4Children are currently promoting agencies ... Childminder Agencies - Government steps up agency push | Nursery World
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4Children are currently promoting agencies ... Childminder Agencies - Government steps up agency push | Nursery World
One of their reasons for childminders potentially joining an agency is if ofsted fees jump up too high. With agency fees at £6 a week (£312 a year) according to that article, ofsted would have to shoot their inspection fee up to extraordinary heights to make agencies more economical. We only get inspected on average once every 4 years! Ofsted fees would have to go higher than £1248 for that argument to hold water.
As far as I can tell the only people an agency would work for is the likes of me who lives in a highly mobile military community. Having a team who can easily inspect and match up clients and minders every time we get posted would be quite nice....but that is the only reason I can really think of for the need.
Sad to read that my worries about our local agency...Leap Ahead...have been founded
They are seen as a model to copy exactly as I had felt they would be ...and now with 16 cms on their books....plenty for them to advice others about
That photo of the agency team has been around social media a while.
Also good to read that Ms Robb is still living in her own 'bubble' by saying 'cms are warming' to agencies ...I'd like to see evidence of that.
A good article but nothing new has come out that we did not already know ...with the exception of support available to cms when they register and subsequent support which AfC offers to all cms in my area.
Still plenty of work to do in this area.....Leap Ahead state they will 'aim to be impartial'....aim is not the same as offering equal opportunities and can involve 'conflict of interest'.
Well I'm not "warming to agencies"
It certainly appears that the DfE have this high on the agenda :mad:
Talking to local cms I can see that the negativity towards agencies is diminishing as they see that some of their initial fears aren't materialising.
Some of the costs aren't as much as they'd thought, the control over their business doesn't seem as bad as anticipated and although they'd have more frequent inspections, some feel they would be better than an Ofsted inspection. We haven't got any agencies anywhere near us yet, but if one does appear, I know cms who would seriously look into joining.
I guess the success of the few that are up and running is going to be the best advert for agencies.
The temperature around here is certainly well below freezingQuote:
Originally Posted by Smiley
I would expect the DfE to jump at this as agencies will offer the 30 hours without worry
The article mentions support for cms...there is plenty out there from qualified trainers and consultants...at a cost of course and many packages are just for cms.
I am aware of many trainers offering this...I'd rather pay them than a body of people which is, at the same time, supporting agency cms? impartial it is not in my view.
I sincerely hope cms will not be persuaded by the few details they have at this point about agencies...so much will change in the next 2 years....including cms' registration fee if that gets revised.
The fight goes on I think.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Simona
I can't see how this would automatically happen. Surely cms will still be able to choose and if the hourly rate paid for the ADDITIONAL 15 hours is less then many cm won't offer it. Agencies would be stabbing themselves in the back if they insist all their cms offer it.
We must remember that this is additional hours available to some families not all the way the 15 hours 3-5 year old Education hours is.
I think we have to accept that the Ofsted Registration fee will potentially be at least £300 as this accumulation over the average 4 yearly inspections will be what is needed to cover the cost of the inspection (approx £800) plus the cost of all the admin they process (all those many many emails cms send them 'just in case!'), processing Complaints etc.
4C are being paid by the Government to promote Agencies the same way they promoted getting 2 year olds into a school environment.
I have to say I have no respect for the way they operate because it certainly isn't in the interests of the child.
I went to one of their meetings in London a couple of years ago when 2 year olds into school because of the introduction of the 2 year old Funding. I was shocked at Sue Rob and the way she had no care for the interests of the child at all and if actually being in a school environment was the best for a disadvantaged 2 year old. The schools were all their clambering at the idea and the huge injections of extra funding available for them (not cms!) to take these children on. I have to say it was not Early Years Practitioners finest hour.
Sorry RS...I think we are coming from 2 different points of viewQuote:
Originally Posted by rickysmiths
We need to see the small print on any agency contract with its cms....I was present when Leap Ahead stated their expectations of their cms
I really think that article has to be read a few times to understand what is on offer and what is happening...there is already a blog about it and it is worth reading.
I am happy to be going to 2 conferences where I hope, at one of them, many questions will be put to 4 Children who are on the panel...not long until 19 April !
No one knows about the future level of our registration fee....if it rises it may also rise for agencies? who knows what the DfE is thinking?
I took that sentence to mean you'd been round and torched the Leap Ahead offices. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:Quote:
Originally Posted by Simona