So guys... what next?
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  1. #1
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    Default So guys... what next?

    I have received a lot of messages today asking where we are going next with our campaign following on from the hugely successful petition which is nearly at 10,000 signatures in less than 48 hours!!

    I think this outpouring of signatures - many with passionate comments - clearly shows the groundswell of support and feeling - the worries that people have about the future of both early years care and childminding.

    We need to think about the most important aspects of the Truss report and be absolutely clear about what we are saying before we move on.

    My initial thoughts - remembering I've had a busy day and not had time to fully digest the report yet - are that we need to focus on...

    Quality rather than quantity...

    Sustainable, successful businesses...

    Individual inspections and autonomy rather than agencies...

    Low ratios rather than risks to the wellbeing, health and safety of our children.

    I want to know where you guys feel this should go next please!

    Suggestions welcome... and if you disagree your views will of course as always be respected.


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    It is a def no to agencies for me. Whole point of being self employed, parents have already said that they want to pay me not sn agency especially as I could mean that their fees could increase. It is too messy especially when you provide adhoc childcare. I have two that only come teacher training and snow days. Plus I want my inspections to carry on as normal at my setting by however it may be.

    I suppose a thank you is in order in that they have stuck to the ratio of 6 under 8 years.
    Children are born with wings we help them to fly.

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    It's the agency part that I really don't like the sound of. I think it will take away our independence in a way. If we feel that the agency is not providing a good service to us or parents, will we be free to go to a different one. I do feel that parents will be paying more in the end as childminders are really not going to work for less than they do now and I feel agency fees will not come cheap.

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    Am I missing something....???

    I have read it that the ratios havnt really changed that much for childminders...

    We still can not go over our 6 children under 8 years and 2 babies under 1 yr and no more than 4 children in the early years age which we have always been allowed with a variation....

    I'm asking this as a genuine question because I was really worried that we may be expected to have more than 6 children under 8 and more allowed in the early years, I feel a bit relieved but I'm worried that I have not read everything
    Jane xxx

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    I forgot to say I'm a big fat NO on childminding agencies
    Jane xxx

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    Ratios have not changed hugely for childminders... which is a massive relief... but remember that if the local nurseries suddenly have lots of spaces it will affect your business too ... especially if they start a fees war to attract new business... which they will need because their better qualified staff will want higher wages...

    It all links together to make things very dodgy for us - especially if they are wanting all children in school by age 2. Where exactly is our business coming from?

    xx

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    Default

    Ok so that's ...

    1. Agencies

    2. Agencies

    More thoughts please!

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    Yeah I have a thought Sarah.......AGENCIES!!!

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    I'm against the agency as I can't see how this will lower fees and I'm self employed and not answering to anyone. I'm not giving any of my hard earned cash to anyone. I've worked damn hard to build up my business and earn a good wage for it because I have a lot of children. Two years ago I hardly had any. If I was to give up a percentage of my money to an agency, some of my 'passion' would go too. There's no good working your ass off for peanuts.

    Regarding the ratios I'm quite happy for the ratios to rise to 4 under 5 as it will save me a huge job of writing out a variation RA every month or so. But I can also see the implications of this on less experienced childminders taking on too much.
    I know how much I can handle and would never go above 4 but I could see how this could turn into a money making scheme for some people to see extra children as extra money.

    Plus higher ratios for nurseries will probably mean even less work for me with a large number of nurseries in my town. Most of the good nurseries are full here with a lot of childminders struggling (although a lot of them have never embraced the eyfs, and moan about it)
    Time Out.. The perfect time for thinking about what you're going to destroy next.

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    Agencies is a no go for me too!.

    Im more upset today about her assumptions that unless we have 'certain qualifications' we cant provide high quality childcare. You only need to look at my parent questionaires to see that all my los parents are extremely happy with the care, activities and love I give to their children. Sorry to rant but its got to me!
    If all else fails......add glitter!

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    Sorry Sarah, got so worked up over the agency part, I forgot to carry on! Quality over quantity needs to be pointed out to parents. In nursery as well as childminding; if the building used for nursery setting hasn't got stretchable walls, how are they going to fit more children in and still provide quality care. Space per child still needs to be considered or will that not matter anymore?

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    I also think the wellbeing of children will be affected if we can increase ratios. I know there are times in the day when I can offer each of my los one to one for a while. If I had more los I couldnt do it. I think safety would be compromised too, like others have said re space.
    If all else fails......add glitter!

