just received an invitation to meet Elizabeth Truss

[4365]

Should all northamptonshire childminding association members have this? I haven't, why would the NCA become involved in such a one-sided consultation meeting? I hope this isn't a sign of these organisations planning to become agencies and promoting them, I just get more and more worried

[FussyElmo]

Fussy, ever since you started the Sith Lord thing, I have a mental image of Gove as Darth Stewie in the Family Guy 'Blue Harvest' spoof episode.

[sarah707]

Absolutely appalling I am shocked that only 'yes men/ women' are invited. Totally shocked.

If I had received that invitation I would be complaining very loudly to the boss and the boss' boss of whoever sent it out

[loocyloo]

that is outrageous!

i do hope no one goes! surely the fact that they are getting lots of negative response should be telling the department of education something?

i have emailed my MP and david cameron!

[SammySplodger]

This is dreadful! Who will be first to post it up on Mumsnet then??????!
I assume Ms Truss hasn't published her list to confirm who 'lots and lots' of people are yet...
Outrageous behaviour! I'm (almost) speechless.
If I were part of a Northampton CM network I would get together with others and send back a (united) and very firm response, ie No and s*d off!

[Christi]

I'm also Northants and received this e-mail, I've just spent the last half an hour trying to write an e-mail that (vaguely politely) expresses my disgust!!!

[Childrenatheart]

That is incredible! One of you should be copying this email to Nursery World, NCMA, and any media you can, including National Press. Let the public see who we are dealing with.

[wendywu]

Tell them that you are against agencies and ask if you are still allowed to attend. I bet they wont say no in an email

[SammySplodger]

I suspect Elizabeth Truss may be planning to 'nobble' Northants CMs for her pilot - but why? Is there support?

I agree with previous post Northants CMs - raise awareness! What if new or uninformed CMs support #NoMoreGreatChildcare

Very worried about this :-((

[sarah707]

This has made me cross. I have been thinking about it through the night - and I have not been able to sit on my hands.

I have written the following email to the Northampton Childminding Association - I do not know who wrote the message so I have sent it to the association's general email address and asked them to pass it on to the writer.

I am wondering whether to send it to the Dept for Education and the press as well - they should know how meetings like this are manipulated


To whom it may concern

I would like to register my shock and grave concern at the wording of an email sent to members of the Northampton Childminding association recently.

I do not know who was responsible for writing the email – but I would like to respond to them please. The email stated -

Dear Childminder,

You will probably be aware of the attached government report ‘More Great
Childcare’ published recently.

We’ve been approached by the Department for Education to see if any
Northamptonshire Childminders are interested in meeting with Elizabeth Truss
about childminder agencies.

They have had plenty of negative feedback from the sounds of it so would like to
hear from Childminders who are broadly in favour or at least open minded about
moving to an agency model.

The meeting is likely to be held week beginning 25th February and I have said it
will need to be in the evening. Can you please let me know as soon as possible
if you would like to attend such a meeting?

To request that only ‘yes men and women’ should be invited to a meeting with Ms Truss is beyond my understanding.

The ‘negative feedback’ to the ‘More Great Childcare’ plan is, in my opinion and the opinions of thousands of childminders who are lobbying against it and over 22,000 people who have signed the www.keepratiosdown.co.uk petition, totally justified.

I would ask that the writer of this email reads and reflects on the Childminding Forum’s analysis of the ‘More Great Childcare’ plan http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/mgc and considers whether their loyalties lie with the MP or your dedicated, hard working and currently independent childminders.

Thank you.

Sarah

Childminder, early years writer and author of ‘‘More Great Childcare’ - an analysis of the Government’s plans’.

[SammySplodger]

Sarah - me too - very angry last night! - I left a message on their Facebook Page, not directly about the email but urging CMs in Northants to do their research!

[catlyn]

This is outrageous!!! I wish I had recieved the E mail coz I would have been straight onto the local press to give them the information......its dicrimination at its worst!!! I would also be attending the meeting regardless of whether theywanted me there or not

[snortlet]

I got this email as I'm in Northants and I almost fell off my chair. I did send a heat of the moment reply to the gist of over my dead body as it came from the head of the network who I normally have a good working relationship with and who already knows the majority view on the agency issue! I feel very hurt by this and its feels very much like divide and conquer as has been mentioned before. am not a happy bunny! many thanks to Sarah as always for your much better thought out email response!

