A Letter to Childminders from Mrs Truss

[Daisy1956]

I haven't had my letter yet, nor has anyone I know, perhaps she has forgotten us.

[Nickidela]

I got mine even though I'm still waiting to be registered! Very strange I thought, but glad I got one! X

[Daisy1956]

Mine came today. I am so unimpressed.

[sarah707]

A lot of childminders are returning their letters to sender with 'we don't want agencies' written on them

[rickysmiths]

I haven't had mine.

[Simona]

Sending the letter back is possibly a good act of defiance

Agencies are amongst the reforms Truss mentions in her letter....but not the only one although we keep focussing on that forgetting the rest.
Agencies are, at the moment, voluntary so no cms needs to join unless she/he wants to...until we know more about the trials ...and rumours abound about their success or otherwise...not many will jump at joining something they know little about

However...in the letter is the rest of the hidden agenda which Truss has sweetened by wishing us 'every success' while proposing the deregulation of cms, denying us of being qualified like the rest of the workforce so we can easily work in school ...upping the informal care from 2 to 3 hours which will be detrimental to our business and last, but not least, the opening of schools 8-6pm which means they will take our business

In the meantime day nurseries are also expanding their service and already take children for wraparound care and holiday care
Have we missed something in our campaign by just focussing on agencies?
What has happened to the drive to put independent CMs first?

In less than 2 months the EYFS will be reviewed and implemented in Sept 2014 and hardly anyone is raising any concerns about this.

[loocyloo]

Not had mine but good idea to send it back ... Maybe with an essay on the back!

[Simona]

Not had mine but good idea to send it back ... Maybe with an essay on the back!

I would save precious words if I were you Loocyloo
Truss has not listened to anything we have said for a very long time...in fact she has really closed any communication for Cms for a while, I can imagine her walking around her office with fingers in her ears!!
Oh yes the meetig in March may prove useful...if she keeps to that!

I doubt she has read any of the FB messages or would even consider looking at any letters sent back to her...she would bin them as she has binned any comments on Twitter

It will take the DfE a couple of lines when they revise the EYFS to include agencies and change the requirements so cms can now be free to go and work in schools.

I wonder how many cms will respond to the Agency consultation...hope we beat the 64 who bothered about the Regulation of Childcare.

[hectors house]

A member of our Independent childminding group recently contacted the person in our area responsible for helping newly registered minders, to ask her to tell the new minders about the Independent network and that we are here to offer support (buddy system), help fill vacancies, keep them up to date with legislation changes etc, try to coordinate training if lots of people need it at the same time etc - our independent member was told that they (the local authority) aren't happy with us remaining "Independent".

County would prefer us to sign up to the agencies that would be linked possibily to the Children's Centre - who needs agencies we are doing it all for ourselves with only a £20 a year membership fee! We desperately need more members in our Network as all 20+ of us are full and we are getting e-mails daily about vacancies that we can't help with, we have a website about to be launched and editorial currently being written for the local newspaper.

Come on other towns - you can do this too.

[Simona]

A member of our Independent childminding group recently contacted the person in our area responsible for helping newly registered minders, to ask her to tell the new minders about the Independent network and that we are here to offer support (buddy system), help fill vacancies, keep them up to date with legislation changes etc, try to coordinate training if lots of people need it at the same time etc - our independent member was told that they (the local authority) aren't happy with us remaining "Independent".

County would prefer us to sign up to the agencies that would be linked possibily to the Children's Centre - who needs agencies we are doing it all for ourselves with only a £20 a year membership fee! We desperately need more members in our Network as all 20+ of us are full and we are getting e-mails daily about vacancies that we can't help with, we have a website about to be launched and editorial currently being written for the local newspaper.

Come on other towns - you can do this too.

There is a thread in another section that is more or less the same...so sorry for the repetition

What you say should worry all cms when LAs are starting to recommend we join an agency while others are telling CMs to stay off them? and a third are waiting to 'see' what the trials bring ?

who would CMs believe and trust .....and why?

