If you support deregulation...

[AgentTink]

Mouse that is an excellent list thank you very much for compiling it xx

It backs up what I am being told privately and what members are saying in pms.

Mostly childminders who do not want to be regulated by Ofsted are focussing on the issues you have raised surrounding quality of care -

- No more complying with the EYFS;

- No need to write P & Ps and other documents for parents or involve parents in children's learning (which doesn't interest them anyway);

- No more planning, observations and learning journeys;

- No need for development checks and early intervention;

- No working to liaise with other settings;

- Not having to do first aid - one childminder suggested because she hates the blood bits...

- Not having to register to take photos (not having to take photos even!) etc etc etc...

And the fact that they really do not care if all this is lost because they will potentially be earning more money.

And following what it says in the Truss report about how things are run in Canada they might be able to have 5 children without being registered anyway...

So if they are deregistered because they refuse to toe the line with the agency they will just offer parents the option of unregistered care which most will take if it saves them money.

Ho hum... thanks again guys

Has it actually been said that if we were to be run by a agency that the above would be removed or taken away. Or again is this just what people think when they hear "deregulation"

My worry is that a agency takes over and we would still have to comply to most of the list above, so actually it would not lessen our burden at all.

All I want is to remain self-employed, using my own paperwork, and finding my own clients. I do not wish to pay anyone a percentage of my wages as I do all the hard work.

Saying all of this though I am happy not to be Ofsted regisitered as parents who choose me do not mind who I am registered with as long as I follow safeguarding procedures and health and safety etc and they can claim support to the costs. My report also doesnt matter so much to them.

I would never go over the amount of children I could push in a double-buggy along with one confident walker, so in that respect I am not bothered about the numbers being increased and if they did I would use as my selling point that children in my care would always have the 1 to 3 ratio, so much more personal.

So all in all, i suppose what i am saying is that yes i support deregulation from Ofsted, and i would happily have someone else inspect me but i am not willing to lose the individualitity of my business.

[Tealady]

I'd be glad to see the back of the SEF (I know we don't have to do it, but I feel slack if I don't. Not sure why that is though!)

That is all though.

[rickysmiths]

I'd be glad to see the back of the SEF (I know we don't have to do it, but I feel slack if I don't. Not sure why that is though!)

That is all though.

I've never done it and it hasn't affected my Gradings.

[Gherkin]

At the moment I cannot see how deregulation would benefit us or our standing in the childcare field. I have signed the petition, twittered/facebooked about it and shared it till my fingers are sore but I think at the end of the day if the government want it they will deregulate because it will suit them and Ofsted.

It concerns me greatly that we have very little if any say over this and that consultations can be undertaken without consulting those directly involved.
I think that as with the new EYFS deregulation will see little or no change to any paperwork that we do.

I am concerned that we will see parents turning to nurseries that will be deemed more professional rather than to us especially if there are further changes to tax credits etc.

I can understand why some childminders like the idea of deregulation. The idea of soemone else dealing with contracts, payments and the reems of policies and procedures would suit. The idea of having a contact to refer to about things - currently our EY team is decreasing weekly and those who remain are stretched to the limit. But to pay 10% of my earnings to them is not in my best interest. I also do not want someone else setting my rates for me.

More than anything I just want someone to make their minds up and tell us what is going to happen and when. When they do I will decide whether to stay as a childminder or whether to work on the checkouts at the local supermarket. I am finding this all incredibly wearing and my hives are 10x worse at the moment which I can only put down to stress and the subject of deregulation is the only thing I can think of that is stressing me out.

[uf353432]

I don't think I have officially made my feelings public on the matter so here goes.

I'm not actually opposed to childcare reform, I agree with Truss that there is a severe shortage of childminders and that the profession is not very well promoted. I am pro childminder - when my daughter was 5 1/2 month old and I had to return to work - a childminder was the ONLY choice for me. A childminder offers the perfect combination of care and learning. But the one thing we have been fighting against for years is that childminders are a 2nd class childcare option - we have a long association with education only happening in 'institutional' type settings - nuseries, preschools, schools, college, University - that people have often regarded childminders as the next step up from being at home with mummy (or daddy, or granny) and a long way short of proper childcare options.

I started childminding 3 yrs ago - and I went into it with my eyes wide open. I have embraced the paperwork, the planning, the obs - I've done further training because I want to extend my knowledge, I wanted to be the best childminder I can be, I got my level 3 and now I am studying for my foundation degree. I run my business very successfully, I support other childminders locally by helping them with paperwork or giving advice. I run a childminder group. I am the chair of my local advisory board - I work in partnership with settings, I have strong links in the community. I'm not the only childminder like that - locally or nationally.

What I can't comprehend is why deregulate childminders from Ofsted? I don't understand what that will achieve, or why we want to adopt a model that has failed to work as intended. I do understand that it might be quite appealing for childminders who are not as dedicated or childminders who despite their best efforts struggle with the admin side - but I would say to them the grass is rarely if ever greener on the other side, and rather than distance yourself from childminders who are making the grade - go and ask them instead for support. What we don't want to do in childcare reform is make it appear that childminding is once again money for old rope, what we do want to do is make the profession of childminders one where there is universal quality using a peer support system to mentor childminders who are struggling. Help them see why 'best practice' is important.

I believe that the thousands of childminders who hated EYFS but have stayed in the profession since its introduction are slowly but surely increasing standards - they might not like the paperwork very much, but they are doing it anyway. Their struggles are no different from mine - I get behind sometimes, I don't plan sometimes, I don't take photo's sometimes - and just like them I still know the children inside out. Just like thousands of other childminders I probably do too much and my level of paperwork is probably unsustainable - but we only work out these things by trying in the first place and then streamlining.

I hate most of all the sly and underhand manner in which the process of change has started. Childminders are part of a massively important workforce in this country - we are exceptionally undervalued by many and THAT is something we need to change.

But this is the biggy for me if you are going to move the goalposts - where yesterday safeguarding was the biggest priority and tommorrow its not, then don't expect us to respect your plans. Childcare reform shouldn't mean reducing quality - it should be about making childminding a more desirable profession to get into - it should be the government supporting parents preferred choice of childcare and it should be about childminders leading the way in the Early Years - as we already do - but it should be more publically supported, respected and valued.

[AgentTink]

I hate most of all the sly and underhand manner in which the process of change has started. Childminders are part of a massively important workforce in this country - we are exceptionally undervalued by many and THAT is something we need to change.

But this is the biggy for me if you are going to move the goalposts - where yesterday safeguarding was the biggest priority and tommorrow its not, then don't expect us to respect your plans. Childcare reform shouldn't mean reducing quality - it should be about making childminding a more desirable profession to get into - it should be the government supporting parents preferred choice of childcare and it should be about childminders leading the way in the Early Years - as we already do - but it should be more publically supported, respected and valued.

Well said Debbie x

[SYLVIA]

For me too, it's the turn around on safe guarding and making sure children have resources and experiences to prepare them for life in this world that gets me going. How can it be suddenly not an issue to have 5 under 5 when up til now we have to jump through hoops for a variation.
The other problem I have is the financial side. I do not want to pay an agency to do things I am more than capable of doing myself. I might be happier if it was a set fee. I have said from the first day Ofsted took us under their wing, that they do not understand us or know what pigeon hole to put us in. Paper work, risk assessments etc, need to be tailored to childminders, and not just nursery, pre-school stuff given to us. We are unique. So in a way de-regulation probably will help. I just think it needs so much more consultation with actual childminders before changes are made.