agency I wouldn't take a pay cut. I charge £3.50 per hour so if the agency is moneymaking then they would need to charge the parents more...maybe an extra 50p an hour ??

Confused...where is the lower childcare for parents ???

Oh..wait a minute....I get it.....I'm going to have to work for a lower amount...HO..HO..HO...Hilarious ;p

Precisely. How can.adding in a profit making third party go-between lower the cost?! Durrrr

[Tazmin68]

Has anyone started a petition in that childminders do not want to join an agency any by doing so fees would not be lowered as the agency would also require minders to pay a fee which would then be another expense.

[loocyloo]

We as childminders do NOT need to join the agency. Please read the report.....ive copied and pasted the section below.

"It will not be compulsory for childminders to join agencies. Many existing childminders have already overcome barriers to enter the market – the registration process, the costs of training – and have built up successful small businesses. It is absolutely right that these childminders continue to be free to operate independently. However, for new or existing childminders, such as those working in rural areas where support is lacking, for example, agencies can offer a formalised support network and a more secure way of working."

LOL i am in a rural area ... support is NOT lacking in my area ... childminders are!

edited to say, did anyone hear the comment read out that someone wanted to be a childminder but didn't because of all the red tape/paperwork ... they obviously thought it was an easy job to do whilst staying at home and wen they realised it was a 'real' job didn't carry on with it. so i can't see how providing support is going to get people into childminding, as if people don't want to train/study to do the job, then they won't!

[TooEarlyForGin?]

I read the article as saying that if you want to become a childminder, you have to join an agency...sounds pretty compulsory to me

So the idea is that if you want to be a childminder you register with the agency, they would do things like sort out your training, your insurance, they would market your services to parents, they’d deal with Government funding, collect money from parents and you as a childminder would be paid as part of that.

I think like most of the report this is absolutely bonkers. I can't see how it works. If we become part of agencies we're no longer self-employed so who will pay our tax and National Insurance? Also can we then demand minimum wage even if we only have one child? And surely the cost to parents would still even be higher because somebody would have to pay a percentage to the agencies to do all this for us.

Like I say bonkers.

[Belly2009]

LOL i am in a rural area ... support is NOT lacking in my area ... childminders are!

edited to say, did anyone hear the comment read out that someone wanted to be a childminder but didn't because of all the red tape/paperwork ... they obviously thought it was an easy job to do whilst staying at home and wen they realised it was a 'real' job didn't carry on with it. so i can't see how providing support is going to get people into childminding, as if people don't want to train/study to do the job, then they won't!

I am in an urban area and support IS lacking. This way everyone is entitled to the same. I for one am fed up of being pushed in a corner when a childminder who lives across a boundary on a county gets loads more from their LA