Unemployed to be trained as Childminders by PACEY

[bunyip]

Many cms in my area seem unaware or unconcerned about all these possible changes, how can I arouse their interest and spur them into action? I need bunyip, sarah n or simona to come talk to them

Well I'm banging my head against a brick wall here. My PACEY DO has told my local CM group that agencies are a foregone conclusion and we cannot do a thing about it. Since she has all the local CMs eating out of her hand, we instantly lost them from the cause the moment the DO opened her mouth. I asked PACEY HQ to comment on this and their emailed response was that "all staff have been briefed." Hmmmm............

[SYLVIA]

Wonder how many will stick at being childminders when they start the work for real. If they don't pick this as their job they are not going to put the effort in that's needed. And if agencies are taking them on their books parents may find that they are not getting a good service from their childminders. It's got to produce a knock on effort I would have thought. Again it's the children that will suffer.

[Simona]

Response is now public on twitter and elsewhere so you can see for yourself...more next week


''We wanted to make clear to PACEY members that this joint project with Barnardos is not looking to develop a model for a childminder agency. As you know PACEY does not support this policy proposal and, indeed as part of finalizing the arrangements for our joint working with Barnardos, we have made this clear. We have ensured there are contractual measures (KPIs) included in the project plan submitted to the DFE that focus on the importance of parents who participate being supported to prepare for their individual inspection and secure a grade.

We actually hope this exciting project is a way to demonstrate to government, local authorities and regulators that you do not need a third party agency to support individuals into the profession and that there are other more effective ways to collectively support prospective childminders.

We always work to ensure our members are the first to hear about our new plans and developments. Unfortunately on this occasion we were not told by the DfE that they intended to publicise these projects in advance of our finalizing our contract with Barnardos and others. We plan to publicise our involvement with this and other DfE funded projects in the next week.'' (end)



One thought though as ncma are against agencies these cms will be recruited by them...so agencies are not compulsory for new cms??

[snortlet]

just when I thought i'd heard it all!!

[AgentTink]

I have read this link all day and not been quite sure what to say, as i just feel a bit overwhelmed by it all

This idea was first branded about last October, see the below link to a thread i started on this topic

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/fo...d-all-now.html

Why is everything feeling like a uphill struggle at the moment?

If there is a government grant up for grabs why is it not being used to advertise current childminders to the country, why is not being used to support current childminders to have the best resources and support we can get, why is the funding not being used to support our experience and dedication to the role, why is the funding not being used to help cut down on the expense of childminders being inspected by Ofsted (this is the reason this whole darn thing started in the first place was due to costs from Ofsted and the workload we put on them).

I could go on with whys, but who is listening

Instead more people will become childminders, and lets face it the PACEY article simply states that these new childminders will be supported to "secure a grade", but what grade it does not say. As we all know it is so hard for new childminders to get a good, so the next time the Ofsted stats are produced and there are a extra 10,000 childminders who will all need a first graded inspection within six months, and majority get a satisfactory through no fault of their own other than that they are new, this will then go against childminders as a whole and we will be classed to be the weaker childcare sector again

I want to see sufficiency charts that show that there is a need for all these extra spaces to be created. Will they only allow these new childminders were there is a need?? I doubt it. And secondly, since the government, Ofsted and DfE do not praise childminders and instead insult us at most opportunities , whose to say that all these families with disadvantaged 2 years are even going to want to use a childminder? Are they going to suddenly praise the work we do and insist that all 2 years old would be better off in a home from home environment????

[Essbops]

Omg I'm struggeling as it is

[Ripeberry]

Why childminders? They could as easily get them to work for old people in their own homes. Lots of parents have to give up work to look after elderly relatives. Get the unemployed helping the high proportion of older people in our society. Where will all this madness end?

[supermumy]

I posted this on my fb and got a reply for
A mum saying " what's the big deal we do this everyday with our own" grrrrrr

[welshgirl]

Wow! Shocking! I really can't say anymore about this. Will send it onto my early years team over the weekend. They have been very quiet about the whole childminder agency issue, then today they sent out a survey, one of the questions was would you be interested in joining an agency if it was run by the council!!! Mmmmmm...... NO !!

[watgem]

Definitely need avrocket simona I posted it on my fb and nothing, I think I need I
R
To spell it out to parents instead to pass it round to other parents/prospective parents just to raise their awareness iyswim? I've got a week off now I think I'll be adding that to my to do list. Our do is being made redundant soon and so is not being told any info about whats happening in our are
Ae, just need the other cms to be more interested

[lilac_dragon]

It doesn't rain, but it pours!!!
As soon as we think we've heard it all another problem is dropped into the pot.

A lot of us have lost or are losing our DOs so who are all these new childminders going to go to for help and support?

[Simona]

I like that...why cms? they could work anywhere!!! lets see what ncma says in response
I got up this morning truly thinking I had dreamed they had given us a reply...