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    Quote Originally Posted by SYLVIA View Post
    Sorry Sarah, got so worked up over the agency part, I forgot to carry on! Quality over quantity needs to be pointed out to parents. In nursery as well as childminding; if the building used for nursery setting hasn't got stretchable walls, how are they going to fit more children in and still provide quality care. Space per child still needs to be considered or will that not matter anymore?
    Space per child is now considered a trival issue (yes that phase has really got to me)

    Quality over quantity definetly.

    Asking where the jobs are due to come from for the parents to go to.

    The children in schools from 2 (another comment which makes me weep)

    How will inspections work if under an agency how on earth do you get a proper grading.

    Parents wanting the children to be safe and not wanting the ratio increase.

    The discrepancies in inspections - no inspector sings from the same song sheet.

    Will ofsted be able to deal with dealing with the 2, 3 and 4 yo funding.

    Agencies are quite quite far down my list as its voluntary at the moment.
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    I would agree with the quality issue, I cannot see how ofsted would cope with 2,3 and 4 year old funding issues.

    I think that it will be a usp that childminders will have smaller adult child ratios which we could shout about when parents compare us to nurseries.
    Children are born with wings we help them to fly.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jane5 View Post
    Am I missing something....???

    I have read it that the ratios havnt really changed that much for childminders...

    We still can not go over our 6 children under 8 years and 2 babies under 1 yr and no more than 4 children in the early years age which we have always been allowed with a variation....

    I'm asking this as a genuine question because I was really worried that we may be expected to have more than 6 children under 8 and more allowed in the early years, I feel a bit relieved but I'm worried that I have not read everything
    I feel like this too. I have no intention of increasing the number of children I look after but the new ratios will allow me more flexibility. (without having to do RA for variation on odd occasions) And although I don't agree with lower child-adult ratios per se, If nurseries increase their number I can sell my business more easily - I have a lower child-adult ratio and therefore children will get more attention when they're with me, this is the reason that many people prefer to use childminders anyway. As for agencies - I will certainly not be joining one and cannot see how they would work in practise, however if it somehow benefits new childminders then good luck to them. When I first registered I joined our local network and the training and support I received was invaluable, I don't doubt for one minute that I would never have achieved an outstanding rating or even still be childminding without it. Maybe agencies could do the same??

    I'm probably not being very helpful Sarah, but just trying to offer another viewpoint.

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    Well ilike the fact that i can now pull down the funding for 2 3 and 4 year olds. As in surrey being outstanding was not enough you had to have a level 3 , be on the network and doing their own QA which takes 2 years to complete.

    All this while working a 55 hour week

    Dont like the agency idea and i really cannot see children going into school at 2, i think that there would be an uproar
    we dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing

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    Quote Originally Posted by rosebud View Post
    I feel like this too. I have no intention of increasing the number of children I look after but the new ratios will allow me more flexibility. (without having to do RA for variation on odd occasions) And although I don't agree with lower child-adult ratios per se, If nurseries increase their number I can sell my business more easily - I have a lower child-adult ratio and therefore children will get more attention when they're with me, this is the reason that many people prefer to use childminders anyway. As for agencies - I will certainly not be joining one and cannot see how they would work in practise, however if it somehow benefits new childminders then good luck to them. When I first registered I joined our local network and the training and support I received was invaluable, I don't doubt for one minute that I would never have achieved an outstanding rating or even still be childminding without it. Maybe agencies could do the same??

    I'm probably not being very helpful Sarah, but just trying to offer another viewpoint.
    No... you are being helpful... you are helping me by pointing out other views which I can use to build into my thinking.

    I know why it wouldn't work for me - and many others said it wouldn't work for them - and that's why I started the petition in the first place.

    But that doesn't mean we are all right - it just means that in our areas, in our positions etc we have concerns.

    I can see some benefits to an agency - esp for new minders - but not if I have to give them a high percentage of my income, wait for them to send work my way, rely on them for my inspection grading, use paperwork they produce, jump through extra hoops, have them turn up to make suggestions that are frankly silly...

    do you see what I mean??

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    Sounds to me like the developemnt workers are at risk and with that the free or subsidised training we now enjoy.
    This comes from the comments about ofsted being the bench mark for qualifying for drawing down funding which will free up money lea will no longer need to spend,

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    Quote Originally Posted by wendywu View Post
    Well ilike the fact that i can now pull down the funding for 2 3 and 4 year olds. As in surrey being outstanding was not enough you had to have a level 3 , be on the network and doing their own QA which takes 2 years to complete.

    All this while working a 55 hour week

    Dont like the agency idea and i really cannot see children going into school at 2, i think that there would be an uproar
    Free childcare as one mum told me today
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    Quote Originally Posted by FussyElmo View Post
    Free childcare as one mum told me today
    With opinions like that i would not call her any sort of Mother
    we dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing

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