CMs agencies are now the law...what next for independent CMs?

[Simona]

Our worst nightmare came true...agencies are now in the Children & Family ACT 2014...was anyone ever in doubt?

The trials are nearing their end....the independent evaluator ...whoever they are....come in next to report on them
The agency inspection consultation is nearing its deadline...21 March
The EYFS is under reconstruction
schools are getting ready to open their doors 8-6pm
Schools will take 2 year olds
CMs will be 'free' to go and work in schools
LAs are still sending out 'mixed messages' on future support and training
Funding remains the same pitiful handout...or pocket money as NDNA have called it.
Ofsted are still ploughing through their inspections...I am sure getting ready to republish all their guidance (must start saving for ink buying in bulk!!)
Ofsted have split Early Education and Childminding...not sure I buy the recent explanation on this
Truss meets the 4 association on 25 March...what will that be about?
Mystery still surrounds many issues...and the general election is drawing closer...will Truss achieve her More Great Affordable Cheaper Childcare? before she moves to a dept with a portfolio?

Sept 2014 will see a new EYFS...and a new chapter for CMs
It has been 2 very long years of battles, campaigns, writing and meetings...frustration and anger and betrayal in the end.

What next for independent CMs?

[Rick]

That's a lot of questions Simona. If only we had even some of the answers!

[Mouse]

Come back in another 2 years and we might have some of the answers :p

[Kiddleywinks]

Come back in another 2 years and we might have some of the answers :p

So soon....? :panic:

[watgem]

so depressing, came back from a childminder conference on saturday feeling really down-informal paid childcare will also come in in September, as one cm on our table said joe bloggs could care for umpteen children in 3 hour slots each day without registering , doing first aid or safeguarding etc-. I've had such a rubbish day today with a family messing me about that I'm feeling like quitting-or handing myself to an agency and saying "you deal with it"

[hectors house]

so depressing, came back from a childminder conference on saturday feeling really down-informal paid childcare will also come in in September, as one cm on our table said joe bloggs could care for umpteen children in 3 hour slots each day without registering , doing first aid or safeguarding etc-. I've had such a rubbish day today with a family messing me about that I'm feeling like quitting-or handing myself to an agency and saying "you deal with it"

Damn wish I had been sat with the rest of my group as that was one of our childminding group that asked about picking up lots of children from school without being registered - then I may have met you! I was the person sat over by the window who asked the whole room who would be joining an Agency and Lorraine Davey at the front, glared at me and said it was unfair question!

[Mrs Scrubbit]

Oooooooo I'm glad I've left it all behind:jump for joy::jump for joy: xx

[Simona]

so depressing, came back from a childminder conference on saturday feeling really down-informal paid childcare will also come in in September, as one cm on our table said joe bloggs could care for umpteen children in 3 hour slots each day without registering , doing first aid or safeguarding etc-. I've had such a rubbish day today with a family messing me about that I'm feeling like quitting-or handing myself to an agency and saying "you deal with it"

Very interesting discussions taking place across 2 separate threads...I can't keep up!!
I think it may be cautious to wait and see what the DfE decides to do about 'informal' childcare...what they actually write down
If we could all work 1 hr in the morning and 3 in the afternoon 'unregistered' surely many cms would jump at that...but is it that easy?
This is what the DfE says in their response to the Regulation of childcare

''A significant number of respondents said that they would welcome clarity about who would fall under the term “informal care”.
The Government is sympathetic to the argument made by a number of respondents that raising the threshold for “informal care” should not unintentionally lead to the de-registering of sessional providers, nor allow unscrupulous providers to exploit poor quality practices outside the regulatory and inspection framework. The Government therefore intends to amend this proposal so that the threshold for compulsory registration is raised to three hours where care is provided both “in friendship” for reward and in domestic settings only. The threshold will remain at two hours for all other providers''

The quote is from this
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/288322/140310_Regulation_of_Childcare_Report_and_Response _final.pdf

[watgem]

aw hector I wondered if it was you!-I was sat at the table just across from you-

[Simona]

aw hector I wondered if it was you!-I was sat at the table just across from you-

Could you two reveal which LA you are in? I am intrigued
HH....why did that person...Lorraine something.... 'glare at you' and said that was an unfair question?

