THIS POST NEEDS YOUR ATTENTION NOW!! - THE FUTURE OF CHILDMINDING IS AT STAKE!!!!!!!

[kindredspirits]

i just don't see how they could consider stopping parents using CM's from paying with vouchers or claiming tax credits - there are not enough nursery places to go round as it is.
IMO I don't care who inspects us its already been outsourced to tribal and prospects anyway - i expect individual inspections and I expect us to still be able to recieve tax credit payments/vouchers etc.

[samb]

Woah! Just filled in and shcoked and annoyed about the whole thing especially about not havign heard about any of this until now! I have forwarded to my DO too.

[Mouse]

Mouse I agree that we are specialist and different to nurseries, the learning we offer can not be matched which is why nurseries try to hard to recreate the home environment. I really fully agree with what your saying......


but its how 'other' professionals see us....
if we are treated different, they will see as as not been better or even equal, in their opinion we will be seen as 'babysitters'

heck some of us struggle with being seen as equals right now...

what concerns me is that if we are not ofsted registered that parents will not be able to claim tax credits, employer vouchers and what about fel/nef/nee/neg (whatever your area calls it)

pretty much all of my income comes from one of the above streams and seeing as DH works with me we will be pretty much in deep doo doo if it happens

I think you answer your own point there: how do other professionals see us - we struggle to be seen as equals now

Being regulated by Ofsted doesn't do a very good job then does it?

For those of us who remember the introduction of Ofsted regulating childminders I wonder how many of us could hand on heart say it lifted the profile of childminding. Even the introduction of EYFS hasn't really done that, as you point out yourself (heck some of us struggle with being seen as equals right now).

All I am saying is, don't assume an alternative will necessarily be bad for us. As long as it was run properly it could be beneficial - inspections by people who understand childminding, rules & regulations that specifically relate to childminding, not those that are really aimed at nursery settings, but which they try to tweek to fit childminders, training specifically aimed at childminding etc etc. And there's nothing to say parents could only use tax credits if we are registered with Ofsted. There's no reason why rules couldn't allow for parents to claim it if we were registered with a dedicted childminding body.


I'm keeping an open mind on where things might go. I want us to stay registered, regulated, inspected individually and able to accept tax credits, NEF & childcare vouchers, but other than that I'm not desperate to stay under Ofsted's control

[Mouse]

i just don't see how they could consider stopping parents using CM's from paying with vouchers or claiming tax credits - there are not enough nursery places to go round as it is.
IMO I don't care who inspects us its already been outsourced to tribal and prospects anyway - i expect individual inspections and I expect us to still be able to recieve tax credit payments/vouchers etc.

I don't even know that the government (or whoever) are considering it. I think it's just panic & assumptions being made. I do think this survery is scaremongering a bit. People are taking the 'what ifs' as fact!

[sarah707]

I don't even know that the government (or whoever) are considering it. I think it's just panic & assumptions being made. I do think this survery is scaremongering a bit. People are taking the 'what ifs' as fact!

NCMA have been in big meetings with Ofsted after disparaging comments by the Ofsted head guy against childminder registration in the media a few weeks ago.

A number of suggestions were made by Ofsted for changing things - which NCMA are robustly arguing against on our behalf.

The survey is all part of evidence gathering by NCMA so they can argue properly using childminder comments as part of the evidence.

Unfortunately it is not scaremongering - it could really happen and in the not too distant future too.

While I am not an NCMA member I am grateful to them for involving and supporting childminders in this issue

[Tazmin68]

Completed

what a joke. Where I am we have to keep are crbs updated and less than 3 years old to keep drawing 3 yr old funding and we pay for these ourselves. It is the same requirement for any council funding place plus have safeguarding training updated every 2 years.

No way do i want LA or CC to inspect me.