I do agree with keeping your LA involved...please bombard them with news, links...send them every article you see, send them the link to the consultation on the change in role for LA, get them to arrange meeting for cms and distribute the links of articles to other cms

Please remember that LAs at present 'have a duty' to inform, support and train cms under the Childcare Act 2006..when that is taken away by this govt they will regret it so use it now as a reminder of their duty

I understand there is a huge group of cms (hundreds of them) on Facebook all doing something but not sure what....was there no response yesterday?

[wellybelly]

Why is childminding seen by so many as the next step up from the unemployed? Its heart breaking to think that all the training I've done / paid for / completed in my own time has got me to the assumption by some who think I am on that level! I know I that might sound stereotypical or discriminating or that I may be generalising against all the unemployed but I know some people who have not ever tried to work and have "milked the system" because they could! I feel so sad that after all this hard work, that is how we're seen

[Simona]

Please do not let this make you feel unworthy...I have to admit my reaction is simple 'fury' not feeling undermined
If that is what ncma want then I leave them to their new membership

this is the point we need to make that by allowing anyone to come into childminding we are taking our 'profession' back into 'anyone can do it'....shame on ncma not to have understood this could be the response and as for the DfE patronising statements I don't know who is worse ?

[twinkletots]

What a load of garbage!!!!!

I am disgusted! Will they pass CRB checks? Medicals, what a waste of money completing the courses and checks to maybe fail.
Also once registered and they struggle to get work at first will they give up and go back to unemployed, maybe they will be given financial help and help
Finding children to look after, whilst we struggled advertising our spaces etc! We are obviously not very valued!

We should start a petition!!!

[SammySplodger]

Please do not let this make you feel unworthy...I have to admit my reaction is simple 'fury' not feeling undermined
If that is what ncma want then I leave them to their new membership

this is the point we need to make that by allowing anyone to come into childminding we are taking our 'profession' back into 'anyone can do it'....shame on ncma not to have understood this could be the response and as for the DfE patronising statements I don't know who is worse ?

This is exactly how I feel Simona.

I am seriously considering resigning from NCMA/PACEY on principle, as I feel so let down by them. I was disappointed already by their recent changes... but this is something else entirely. I do no feel they are properly representing us any more.

I wonder what would happen if we all left in droves and the 'new membership' was short-lived?!

[angeldelight]

This is exactly how I feel Simona.

I am seriously considering resigning from NCMA/PACEY on principle, as I feel so let down by them. I was disappointed already by their recent changes... but this is something else entirely. I do no feel they are properly representing us any more.

I wonder what would happen if we all left in droves and the 'new membership' was short-lived?!

We seem to be on the receiving end of a lot lately

It's so frustrating

I know of 5 friends yesterday who changed to mm and others are following suit .

I'm surprised one of you haven't started a petition!!

Why not get them to do something like hospital cleaners ....where they can help over stretched staff ....everyone moans at the state of hospitals ...help is needed more in those sectors I feel .... Imagine being in a high unemployment area and all those people did childminding ...how on earth would there be enough work for us ...

Angel xxx

[SammySplodger]

We seem to be on the receiving end of a lot lately

It's so frustrating

I know of 5 friends yesterday who changed to mm and others are following suit .

I'm surprised one of you haven't started a petition!!

Why not get them to do something like hospital cleaners ....where they can help over stretched staff ....everyone moans at the state of hospitals ...help is needed more in those sectors I feel .... Imagine being in a high unemployment area and all those people did childminding ...how on earth would there be enough work for us ...

Angel xxx

I am waiting for PACEY's statement next week and then making a final decision.

But I am prepared to 'vote with my feet', which will mean getting new contracts signed.

Bitterly disappointed in them - yes they may say they don't support agencies but they are still colluding with Truss.

[angeldelight]

I am waiting for PACEY's statement next week and then making a final decision.

But I am prepared to 'vote with my feet', which will mean getting new contracts signed.

Bitterly disappointed in them - yes they may say they don't support agencies but they are still colluding with Truss.

I'm with MM I was with NCNA years ago

But in your shoes I would also wait and see ...no point everyone panicking at this stage

When are they making their statement ...actually I will get an email no doubt because they have still always sent me updates like I'm still a member

Angel xx

[Simona]

Please be pro active and not react to one bit of a statement...ncma caved in to a request to clarify and the rest will come next week
We need to know the full picture before we decide to stay or jump ship
you have more voice within ncma that out of it...once you leave no one will listen...petitions do nothing unless they are e-petitions that get debated in the House of Commons

the ncma events are coming up so this is the opportunity to get heard...also write to them...go on ncma local and voice your concerns as they go straight to the CEOs...contact your ncma NPF rep and tell her how you feel....approach your LA and tell them you are worried about this influx of cms, what are their plans?

we need a plan B as I have said but this reaction is not going to work...agencies are coming, new cms recruited, LAs may disappear... what can we do to survive is the vital question?
if you have ideas let me know