Independent Childminders and training
Childminders are telling us that they are worried how they will access training in the future if all Local Authority (LA) training is withdrawn... they are concerned that they will have to join a childminder agency or be forced to pay a high cost to attend required training courses.
First let’s look at what training childminders are expected to do...
Required training
First aid – 12 hour paediatric – renewed every 3 years - which must be Local Authority approved at the moment**
Recommended training
Safeguarding* – which much be Local Authority approved at the moment**
*I say safeguarding is ‘recommended’ because it is not stated as statutory training in the EYFS 2012. However, many Ofsted inspectors look for a commitment to attending safeguarding training and will action childminders who have not attended a Local Authority approved course.
**I say ‘at the moment’ because this will probably change if LAs no longer deliver training and if / when ‘More Great Childcare’ plan is law because the plan says (page 29), ‘We will remove constraints on childcare training: for example, the obligation to use only local authority approved first aid training. This will ensure there is competition in the market.’
Food hygiene training - some Local Authorities currently require childminders to attend food hygiene training, which is usually updated every 3 years.
Other training
Training enhances professional development and ensures childminders stay up-to-date and well informed. Ofsted inspectors currently look at a childminder’s commitment to attend or undertake training and make decisions based on what courses they have done since their last inspection.
This is only one of many judgements made during inspection - but lack of training might impact on the childminder’s inspection grade – and there are no indications in any documentation I have read to date that this will change.
Training wish list
You might find it helpful to write yourself a training wish list, including the courses you might like to attend and ideas for future CPD, for example...
I want to improve my CPD by attending the following training -
• Behaviour management
• Supporting PSED
• Communication, language and literacy
• Outside play
• Infection control
• Self assessment
• Working with parents and other settings
• Observations, assessment, planning
• 2 year progress check
CPD training schedule
Plan your training schedule to make sure you do not miss any essential training courses –
• First aid – date of last course -
• Safeguarding – date of last course –
• Food Hygiene – date of last course –
So how will independent childminders ensure they are well trained?
There are lots of different ways of ensuring continued professional development...
• Childminders might come together in their local area, book a trainer who offers a certificate at the end of the evening and a room and each pay a percentage of the total cost to fund the training session.
• You might buy an e-book or other document or borrow a book about early years from your library or another childminder and use it to enhance your professional development.
• Online CPD courses from membership of websites such as Childcare.co.uk can be a valuable addition to your training folder.
• You might work with local nurseries, attending courses that they provide for their employees. Any strong links you forge with children’s key workers now will help you to access information about training availability in the future.
• Open University – Open Learning courses cover a range of subjects and there are many free courses available.
• Morton Michel insurance company offers a range of CPD training via Laser Learning.
• Articles online will support your CPD - websites such as Education articles, resources and products are invaluable for sharing good practice advice.
• Professional magazines such as Child Care (Practical Pre-school) and Nursery World will help you to stay up-to-date with news and information from around the early years sector.
When you have read the book, article or magazine think about how you might change your practice as a result and write up your thoughts in your SEF or other self evaluation document.
Providing evidence of training attended
Childminders find it helpful to have training and course attendance certificates to show children’s parents and Ofsted – this is one of the best ways to show evidence of continued professional development. Display them in a professional looking file along with evaluations.
Post-training evaluation example
Write a review of the training, courses, e-books etc you have read -
Course / training / e-book review
Course –
Date –
• What did the course / training / e-book cover?
• What did I learn from the course / training / e-book?
• How will this benefit my work and outcomes for children?
• How will I implement what I have learned?
If you are a gold member of Babysitters, Childminders, Nannies, Nanny Jobs, Private Tutors - Childcare.co.uk you will find a NEW (05.2013) series of CPD advice Information Guides which will support you with your future training needs.
Please add further training ideas to this thread :D