[AliceK]

Have done it

I want to continue with the EYFS, I want to continue to be inspected and regulated. I spend a lot of time talking to prospective parents about what we as childminders have to do and how we do exactly the same as nurseries and my parents see what I do and comment on how much I do and are shocked but impressed that we as childminders ARE professionals just as much as a nursery is. Admittedly most people have no idea about this and do look at us as glorified babysitters but when I need to have a conversation with a pre-school about a child and I can talk in a professional manner to them about things they realise that I too am a professional. No we are probably not yet see by most as professionals just because we deliver the EYFS but it's still early days and if this is taken away from us already then we stand no hope of ever being seen as equal and it will be a huge backwards step.

xxx

[Mouse]

NCMA have been in big meetings with Ofsted after disparaging comments by the Ofsted head guy against childminder registration in the media a few weeks ago.

A number of suggestions were made by Ofsted for changing things - which NCMA are robustly arguing against on our behalf.

The survey is all part of evidence gathering by NCMA so they can argue properly using childminder comments as part of the evidence.

Unfortunately it is not scaremongering - it could really happen and in the not too distant future too.

While I am not an NCMA member I am grateful to them for involving and supporting childminders in this issue

Yes, I'm aware of what is going on.

I admit scaremongering was probably the wrong word to use. But it is causing people to panic before we know what is actually going to happen. Like you say, NCMA are doing a lot of work to support childminders, so why are people panicking about "if my parents can't claim tax credits, I'll have to give up childminding" or "if my parents can't claim tax credits they'll all have to give up work & unemployment figures are going to soar". I just think people should calm down, fill in the survey & wait until we have some firm news of what, if anything, is going to happen.

[The Juggler]

Yes absolutely!

Do you want to be inspected as part of a group with others in your local area?

Do you want to lose all the children of families who pay by tax credits?

It is vital we all respond and make our views clear

that is the scariest thing. so either we just look really bad because of those who are just not up to the job or THEY get made to look good out of the hard work of just a small proportion of minders (or less than half in my area)

[appleblossom]

I think you answer your own point there: how do other professionals see us - we struggle to be seen as equals now

Being regulated by Ofsted doesn't do a very good job then does it?

For those of us who remember the introduction of Ofsted regulating childminders I wonder how many of us could hand on heart say it lifted the profile of childminding. Even the introduction of EYFS hasn't really done that, as you point out yourself (heck some of us struggle with being seen as equals right now).

All I am saying is, don't assume an alternative will necessarily be bad for us. As long as it was run properly it could be beneficial - inspections by people who understand childminding, rules & regulations that specifically relate to childminding, not those that are really aimed at nursery settings, but which they try to tweek to fit childminders, training specifically aimed at childminding etc etc. And there's nothing to say parents could only use tax credits if we are registered with Ofsted. There's no reason why rules couldn't allow for parents to claim it if we were registered with a dedicted childminding body.


I'm keeping an open mind on where things might go. I want us to stay registered, regulated, inspected individually and able to accept tax credits, NEF & childcare vouchers, but other than that I'm not desperate to stay under Ofsted's control

Hear Hear!!

I've been CM for 21 years and well remember the LA inspections. Our Under Eights Officers knew all the CM, were there to support us and help as well as inspect. I don't believe being Ofsted registered and inspected has made a difference to the way my practice is regarded by parents. I have always promoted my setting as being different to nurseries rather than equal to. The families I currently provide care for value those differences.

[winstonian]

Scary - done and posted link on our area facebook page

[The Juggler]

Hear Hear!!

I've been CM for 21 years and well remember the LA inspections. Our Under Eights Officers knew all the CM, were there to support us and help as well as inspect. I don't believe being Ofsted registered and inspected has made a difference to the way my practice is regarded by parents. I have always promoted my setting as being different to nurseries rather than equal to. The families I currently provide care for value those differences.

I see where you are coming from and i have no objection to be inspected as part of an LA network but having the network inspected by ofsted and that being our network grading - no that just scares the pants off me as we would receive a grade that encompasses too many wide ranges of practice across the borough. So those who we know don't do the work bring the network grade down or they get to show off that they are part of a great network based on the work of others - so unfair.

