Good/Outstanding cms will not need to be in a network to do funding

Thank you Rickysmiths ..you got the same message we had from David Fitzgerald who leads the team on this and who has sent various emails encouraging perseverance in engaging with LAs
He also said if LAs did not comply the DfE would remove their powers...

I will see him in June as I have booked a conference where he is speaking on the funding...will feedback and that is why I asked, in the other post, what difficulties cms are coming up with

Unfortunately some LAs are not changing their position and continue to hold on to their rules/conditions etc etc
I have tried to ask them since January!

Our EY told us that, if the govt decides all good/outstanding cms should do the funding and that is what they are told, then they will allow it but they are concerned and no way they will change their criteria now sticking to network cms only so they can 'contain' the administration within a small group (that is the word used...contain!!)
They have also reduced the support for good/outstanding cms and concentrating on inadequate/satisfactory ones

Truss announced in December the funding for 2 year olds will be £5.09 across the country and expects LAs to fund that...some offer more, but who knows what will happen
The formula for 3/4 year olds will change too and this is part of the consultation on the changing role of the LA...I will be spending a few hours this weekend doing that

On the question of fees he did say they were looking at it because they realised that cm don't reduce their fees when a child gets to 3 the same way Nurseries do because there are bigger ratios. They are exploring the idea of being able to offer cm one rate from 2-4yrs.

I can understand that some LA won't remove special conditions until they have to and it isn't September yet is it.

Utter rubbish, the DfE ought to research the subject better...nurseries do not reduce fees..in fact they have raised fees outside of the Free Entitlement and caused the crisis in childcare costs over many years

One rate for cms and another for nurseries?...it gets sillier by the minute
LAs have a choice, adapt or be told what to do...that seems clear to me

September is only 3 months away...in fact less than that because the LAs and govt will take a long summer break while cms continue with their work
As an independent cm I am not waiting for the LAs to decide how best to save their jobs...I am trying to take the lead for my business and survive

Simona, Rickysmiths is right both the nurseries closest to me charge more per hour for the littlies then they do the bigger children, and the reason is because of the ratios, and the reduction happens on the childs birthday, not the term after like free funding.

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Originally Posted by Simona

Some networks, or whatever they now call themselves as many LAs are changing the name, are run very well, they are inclusive and allow cms to be 'themselves', run their practice without too much prescription while accepting peer support as vital in attracting reluctant cms to seek help from colleagues

If they were all like that they would survive...it is up to cms to argue the best way to remain independent is to have an effective network or hub to keep each other supported not just via forum, helpful as it is, but face to face and revolving around cms communities

FussyElmo...have you received confirmation yours is going and why??

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our network went late last year...due to lack of funding we were told....the coordinator lost her job and we were left high and dry. We have an informal network where we continue to meet up and discuss relevant info (usually what I get from here..LOL)

Yes many nurseries have different packages for fees according to age but that has been like that for many years...they seem to charge less as the child gets older...doesn't research show that cms charge less overall so that may be the reason we don't reduce the fees?

Catlyn ...your network ...or what is left of it now is based on peer support, will you have any support from your LA in future?

Our network has been open to 60 cms only for many years, recently the LA re launched it and opened up to ALL cms...potentially this could mean 350 cms if all decide to join... that must take a great deal of money, so again it is down to how much the LAs funding has been reduced or not.

Ofsted have clearly said that network cms do better (I am not sure of that) so what is the point of closing them down if Sue Gregory says they work but she does want cms working in CCentres hubs...very confusing!

they have said we will get support.....we have a Family Worker who will attend the meetings (she calls them support groups) and an Education Development Adviser who mwill also attend...they have promised us one and half hours a month where they will attend the meeting and offer "Improvement Support" they are also available at the end of the telephone for advice at any time......hopefully training will still be available as before...we havent heard any different yet

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Originally Posted by Simona

Utter rubbish, the DfE ought to research the subject better...nurseries do not reduce fees..in fact they have raised fees outside of the Free Entitlement and caused the crisis in childcare costs over many years

One rate for cms and another for nurseries?...it gets sillier by the minute
LAs have a choice, adapt or be told what to do...that seems clear to me

September is only 3 months away...in fact less than that because the LAs and govt will take a long summer break while cms continue with their work
As an independent cm I am not waiting for the LAs to decide how best to save their jobs...I am trying to take the lead for my business and survive

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The Day Nurseries in our area do have a higher charge to the parent for the 2 year olds and under and always have so yes those Day Nurseries do reduce their charges to parents for over 2 year olds and I think you will find that is quite common practice among Day Nurseries. Those charge bands are nothing whatever to do with the way Free Funding is paid it is the way a lot of Day Nurseries have always charged their parents fees.

All the poor man said was they they had, through consultation and investigation come to realise that cm charged an hourly or daily rate no matter the age of the child.

So one of the reasons the 2 year funding is more per hour recognised the lower ratios of child to adult and the fact that in a lot of Day Nurseries a higher hourly rate was charged for under twos. Two Day N near me have in fact opted out of the Free Funding altogether

They now see that this isn't the case for cm and that their hourly /daily rate does not change according to age.

They are therefore looking to see if the same rate should therefore apply to 2-4 year olds and not have a drop in the rate at 3yrs for cms and they may well do this for everyone.

