Speechless (for once!)

[Shamai]

I recently got approached by a parent at my daughter's school asking how she could become a childminder. I gave her all the information I had regarding contacting LA, doing the CYPOP5 course, paediatric first aid, CRB check etc. This morning she came storming up to me because she hadn't realised how much work was involved in the CYPOP5 course - she said each of the questions had different tasks to complete. She thought she only had to answer 7 questions in 8 weeks to become a childminder She said there's no way I'm going to complete it, its too involved and she had just wasted £145. I was so flabbergasted that she thought it was only 7 questions and not 7 sections to complete the course, I just said "Oh that's a shame" and walked away. Unbelievable

[shortstuff]

OMG that is unreal lol

[AliceK]

TBH that doesn't surprise me, I don't think the majority of people realise how much is involved in becoming registered not to mention how much is involved once you are actually doing the job.

xxx

[kellyskidz!]

Came storming over to you because she had to do a bit of work in order to set up a business? I would have been furious, you didn't write it, its nothing to do with you and its not your fault she's lazy
Obviously this job isn't for her if she's annoyed about a bit of online learning and it has her in a flap x

[wee_elf]

Well thank goodness she wont be going ahead because she really doesn't seem to be the type of person who should be responsible for children! xx

[Shamai]

To be honest, I think she thought it would be "easy money" - defo not due to love of children and helping them to learn and develop. I think the local kids/parents have had a lucky escape! She was inferring that I had not given her indepth information beforehand but she has been "reading" the online course for nearly two weeks - hence wasting two weeks study time. Laughable really but very true that people still do not realise what we do, how we get there and why we do it!!

[caz3007]

I was talking to a mum at toddlers who went on a pre reg course and she said she hadn't realised cm did the same as nurseries

[SYLVIA]

Perhaps all parents looking for childcare should be told how much goes in to becoming a childminder then maybe they will stop complaining about how much it costs to have their child cared for

[clare83]

I recently got approached by a parent at my daughter's school asking how she could become a childminder. I gave her all the information I had regarding contacting LA, doing the CYPOP5 course, paediatric first aid, CRB check etc. This morning she came storming up to me because she hadn't realised how much work was involved in the CYPOP5 course - she said each of the questions had different tasks to complete. She thought she only had to answer 7 questions in 8 weeks to become a childminder She said there's no way I'm going to complete it, its too involved and she had just wasted £145. I was so flabbergasted that she thought it was only 7 questions and not 7 sections to complete the course, I just said "Oh that's a shame" and walked away. Unbelievable

Do you know if existing childminders have to complete the CYPOP5 or just new ones? I registered 2 years ago

[bunyip]

I recently got approached by a parent at my daughter's school asking how she could become a childminder. I gave her all the information I had regarding contacting LA, doing the CYPOP5 course, paediatric first aid, CRB check etc. This morning she came storming up to me because she hadn't realised how much work was involved in the CYPOP5 course - she said each of the questions had different tasks to complete. She thought she only had to answer 7 questions in 8 weeks to become a childminder She said there's no way I'm going to complete it, its too involved and she had just wasted £145. I was so flabbergasted that she thought it was only 7 questions and not 7 sections to complete the course, I just said "Oh that's a shame" and walked away. Unbelievable

CYPOP5 = about 10% (?) of a supposedly A-level equivalent course.
Safeguarding: 1-day Death By Powerpoint talk-through by my LA
Food Safety level 2: allegedly equivalent to an O-level; in reality, it's what we already know if we haven't yet poisoned our family and friends.
Paediatric First Aid - 6 hours content stretched over 12 hours in a course which is actually designed to be passable by the funkshunally illyttarit.

Not exactly mind-taxing stuff, is it?

...and this mum wants to set up a business looking after other people's children.

