Independence & New Guidelines

[Simona]

Sarah I totally agree that we need to info share but we need to be positive and info share 'facts' and pertinent info

From the 2 posts below it is obvious that the LAs have not done their job for a very long time and failed to update cms...why has no one challenged them before?
They may have had their funding cut but that has only been in the last 2 years...reading from the info below some were failing cms even when they had full funding in place??

we appear to want the LAs to remain in place to give support to cms so we must make them accountable as to why they are not doing their duty...
once we get an answer we can even 'name' them
Their jobs are on the line as Truss wants to transfer their responsibilties to agencies...not all areas, as far as we know, will have agencies so the LAs will still have to do their job as should any associations we choose to belong to or belong already as most promise to keep us updated...are they?

For years I have regularly spoken or emailed my EY asking why I don't get this info or am not included in that meeting or unable to access something...their response has given me facts with which to argue with the DfE and get clarification...

[phoenix2010]

SammySplodger ...as far as I know updates have been sent in the usual way by LAs for a very long time and that is via emails.
Some LAs are better than others...have you challenged yours on the lack of updates?
Ofsted have also opted to send emails rather than individual letters...it is a money saving scheme
The issue about being independent is that we research, keep updated and share info as individual and independent businesses...otherwise we go to an agency and get all details from them...at a cost maybe?

Why has the issue of updates just surfaced ? it has no connection to agencies or anything else...remember what being independent means? self sufficient, self reliant, self-supporting and unaided, we need to get on and get used to the fact that things will change in future...we nned to adapt sooner rahter than later...my view of course!

We are being asked what support and info we need in order to remain independent , and so thats what people are doing , clearly this is an issue that is worth raising

It does have a connection to agencies , because I assume that anyone joining an agency will be fed this info in order to keep them up to date , independent minder will need to go elsewhere

If this new website is going to have a section where updates can be posted then thats great , it is all absolutely relative to remaining independent

Independent doesnt have to mean doing it all by yourself , if that was the case then this forum would never have existed

[Jamik]

We get support from our LA but it is usually way after I have been given the information via other websites I am on. For example I was told this the Revised safeguarding statutory guidance - working together - Children and young people was now available this past week but probably won't hear it from the LA for another couple of weeks.

[Simona]

Phoenix2010 I agree with you as well but this what I am trying to say (sorry...obviously not putting it very well): if independent cms get info from forums that will give the LAs a chance to think they do not have to do it while it is their duty to do so
What we then need to do is share and compare?

As an example: Network cms in my area know all about the 2 year old funding while non network cms do not..even though we are supposed to be included in the scheme?
I could share it here but it would make no sense as it is the LA that I need the info from?

One thing I would like to see is a request to 'standardise' how we get info whether independent or not?...does it make sense? probably not but I am pursuing that with the DfE

[phoenix2010]

Phoenix2010 I agree with you as well but this what I am trying to say (sorry...obviously not putting it very well): if independent cms get info from forums that will give the LAs a chance to think they do not have to do it while it is their duty to do so
What we then need to do is share and compare?

As an example: Network cms in my area know all about the 2 year old funding while non network cms do not..even though we are supposed to be included in the scheme?
I could share it here but it would make no sense as it is the LA that I need the info from?

One thing I would like to see is a request to 'standardise' how we get info whether independent or not?...does it make sense? probably not but I am pursuing that with the DfE

Yes I agree , we should be getting all the information we need either from our LAs or in my case my local childminding association , but we dont

and I know what you are saying in that we should be pursuing them and asking them why the information is sadly lacking and why are we having to go elsewhere for the support and info we need


But to be honest with you , I choose to pick my battles carefully , I work 60 hours a week , am a single parent , Ive just spent today doing learning journals , I organise meets for a small group of minders , help other minders with their planning and paperwork and at the end of the day I dont have the energy to chase my local LA and ensure they do the job that they should

Call it apathy , but because all the alerts ive set up dont seem to work , and the various websites I need to check on a regular basis are so user unfriendly , I am going to find a quick and easy way of finding out what I need and thats it in a nutshell really

Im not in a network , Ive never been approached about funded places or being accredited , I guess Im just not in the gang , and that fine with me

It does mean that I have to find stuff out other ways and thats ok too

[Simona]

Phoenix2010 I do hear what you are saying.
Just remember that LAs get £160m (that's over £1 between the 152 of them) and while we have to be 'accountable' to everyone they seem to have forgotten what that money is for (tax payers money after all ...so yours and mine) and accountable to no one how they spend it..except Truss does not like the fact that money does not trickle down to providers...it is the one thing I agree with the woman. Why she refuses to ringfence their funding is beyond me???

there is plenty in that money to pay us a decent funding and offer good support but no...where does it go?
We are in this mess because of them...if they had offered cms adequate support the agencies would not be happening now so before LAs disappear, to our disadvantage, lets bring them to answer a few question
I completed the ratio consultation today (at last) and moaned non stop about LAs...somehow I thought of a way to bring the subject up in every question (speaking to another cm today she told me how good her LA is...why can't they all be the same???)

The question of network has been my battle since 2008...sick and tired of the way they are run and have created a 2 tier of cms and an 'exclusive club for the few' at the expense of the majority of cms and children

Give it one last push...it is not apathy.. it's figthing to save our businesses..if I thought we could survive without LAs in future I would not bother with all this, somehow I feel we need them before they jump ship and go and work for the agencies at our expense??