[watgem]

the thing is Simona I wouldn't want to be unregistered-I'm very proud of my professionalism and I like being being professional and registered. One cm at the conference did ask if cm assistants would be able to care for children unsupervised for 3 hours come september in line with the informal childcare arrangements but they couldn't answer that. I did feel sorry for the poor 4lady though she was dropped in the deep end-but very disappointing that no further info on agencies or being an independant CM was available-only what we already know. I know change happens but I think its easier to cope with when you know exactly what is going to happen and are given enough time to adjust-would be lovely to hear feedbackfrom any cms who are actually taking part in agency trials?

[hectors house]

Sorry Simone - Watgem and I were at Somerset Childminding Conference on Saturday but we have only ever chatted on the forum and still didn't manage to meet up while there as our name badges suprisingly didn't say "Watgem" and "Hector's House".

The lady who told us about all the updates works for 4Children and was as Watgem said "dropped in it" when the person who was supposed to be talking to us, for some reason dropped out - probably on purpose knowing that Thursday's news about Agencies was going to lead to lots of discussion and questions that they can't answer yet.

One lady there did ask if the rules were going to be changed to that someone unregistered could now look after children for 3 hours for payment, did that mean that assistants could now look after children unsupervised for 3 hours - but although it was a good question it wasn't really about the same subject. Whereas like Watgem said, one of my colleagues asked did that mean that someone unregistered could collect X number of children after school and look after them - meaning that childminders who offer after school care will be fighting for work with unregistered people and schools offering 8-6 care. (or crowd control with a 30:1 child to adult ratio).

The person who glared at me, was the person chairing the conference who probably didn't want to know that 98 Somerset childminders won't be joining an Agency. I think someone at the conference told me that there are now only about 400+ childminders left in the whole of Somerset compared to 700 about 4 years ago, so they did quite well to get a quarter of us there - even though it meant that us in the North of the county had to drive nearly 50 miles to get there.

[Simona]

Sorry Simone - Watgem and I were at Somerset Childminding Conference on Saturday but we have only ever chatted on the forum and still didn't manage to meet up while there as our name badges suprisingly didn't say "Watgem" and "Hector's House".

The lady who told us about all the updates works for 4Children and was as Watgem said "dropped in it" when the person who was supposed to be talking to us, for some reason dropped out - probably on purpose knowing that Thursday's news about Agencies was going to lead to lots of discussion and questions that they can't answer yet.

One lady there did ask if the rules were going to be changed to that someone unregistered could now look after children for 3 hours for payment, did that mean that assistants could now look after children unsupervised for 3 hours - but although it was a good question it wasn't really about the same subject. Whereas like Watgem said, one of my colleagues asked did that mean that someone unregistered could collect X number of children after school and look after them - meaning that childminders who offer after school care will be fighting for work with unregistered people and schools offering 8-6 care. (or crowd control with a 30:1 child to adult ratio).

The person who glared at me, was the person chairing the conference who probably didn't want to know that 98 Somerset childminders won't be joining an Agency. I think someone at the conference told me that there are now only about 400+ childminders left in the whole of Somerset compared to 700 about 4 years ago, so they did quite well to get a quarter of us there - even though it meant that us in the North of the county had to drive nearly 50 miles to get there.

Ah...4Children...that explains it!! DfE strategic partner!!!
the only ones who have no worries about agencies because it is in their interest to have them and also support the govt in return for funding...and I would bet some money they know a lot but not allowed to say. They have also received funding to support the trials

If you have not seen this article they stand up on their own being in favour against the Alliance and NDNA having worries about agencies
I remember writing to Sue Robb last year...she is 4Children CEO or something like it...her reply was very short and I have not trusted them since

Children and Families Act: Sector sceptical about childminder agencies | Children & Young People Now (http://www.cypnow.co.uk/cyp/news/1142744/children-families-act-sector-sceptical-about-childminder-agencies)

Is Somerset LA likely to want to become an agency in future?
I am in a way glad that some cms are 'concerned' about schools and others taking on our business...I know it can be shared but I worry they will price us out....others have dismissed it saying there is plenty of work...we'll see

It's hard at the moment to keep calm after such a long wait but it won't be too long now before all comes out

[Mouse]

As soon as I see mention of 4Children I'm suspicious.