I like the EYFS but I still promote my setting as being different from a nursery. One of my little ones goes to a nursery on the day I can't have her. Her mum loves the differences. Her LO doesn't sleep at all at nursery as there are 10 babies being put down together. here she sleeps 1 1/2-2 hours. She loves the stimulation of all the amazing activities at nursery but to have that 5 days a week would be too much - overstimulation.

However, with all the early years teams being laid off who is going to run these networks anyway

But the biggest concern is those who used to do "nothing" and now have been forced to some kind of child led planning (paperwork aside) and actually think about those kiddies - they still don't interact much with them or play with them but they at least have to show they now follow their interests and are watchign their progress - because they are inspected on them. If this happened and ofsted were out of the picture they will just be able to hide away again - they will go back to doing nothing because they won't have to produce any evidence that they do otherwise - that scares me.

[appleblossom]

I 100% agree that we should be graded individually and not as part of a network or other group. I left our local CM network years ago and have no intention of rejoining voluntarily. I also believe all CM should have to show how they promote the learning and development of children in their care, otherwise those carrying out any sort of inspection would have nothing to judge by.

[melco]

I have done it.

I also agree with other on here.

I have only been registered since February this year so have not had my first inspection but I am working hard to make sure that it is a good result so don't want to feel my hard work has gone to waste, I want to be inspected on what I have done and be able to tell parents my grade!

[Ali56]

But it's not a case of "one size fits all". We are home based childcare providers. We are not nurseries, we are not children's centres, we are not pre-schools. Why are some people so desperate to be treated like them? What is so good about them that we want to be the same?
How can we try to convince people we are a better option if we are so in awe that we want to be treated the same?

I would prefer childminders to be different, to be a special case, to have their own rules & regulations. We are a specialised form of childcare, so why lump us in with all other provision? You say how else can we all be equal early years settings, but why would you want to be equal to a nursery? Shouldn't your aspiration be to be BETTER than other childcare options?

I don't believe parents chose us because we are regulated by Ofsted. They chose us because they want home based childcare that is regulated. Whether it is by Ofsted or another body really wouldn't matter to a lot of them. They want to know we are regulated by a reputable body, that we have the right checks before we start and that we are inspected regularly. If a local body could do that, I'd be happy.

I have been in this job for a long time, well before Ofsted even existed and I can honestly say that I doubt any of my parents would have been put off if I'd been regulated by an independent body rather than Ofsted.

Me too-But I still want my own quality grade, I don't want to prop up anyone elses grade. Even when SS inspected us we still had our individual reports.

[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]

Done as my parents use childcare vouchers and a new parent I have starting in september is also going to use them as well. I would want to keep my grading and not bunched altogether.

[lollipop kid]

Glad the NCMA are not supporting this. I take pride in being a childminder - if they implement this, where's the incentive for us to "strive for continuous improvement"? Grrrr.

[mindingmummy08]

Completed

[silvermist]

Done!

[NicoleW]

Just done this.

I haven't been a Childminder for long, but grew up in a house where my step-mum was a Childminder so to me it's always been a professional outlook (i.e. a business not a babysitting service)

The thing that worries me is that: Would parents pay for childcare costs of a childminder that they can't claim from CTC or vouchers when they could pay a higher rate cost at a nursery but claim some money back? My daughter has been on the waiting list for a nursery that feeds into a preschool that feeds into the school. She's been on this list since she was 1, they get the 2 year old funding so take children from 2 years onwards and she is still not even near the top of the list. I spoke to the manager yesterday and she was saying that half of their children go to preschool in September yet they are an influx of children this year so by they will still be full to the brim come September.

What about the knock on effect to parents, if they can't afford private childcare to which they have no entitlement to, would they then give up their job? Would they stay at home? Would the unemployment rise dramatically? Means it'll drain the government out of yet more money which they do not have.

I don't want to be thought of as a babysitting service, will we be preceived as this if we are deregulated? It resembles a nannying agency in my mind, not that I'm saying nanny's aren't professionals. It's going to be a case of "Ooo this childmidner is with this agency so she must be good" Well in reality just grading the agency won't motivate childminders into improving their practice? Would it even encourage self reflecting?