terrydoo73
03-08-2010, 11:17 AM
Some of you may remember I posted on here about a month ago regarding whether I should change from childminder to being a playgroup assistant mainly because of the hours - currently working 30 hours 3 days a week ie 8 am to 6 pm!!
Anyway I got the usual letter this morning from the playgroup saying I have been unsuccessful and just before the letter arrived I had an enquiry from a mum looking for a childminder, 1 year old child 2 days a week 8.30 to 6.30 pm. She rang me about 6 months ago when returning to work but couldn't get anyone to agree to these hours so put child in private nursery. Now the child has moved from the baby room to toddler room in the nursery and she is not happy as does not think he is ready.
I explained to her that although I would agree to the hours she had to realise I had 2 very boistrous twins aged 2 1/2 years and it may be the same problem in that if he is shy he might find it difficult to mix. I also explained when I realised where she was working that I was in the opposite direction completely that she might want to consider someone more locally - not trying to put her off just being reasonable I think. Anyway she wanted to come and see me with the twins being here to see how her little boy gets on and is coming today at 4.30! It has been 1 1/2 years since I last took on a new child ie these twins so I am a bit out of the way in terms of what to do or say!!
Question I have to ask myself is now what do I charge to make it reasonable but also take into account the fact that it is a 10 hour day she is asking me to work - 8.30 am to 6.30 pm. The twins are too low in my opinion at present - £4 an hour for both of them but as they were local and I wasn't sure if I would get them long term I thought of charging this to start off with. Then their mum took cancer and has been through chemo over the past 6 months and again I couldn't really increase the charge. I don't honestly know if and when mum will return to work and am sort of stuck until that happens!
Back to playgroup response - would I be OK to write to the playgroup (the committee are all volunteers so no one at the end of a phone if you understand what I mean) and ask them why I failed to get the job. They asked only for NVQ Level 2 and awareness of special needs and have first aid qualifications. They did say when applying that they had their own person specification which they would match with the applications received and this would determine whether they interviewed people or not. Personally I think this was a bit naff as it left it open for their own discretion as to who they actually picked but anyway! It might be useful for a future application if I consider it don't you think?
Anyway I got the usual letter this morning from the playgroup saying I have been unsuccessful and just before the letter arrived I had an enquiry from a mum looking for a childminder, 1 year old child 2 days a week 8.30 to 6.30 pm. She rang me about 6 months ago when returning to work but couldn't get anyone to agree to these hours so put child in private nursery. Now the child has moved from the baby room to toddler room in the nursery and she is not happy as does not think he is ready.
I explained to her that although I would agree to the hours she had to realise I had 2 very boistrous twins aged 2 1/2 years and it may be the same problem in that if he is shy he might find it difficult to mix. I also explained when I realised where she was working that I was in the opposite direction completely that she might want to consider someone more locally - not trying to put her off just being reasonable I think. Anyway she wanted to come and see me with the twins being here to see how her little boy gets on and is coming today at 4.30! It has been 1 1/2 years since I last took on a new child ie these twins so I am a bit out of the way in terms of what to do or say!!
Question I have to ask myself is now what do I charge to make it reasonable but also take into account the fact that it is a 10 hour day she is asking me to work - 8.30 am to 6.30 pm. The twins are too low in my opinion at present - £4 an hour for both of them but as they were local and I wasn't sure if I would get them long term I thought of charging this to start off with. Then their mum took cancer and has been through chemo over the past 6 months and again I couldn't really increase the charge. I don't honestly know if and when mum will return to work and am sort of stuck until that happens!
Back to playgroup response - would I be OK to write to the playgroup (the committee are all volunteers so no one at the end of a phone if you understand what I mean) and ask them why I failed to get the job. They asked only for NVQ Level 2 and awareness of special needs and have first aid qualifications. They did say when applying that they had their own person specification which they would match with the applications received and this would determine whether they interviewed people or not. Personally I think this was a bit naff as it left it open for their own discretion as to who they actually picked but anyway! It might be useful for a future application if I consider it don't you think?