I would also try not to leave out schools in all this especially following Truss' reforms and CMs reforms in particular.

CMs need to refocus and while worrying about agencies ...please also look at the wider picture

[hectors house]

There is a thread in another section that is more or less the same...so sorry for the repetition

What you say should worry all cms when LAs are starting to recommend we join an agency while others are telling CMs to stay off them? and a third are waiting to 'see' what the trials bring ?

who would CMs believe and trust .....and why?

I would also try not to leave out schools in all this especially following Truss' reforms and CMs reforms in particular.

CMs need to refocus and while worrying about agencies ...please also look at the wider picture

Yes I put my comments on the other thread by mistake, thinking it was this original one - so just copied and pasted across to here.

[rickysmiths]

I think there is value in sending back our letters with a response. We should also copy it to our local MPs and maybe in the light of what Hector's House has said to out local LAs as well.

I think although Truss is not listening herself she has an office that work for her and the sheer volume of post against Agencies must start to attract notice at some point and she must be forced into a position where she can't ignore it any longer. Even if half of the 55,000 odd cms out their sent letters back to her and to MPs etc that is powerful.

We also have all the Big Ofsted Voice meeting in the next few weeks and we should be raising our concerns about Inspection and quaility and costs at them directly with the Regional Ofsted Early Years Inspectors who will be at the meetings.

I think it is key to keep lobbying everyone all the time so someone will take note.

Our Voices need to be heard.

[Simona]

I think there is value in sending back our letters with a response. We should also copy it to our local MPs and maybe in the light of what Hector's House has said to out local LAs as well.

I think although Truss is not listening herself she has an office that work for her and the sheer volume of post against Agencies must start to attract notice at some point and she must be forced into a position where she can't ignore it any longer. Even if half of the 55,000 odd cms out their sent letters back to her and to MPs etc that is powerful.

We also have all the Big Ofsted Voice meeting in the next few weeks and we should be raising our concerns about Inspection and quaility and costs at them directly with the Regional Ofsted Early Years Inspectors who will be at the meetings.

I think it is key to keep lobbying everyone all the time so someone will take note.

Our Voices need to be heard.

Yes I can see your point.....It is certainly worth a try...I was looking for her letter this morning and can't find it...maybe I have already binned it but a copy would do

[rickysmiths]

Yes I can see your point.....It is certainly worth a try...I was looking for her letter this morning and can't find it...maybe I have already binned it but a copy would do

Yes I think a copy is fine the content is the same and the sentiment of you sending it to all the different people is the same. I still haven't had mine yet.

[jackie 7]

Why have private nurseries not realised they will have to join agencies? The bill allows for her to get them to join. We might need to get them on our side.

[Simona]

Why have private nurseries not realised they will have to join agencies? The bill allows for her to get them to join. We might need to get them on our side.

Unless they become 'agencies' themselves?

[loocyloo]

still haven't got an actual letter!

but did get an emailed copy out with the 'key messages' that all early years settings in our LA get each month !!!

[Smiley]

I got my letter yesterday and I know of at least 10 other local childminders that also received theirs. I've already written 'return to sender' on the front

[loocyloo]

I got mine TODAY !!!

and have already 'returned to sender' !

[Jayse74]

I got mine TODAY !!!

and have already 'returned to sender' !

LOL that is a brilliant idea lol.

I have not read ours yet, it came this afternoon sometime. It was waiting on the doormat! Shunted it away whilst we were minding and then later after home time, a 5 minute break my partner opened it! LOL her sarcastic comment made me laugh!

"OHHHHH JAY YOUR NICE FRIEND HAS SENT A LETTER!"

Cue me looking puzzled

"Who? what why etc?"

then came the dreaded name... TRUSS.

Lets say her reactions were a sight whilst reading it.

So I am about to make a coffee and shall see what kind of quality this has lol.
Then it will get sent back to whence it came.