Ratios

[mum24]

My thoughts exactly, i am for the new ratios but dont like the agency idea. Also i can now pull down the funding , where at the moment i cannot as i do not a la level 3, i have O levels and A levels and City and Guilds but at 56 and working 55 hours per week am too old and too busy to start training again and for a job i have been doing for 17 years

This is rubbish too, why should you not have funding - we are all doing the same job, meeting the same standards. I have childminder friends who have degrees, but cannot have funding because their degrees are not in childcare. Despite too have their own children (first hand experience) and doing a great job, really good references from their parents etc. I haven't got a degree, do have gcses, but did a level 3 when I first started and so I get funding, not fair is it.

[bunyip]

these are my concerns also, lisbet, The major concern is nurseries and some larger pre schools, and the agency role for childminders.
I agree with Mr Anchovy, that for childminders there is not a great deal of difference. It is not too long ago that people had very large families, I know they didn't have the eyfs, but really saying what about one needing changing while one is eating etc etc is not going to happen at every meal time is it? And families do cope with twins and toddlers up and down the country day in day out. My friend had three sets of twins under 6, and they are all still sane (just!!).
I would not encourage any kind of two tier childminder system, even to us saying a childminder must be experienced before she can use the new system. We all know our limits, strengths and weaknesses, and I think any new childminder who thinks, 'yay, four under 3, loads of dosh'...is going to get a very rude awakening if she/he is not prepared.

This (in red) is what worries me. Are they going to get the awakening before or after a child get hurt?

I agree with your post about the unfairness of funding. Already much of funding/training/resourcing is a lottery depending on where you live.

[leopardlady]

Sorry, I missed the bit about funding. Having just spent nearly a year doing my level 3 diploma whilst working 50 hours a week at 57 years old, so that I can become accredited and accept the vouchers for my mindee who turns 3 in august, are you saying that I now dont need to have this qualification?

[FussyElmo]

Sorry, I missed the bit about funding. Having just spent nearly a year doing my level 3 diploma whilst working 50 hours a week at 57 years old, so that I can become accredited and accept the vouchers for my mindee who turns 3 in august, are you saying that I now dont need to have this qualification?

No one actually knows yet but reading the report it will no longer be LA's who determine the funding but ofsted

[justgoodfriends]

It implies that the only criteria for drawing the funding will be your Ofsted grade, not whether you have nvq.

[leopardlady]

Thats great, so I could have spent the time doing my paperwork and improving my setting. The longer *****mind (and I am a newish minder) the more I understand why so many local childminders have 'retired' !!!

[bunyip]

It implies that the only criteria for drawing the funding will be your Ofsted grade, not whether you have nvq.

So every time our inspection comes round, any funded clients are left chewing their nails to see if they need to find a new CM. I thought the aim was to make things better for families, CMs and lo's?

[bunyip]

Sorry, I missed the bit about funding. Having just spent nearly a year doing my level 3 diploma whilst working 50 hours a week at 57 years old, so that I can become accredited and accept the vouchers for my mindee who turns 3 in august, are you saying that I now dont need to have this qualification?

I'm also doing the diploma. Complete waste of time and effort to learn nothing of any practical value. Did anyone here not know that children have to be fed? safeguarded? given learning opportunities? One of the class said in my last workshop said, "if anyone is in childcare and doesn't know this stuff already, why are they being allowed near children?"

Never mind - these things tend to have a short academic shelf-life until the next miracle of education comes along. NVQs used to be all the rage, now GCSEs appear to be lined up for the scrapheap. Degrees are becoming so ubiquitous that they'll soon be a pre-requisite for a job on a checkout. Likewise, employers flip schizophrnically between demanding more 'vocational' courses, then blame schools and colleges for not teaching 'proper' subjects.

Don't worry - I'm not in my 50s yet, but I struggle to keep up. It's not so much a matter of 'keeping up with the game' as keeping up with whether the goalposts last moved to.

[sarah707]

So every time our inspection comes round, any funded clients are left chewing their nails to see if they need to find a new CM. I thought the aim was to make things better for families, CMs and lo's?

Oh I hadn't thought about it from that angle ...

I had considered the lack of ability to organise a party in a brewery and all the problems that are likely to ensue if they are given so much very important responsibility - sorry to those really nice, helpful people I have spoken to at Ofsted - but you are in the minority if what we read on here is anything to go by guys!!

My thoughts as well are that your local authority comes to see you regularly - with an education person - and gives you help and support. How often will O be able to get out to see everyone? What happens if someone is struggling - who do they contact if LA is no longer in control?

Hmmmm lots to consider...

[FussyElmo]

Oh I hadn't thought about it from that angle ...

I had considered the lack of ability to organise a party in a brewery and all the problems that are likely to ensue if they are given so much very important responsibility - sorry to those really nice, helpful people I have spoken to at Ofsted - but you are in the minority if what we read on here is anything to go by guys!!

My thoughts as well are that your local authority comes to see you regularly - with an education person - and gives you help and support. How often will O be able to get out to see everyone? What happens if someone is struggling - who do they contact if LA is no longer in control?

Hmmmm lots to consider...

Thats the proble we are lucky where we are acrredited cms do get the support. At the min I allowed 18 hours from my do and 18 hours from my early years consultant. I cant see most of these having jobs as it stands now. Are we seriously thinking ofsted will have the manpower to deal with queries/help/support for the funding when at the min they just refer you to the EYFS.