Interestingly I have just checked one of the Local DN that opted out last summer and on their web site they have done a new fees page and say they offer the 3-4 year funding again. I suspect that they want to tap into the 2 year funding because if they don't they will loose business! They have now adopted a single fee for all and offer 15% sibling discount to full timers.

Yes you are right, LAs will have to do what they are told and I think it is long since time that the rules are to be the same for all, it has been totally discriminatory the way that in most cases childminders have had to jump through many more hoops than anyone else. All providers should have to comply to exactly the SAME rules.

My apologies Rickysmiths...I was a tad cross when I replied due to my reaction to cms meeting with our EY this week
I have now calmed down and just about to respond to the consultation on the LAs

Yes the poor man (the man from the DfE) is only passing the message on from his dept to us, however, while we understand the message some of the LAs continue to pretend not to hear
My feeling is, rather than LAs be 'told' what to do it would have been more appropriate of LAs to realise the present system cannot be sustained and cms cannot continue to be excluded...we can only wait and see

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Originally Posted by Simona

Yes many nurseries have different packages for fees according to age but that has been like that for many years...they seem to charge less as the child gets older...doesn't research show that cms charge less overall so that may be the reason we don't reduce the fees?

Catlyn ...your network ...or what is left of it now is based on peer support, will you have any support from your LA in future?

Our network has been open to 60 cms only for many years, recently the LA re launched it and opened up to ALL cms...potentially this could mean 350 cms if all decide to join... that must take a great deal of money, so again it is down to how much the LAs funding has been reduced or not.

Ofsted have clearly said that network cms do better (I am not sure of that) so what is the point of closing them down if Sue Gregory says they work but she does want cms working in CCentres hubs...very confusing!

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This may well be because they were being very discriminatory by only allowing a max of 60 cms to join. People can't discriminate in that way anymore. Many Networks were divisive and exclusive and very unfair, personally I am glad they are all to go.

There is nothing stopping cm getting together to provide peer support and this may be in the form of regular get together's or via cm groups but these have no 'entry' requirements except that you are a Reg Childminder.

I am very interested in the subject of networks and for years I have fought about their role and usefulness in their present form as I believe they should be open to all

I was very upset at the meeting last week...in fact I had to be a very 'brave' girl and not cry there and then and hold the tears back when I got home!!!! Never felt such frustration!
I still get very worked up when I think about the discussion we had!!!

My LA will continue with the network as it is ...a network cm did say she thought they were going but when I asked her for proof she had none
I don't believe they will go but I do think...fingers crossed... they will readjust to local needs

I was asked why I don't rejoin it as it now open to all cms and said clearly I didn't want their conditions, duplication and added paperwork and told them they had created a 2 tier of cms!! I am now blacklisted ..no doubt as troublemaker.

I have just hit the 'send' button on the consultation on LAs and expressed my worry there as well as the worry about this blessed funding and how to access it

On the subject of the 'poor man' I am booked on a conference in June with the other DfE man...so I am ready with my questions!

Please can you help me to gather as much info on this subject as possible so I can take your experience to the DfE when I go to the conference on 5 June

What I need to know is simple
1. is your LA allowing you to do the funding from September?

2. Is your LA still saying no...why?

3. if you are now included are there any conditions imposed (joining the network, doing Level 3 or anything else)

4. Does the drop in funding when a child reaches 3 worry you and prevent you from drawing the funding?
You don't have to name the LA but do so if you wish

Thank you for your help

Are you happy for me to copy and paste your reply ...WITHOUT mentioning your name...so that I can take the document with me?

I am able to to accept funding in Sept (have been taking funding for around two years) 2, 3 & 4yr funding.

As things stand at the moment only quality assured CMs (used to be referred to as network) can accept funding but LA (Poole) has recently said that they are under the impression that this will not be the case from Sept and that any CM with Good or Outstanding will be able to draw funding.

Our current rate for 2yr olds is around £4.80 I think and this drops to £4.24 for 3&4 yr olds but as my normal rate is £3.70 then I am happy with this

Sarah

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Originally Posted by Sarsar3NCH

I am able to to accept funding in Sept (have been taking funding for around two years) 2, 3 & 4yr funding.

As things stand at the moment only quality assured CMs (used to be referred to as network) can accept funding but LA (Poole) has recently said that they are under the impression that this will not be the case from Sept and that any CM with Good or Outstanding will be able to draw funding.

Our current rate for 2yr olds is around £4.80 I think and this drops to £4.24 for 3&4 yr olds but as my normal rate is £3.70 then I am happy with this

Sarah

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I've got my level 2 cpw and graded good, been cm for over three years but my do says I have to do level 3 but ones in my area aren't home based so I can't do it therefore can't be accredited ?

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Originally Posted by mrs robbie williams

I've got my level 2 cpw and graded good, been cm for over three years but my do says I have to do level 3 but ones in my area aren't home based so I can't do it therefore can't be accredited ?

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It seems like its a but of a lottery at the moment depending on where you live but I think it's taking a long time for all the LAs to get all the information fed to them. They should all work to a uniformed code of practice

I received an E-mail from my LA to state that to come in line with new government rules, they will be simplifying the system.....

Basically instead of making us jump through 15 hoops they have reduced it to around 6. I will still need to be RAG'd, still send a report to show how children are improving in my setting and filling in lots of other wonderful bureaucratic nonsense.

Lets face it there will be a lot of jobs lost if they don't' have to make up forms for us to fill in.

Has any other LA opened the funding for cms since?