[tulip0803]

Do you know if existing childminders have to complete the CYPOP5 or just new ones? I registered 2 years ago

Cypop5 is a name given to some childminder pre-reg courses - your LA may have had a different name. Ours was still calling it ICP (Introduction to Childminding Practice) until a couple of years ago

[clare83]

Cypop5 is a name given to some childminder pre-reg courses - your LA may have had a different name. Ours was still calling it ICP (Introduction to Childminding Practice) until a couple of years ago

Thanks for clearing that up, I was worried then for a min! Does anyone know if there is any refresher training which childminders have to do once registered. I know 1st aid is every 3 years, is there anything else I need to do? I have heard about don't cm saying their safeguarding it out of date?

[Shamai]

Thanks for clearing that up, I was worried then for a min! Does anyone know if there is any refresher training which childminders have to do once registered. I know 1st aid is every 3 years, is there anything else I need to do? I have heard about don't cm saying their safeguarding it out of date?

Safeguarding training should be done every 3 years too x

[rickysmiths]

Perhaps all parents looking for childcare should be told how much goes in to becoming a childminder then maybe they will stop complaining about how much it costs to have their child cared for

Now there is a thought! I do show my parents my ever growing Training Folder and most are very surprised I have done so much. I think they think it is babysitting in our own homes.

[rickysmiths]

Do you know if existing childminders have to complete the CYPOP5 or just new ones? I registered 2 years ago

It is the new Introduction to childminding and is one of the big Units of the Level 3 Diploma Children and Young People's Workforce. The idea was that at least doing this you then had effectively completed on of the big units if you carried on and completed the full Level 3.

When I di my Level 3 Diploma 2 years ago CYPOP 5 took me 8 hours from start to finish.

[Rick]

It is the new Introduction to childminding and is one of the big Units of the Level 3 Diploma Children and Young People's Workforce. The idea was that at least doing this you then had effectively completed on of the big units if you carried on and completed the full Level 3.

When I di my Level 3 Diploma 2 years ago CYPOP 5 took me 8 hours from start to finish.

I didn't have to do the CYPOP5 unit for my level 3 as I would have completed it within 2 years of having done the ICP course. All I had to do was upload my certificate to sign it off

[wee_elf]

CYPOP5 didn't take me long, a few evenings. The most time consuming part was developing the policies, but I would have had to do that anyway :-) x

[primula]

Sadly I still think a lot of people still see us as babysitters, I was once asked when my youngest started secondary school, if I was going to get a proper job??? AND this was by a drop-in worker!! The look on my face soon shut her up! I think it is time to raise our profiles!
Do you find sometimes that in a social setting when asked what you do, you get a look like oh is that all??

[bunyip]

I don't think CMs should get too bothered by this. Everyone I know who works from home gets the "yes, but it's not a proper job is it?" thing. That's regardless of whether they're CMing, manufacturing wrought iron in a home workshop, or devising software systems for businesses. If you can stroll into the kitchen and put the kettle on when the rest of the world are commuting to work (drawn inexorably like lemmings to the cliff) then it isn't proper work.

As for the social setting question, the response I usually get is, "isn't that a strange job for a man?"

The temptation is always to come back with, "yes, but if mums like you stuck to your 'proper job' in the kitchen*............"


*I hasten to add (before I get a Suffragette bomb through my window) that I don't believe this, but I do believe prejudice works both ways.

[Simona]

I recently got approached by a parent at my daughter's school asking how she could become a childminder. I gave her all the information I had regarding contacting LA, doing the CYPOP5 course, paediatric first aid, CRB check etc. This morning she came storming up to me because she hadn't realised how much work was involved in the CYPOP5 course - she said each of the questions had different tasks to complete. She thought she only had to answer 7 questions in 8 weeks to become a childminder She said there's no way I'm going to complete it, its too involved and she had just wasted £145. I was so flabbergasted that she thought it was only 7 questions and not 7 sections to complete the course, I just said "Oh that's a shame" and walked away. Unbelievable

Maybe this parent will now opt to look after children without having to register or know anything about safeguarding or child development?

Truss has opened the floodgates and removed 'inconvenient' red tape and will put a stamp of approval on unregulated childcare both from parents and schools...and eventually from agency cms who will be stripped of their burdensome Ofsted registration and URN!