They run a nursery near me. It's recently been graded unsatisfactory. It worries me that they are so influential, yet can take a nursery from good to inadequate in a few months :panic:

[hectors house]

It was Sue Robb who was supposed to be doing that part of the presentation - I didn't realise that she was 4Children too! I think I will e-mail our LA and find out whether they will be setting up an Agency (to keep themselves in jobs) or whether they'll leave it up to the town's 2 children's centres to set up to prevent them being closed down with cut backs. It really is becoming Dog eat dog out there. :panic:

[Simona]

It was Sue Robb who was supposed to be doing that part of the presentation - I didn't realise that she was 4Children too! I think I will e-mail our LA and find out whether they will be setting up an Agency (to keep themselves in jobs) or whether they'll leave it up to the town's 2 children's centres to set up to prevent them being closed down with cut backs. It really is becoming Dog eat dog out there. :panic:

She is very definitely 4Children and in charge of it too...met her a few times and she told me at the June conference she addressed she was very concerned about agencies!! it is certainly curious they would have travelled to you for the presentation....mmmmh! what's cooking??

I think once the trials are over and the evaluation done other LAs will know what sort of models are there to set up....my LA will certainly have another go at applying since they missed on the trials...they recently told me I had to respect those cms who wished to join an agency...oh dear!

I wonder what happened to Barnardo's? do you remember they were keen on cms hubs and did pacey not walk out on working together with them? all coming back now...crickey it has been 2 very long years.

Mouse...if that was not so serious about the 4Children nursery I would have taken it as an April's fool joke? doesn't the DfE run a check on their strategic partners? obviously not

[watgem]

hehe hector that made me chuckle-our badges didn't say watgem/hectors house:laughing::laughing::laughing: simona our LA is very tight lipped about anything to do with agencies-think all their employees have been primed to zip it if we ask any agency questions lol. Hector the lady we spoke to said somerset is down from over a thousand childminders :(

shame I didn't get to talk to you though Hectorx

[Simona]

They all seem to be tight lipped :angry:

Hector House...I am sure you know that 4Children run the Foundation Years website for the govt?

worth subscribing to their newsletter

[hectors house]

They all seem to be tight lipped :angry:

Hector House...I am sure you know that 4Children run the Foundation Years website for the govt?

worth subscribing to their newsletter

Yes I do subscribe to the Foundation years website but until the meeting I didn't know it was run by 4Children - I got the e-mail last Thursday and had e-mailed it to our local network and posted it on the forum within 3 mins of it landing in my in box.

Wow Watgem down from 1000 to 400 childminders in Somerset - there were about 70 in our town when I re-registered in 2005 but not sure how many there are now - we have 22 in our group and I know of another 10 who haven't joined yet (for one reason or another) plus the ones I don't know, so maybe 45. Will you go to the next conference if they change the date to November? - Will be better organised next time and definitely meet up. :thumbsup:

[Simona]

I have just read a comment on LinkedIn regarding Liverpool...apparently they have a n agency in the making...anyone here from Liverpool who can share?

[watgem]

definitely Hector! the number of cms hasn't really changed much in my area, we are quite small and there's usually about 6. I need to pm you though and i have completely forgotten how to do it! perhaps you can remind me?! am getting old lol

[hectors house]

definitely Hector! the number of cms hasn't really changed much in my area, we are quite small and there's usually about 6. I need to pm you though and i have completely forgotten how to do it! perhaps you can remind me?! am getting old lol

Blue toolbar on top of page - next to new posts there is a tab for "Private Messages", click on that, then on PM page, type in Hectors House in the "who to" box, type message underneath and send. Day off today, but got "Letters & Sounds" training this afternoon - but will check my inbox in anticipation :)