[sarak31]

Sarah I completely agree with you - it made me v angry too hence my mail to truss etc. I considered going to the press too - your email was great as always and if you are prepared to do so, I think it would hold more weight coming from you with all the research you have done and your standing in the early years community. I thought of the guardian initially as they have issued a few articles against the proposals - as well as nursery world etc, but am assuming because of your (great) work so far you have contacts already. Am happy to write to press as well myself - PM me if you want me to do anything.

I just think it's unbelievable the level of control they are trying to have over the process, I feel very cynical about the whole thing and have to say, whilst we should fight, I think it's a done deal. Things like this just support that. Am seriously thinking about my future once this goes ahead which - whilst I dont mean to blow my own trumpet - I think is v sad as I am sure I am not the only good childminder that might be lost to the profession because of the changes Truss is making - shows her shortsightedness if she can't see that coming.

[wendywu]

Sarah it cannot do any harm at all going to the press, and your voice has a lot of credibility behind it. You may just have been handed a very big playing card in the fight against ET.

[SYLVIA]

Sarah, that email is great. Definately go to press and any other contacts you have. Even if this is a done deal and does happen, at least those of us who have made a stand, can turn round and say "We tried to tell you" when it all starts to fall apart!

[phoenix2010]

Do with it what you like , I will be most upset if Im identified by anyone though as my intentions were good

I have no idea why the NCA sent out this invitation , although I would say there is no evidence that they support the agency idea , but no evidence that they dont , perhaps they were simply passing on the invitation to guage the reaction

I replied that i would like to attend and had many questions to ask

I have heard nothing so far but will keep you posted

[loocyloo]

i sent an email to my MP telling her about the northamptonshire email and have asked others to send it to their MPs, asking ???? what about democracy and not much for a consulation if only talking to people already in favour!

[phoenix2010]

OK so for clarity , fairness and balance and if this gets me into trouble , oh well
here is the response fro NCA to what has obviously been quite a shocked reaction from the childminders of Northamptonshire , I know that many emailed them and made it clear that they were "dissappointed " to put it mildly


Dear Childminder,

My email yesterday has prompted lots of response and it needs to be made clear
that, at this stage, NCA does not support the idea of childminding agencies.
What we would like is more effective Ofsted regulation and local support for
quality improvement pathways. However, in this current climate we have to
accept that there will not be funding from central government to do this.

I was contacted by the DFE as Elizabeth Truss would like a ‘round table’
discussion with childminders who would like to be part of an agency or at least
open minded about it. They said that they have already had lots of feedback from
people who are against agencies, so the meeting was for those who are open to
finding out more and possibly help shape what future agencies may look like.

NCA is here to represent all childminders in Northamptonshire and so I passed
the invitation on as requested to give everyone an equal opportunity. It does
look as though changes will be implemented but DFE have confirmed this morning
that this is very much in the early stages so NCA feel that it’s better to be
involved and have the opportunity to ask the many questions we have than exclude
ourselves and it happen without our input.

The More Great Childcare Document states ‘We are working with providers to
develop the agency proposition and business model in the coming months. We plan
to look at existing childminder networks and groups, using good practice to
inform the best approach for agencies. We will pilot agency arrangements in
2013, with the aim of agencies operating (and being registered and inspected) by
2014, subject to Parliamentary approval’.

If you wish to pass your feelings or ideas about childminding agencies please do
contact your local MP or use one of the consultations or petitions that are
available. If you are not sure who your MP is, you can use the search facility
in the following link. Search (Find Your MP) - UK Parliament

[sarah707]

I have just checked my emails and I have not received a reply.

It appears from the email above that Ms Truss asked to talk to people who were keen to support her.

I wonder how she would react to headlines such as -

Truss manipulates meetings about her 'More Great Childcare' plan

Only childminders who agree with Truss 'More Great Childcare' plans invited to consultation meeting

Truss will say 'I have consulted with childminders'... but only those who agree with the proposals in her 'More Great Childcare' plan are invited to meetings

Truss wants to speak to childminders in favour of her plans - those who disagree are asked not to attend

Truss is aware of the negative publicity her plans have engendered and wants to chat to people who think they are a good idea

Not good