Good point Bunyip about being downgraded or will they say if you improve you can pay for a reinspection - something I doubt will be cheap so out of reach of mosr childminders

[loocyloo]

i'm an accrediated childminder ... my DO comes to visit each term and i usually see her at a childminder group at least once a term, and then we have termly training/meet up days for all 'leading childminders' and even if my DO isn't there, others i know are! our DOs have all moved around and my new DO is now based at the childrens centre by school so i seem to see her lots!

they are there at the end of the phone or email and usually have a sensible answer, unlike ofsted who always say 'refer to EYFS'

[justgoodfriends]

So every time our inspection comes round, any funded clients are left chewing their nails to see if they need to find a new CM. I thought the aim was to make things better for families, CMs and lo's?

This question was bought up at the NCMA Forum today. The answer was that it would be up to the local authorities whether they continue to fund the place, but they thought that if you were graded Satisfactory (after previously being graded Good and therefore eligible to draw the funding), that you would be allowed to keep your existing funded children but not take anymore. You would then need to make the desired improvements and pay yourself to be reinspected to achieve a Good if you wanted to take on any 'new' funded children.

[bunyip]

Oh I hadn't thought about it from that angle ...

I had considered the lack of ability to organise a party in a brewery and all the problems that are likely to ensue if they are given so much very important responsibility - sorry to those really nice, helpful people I have spoken to at Ofsted - but you are in the minority if what we read on here is anything to go by guys!!

My thoughts as well are that your local authority comes to see you regularly - with an education person - and gives you help and support. How often will O be able to get out to see everyone? What happens if someone is struggling - who do they contact if LA is no longer in control?

Hmmmm lots to consider...

As I've said before, I don't brag about my grade cos I'm fully aware that a different inspector or a different day might well have given me a different grade. At least it grants me the priviledge of being able to criticise the system without it being seen as sour grapes.

There are large and multiple practical problems to basing any of this sort of entitlement on the 'snapshot' system of inspection. Even if all the grades ever given are fair and accurate, who's to say that a good/outstanding setting won't get complaicent and go downhill well before the next inspection, actually being surpassed somewhere along the line by a satisfactory CM who had pulled out all the stops to improve.

And if satisfactory CMs are denied access to funding and other opportunities, there'll be a clamour for interim inspections to gain the chance to be re-graded. Hardly in line with the stated aim for Ofsted to save money, now is it?

I think this is another of the areas where it should be enough to be a registered CM who is following the regulations, and that be an end to it. Why is "good enough" not good enough? A driver's license is good enough to drive any car on any road, within the law. Isn't it?

[moggy]

So every time our inspection comes round, any funded clients are left chewing their nails to see if they need to find a new CM. I thought the aim was to make things better for families, CMs and lo's?

...individual inspection? No, we will all be in agencies so that problem's solved!

[justgoodfriends]

[I think this is another of the areas where it should be enough to be a registered CM who is following the regulations, and that be an end to it. Why is "good enough" not good enough? A driver's license is good enough to drive any car on any road, within the law. Isn't it?[/QUOTE]

There's people who have a driving license who unfortunately aren't fit to drive and shouldn't be on the road, in the same way there are some childminders with Satisfactory whose practice is very poor, close to being inadequate even, and its those ones that the government is trying to prevent from drawing the funding.

Those that believe they deserve a Good will be able to pay to be re-inspected, if the proposals are approved.

[FussyElmo]

This question was bought up at the NCMA Forum today. The answer was that it would be up to the local authorities whether they continue to fund the place, but they thought that if you were graded Satisfactory (after previously being graded Good and therefore eligible to draw the funding), that you would be allowed to keep your existing funded children but not take anymore. You would then need to make the desired improvements and pay yourself to be reinspected to achieve a Good if you wanted to take on any 'new' funded children.

Mmm I thought the government wanted to take away the funding from the local authoritys due to the fact they are keeping so much of the funding back - which all LAs should be held accountable for. So how will it be a la decision if you get your funding or not ?

[FussyElmo]

[I think this is another of the areas where it should be enough to be a registered CM who is following the regulations, and that be an end to it. Why is "good enough" not good enough? A driver's license is good enough to drive any car on any road, within the law. Isn't it?

There's people who have a driving license who unfortunately aren't fit to drive and shouldn't be on the road, in the same way there are some childminders with Satisfactory whose practice is very poor, close to being inadequate even, and its those ones that the government is trying to prevent from drawing the funding.

Those that believe they deserve a Good will be able to pay to be re-inspected, if the proposals are approved.[/QUOTE]

pay to be reinspected - ok in full on cynical mode but does that lead to more setting being given satistfactory so they pay to be reinspected. Not like the government didnt start to see speed cameras as not a deterent or safety device but a money pit. Like I said the cynical side is out in force today

[justgoodfriends]

Mmm I thought the government wanted to take away the funding from the local authoritys due to the fact they are keeping so much of the funding back - which all LAs should be held accountable for. So how will it be a la decision if you get your funding or not ?

I don't think so (but could be wrong), the report is saying that the control over who is able to draw the funding will be taken from LA's - the will no longer be able to say 'you must have a level 3' and compete loads of LA devised self evaluation forms, be inspected by a LA pedagogue etc. duplicating what we already do for Ofsted. Each LA will still be allocated the funding I think.

[jillplum]

I would welcome a more universal criteria for becoming accredited. I have a level 3 , graded Good and am part of a network but unable to draw funding due to my LA requiring masses of paperwork and visits etc etc etc. The current minders wanting to offer funded places ahve been at it for at least a year and still not able??? I know in other LA I would be eligible. Seems a bit mad.

[bunyip]

I would welcome a more universal criteria for becoming accredited. I have a level 3 , graded Good and am part of a network but unable to draw funding due to my LA requiring masses of paperwork and visits etc etc etc. The current minders wanting to offer funded places ahve been at it for at least a year and still not able??? I know in other LA I would be eligible. Seems a bit mad.

My LA still hasn't decided what criteria are required for accreditation. I've been enquiring since last May and it's still "under consultation."