Let Govt know that you want info about independence

**sarah707** · 22-03-2013, 11:20 AM

We have been given the opportunity to email the Department for Education and express our interest in getting involved in discussions and meetings about agencies.

The email address is - Childminder.AGENCIES@education.gsi.gov.uk.

These meetings will be our opportunity to shape the future - to say what we do and do not want to happen - to let them know that we want to stay independent and ask for information about how we will be supported in the future.

Please take a moment to email them and tell them you are interested in getting involved in meetings.

My email says -

My name is Sarah xx and I am an Ofsted registered childminder.

I want to be involved in meetings about childminder agencies. I live in the Manchester area.

Please let me know when a local meeting is organised.

Thank you.

**phoenix2010** · 22-03-2013, 11:22 AM

did it yesterday , wasnt sure what to say so just asked to be consulted on any plans to introduce agencies

didnt get a response and no idea if I will hear anything

we will see

**Kiddleywinks** · 22-03-2013, 11:24 AM

Mine says:

I would like to be kept informed of meetings in the xx area with regard to the proposed new agencies.
I am a registered childminder that wishes at this point to remain independent

I haven't even received an automated reply

**loocyloo** · 22-03-2013, 11:33 AM

i said i was a registered childminder and wished to be kept informed of information and meetings about agencies, especially as i am in a rural area.

i told them where i lived.

i didn't get any response either!

Simona · 22-03-2013, 11:34 AM

The DfE will contact those who have registered an interest...but it won't be straight away
You can find the info in the letter I posted here from the DfE...it says clear in future...well it cannot be that distant because the agency consultation will be out soon and everything has to be in place before September bearing in mind MPs go on holiday from July??

keep registering your interest...we need thousands!

**AgentTink** · 22-03-2013, 11:36 AM

I registered my interest the other day

**jillplum** · 22-03-2013, 02:18 PM

I have done it.

**hectors house** · 22-03-2013, 02:29 PM

Have done it - can anyone help me with an IT query as since hotmail changed this week to Outlook it won't let me copy and paste e-mail addresses. If I click on the agency link above it opens in the e-mail account my computer is set up for (not my hotmail) so normally I would then just copy the address from the address bar, open my hotmail account and paste in the address but it lets me click on copy but when I click on paste, there is nothing there! It is a pain to have to type in an address as I'm always worried I will miss out a "dot or a dash"!

**sarah707** · 22-03-2013, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by hectors house

Have done it - can anyone help me with an IT query as since hotmail changed this week to Outlook it won't let me copy and paste e-mail addresses. If I click on the agency link above it opens in the e-mail account my computer is set up for (not my hotmail) so normally I would then just copy the address from the address bar, open my hotmail account and paste in the address but it lets me click on copy but when I click on paste, there is nothing there! It is a pain to have to type in an address as I'm always worried I will miss out a "dot or a dash"!

Will it copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts - control and c to copy and control and v to paste?

Or use gmail!

**The Juggler** · 23-03-2013, 01:47 PM

At my networking morning I gave the e-mail address to my LA advisor and she is going to e-mail it out to everyone on the local CM databases as well as all those who attended this morning, together with your suggested wording Sarah.

So, if they hold a meeting down here, they better watch out as they will be lynched

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 23-03-2013, 02:56 PM

I don't want to be involved with setting up agencies, I want them to fail so I am not going to help them try ...

**winstonian** · 23-03-2013, 04:53 PM

Thanks Sarah

**sarah707** · 23-03-2013, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by The Juggler

At my networking morning I gave the e-mail address to my LA advisor and she is going to e-mail it out to everyone on the local CM databases as well as all those who attended this morning, together with your suggested wording Sarah.

So, if they hold a meeting down here, they better watch out as they will be lynched

I really hope it helps people! I just want as many people as possible to reply to everything they can.

Only 6 childminders are on the website as having replied to this one so far -

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/Re...aveyoursay.pdf

I think we can do a lot better than that!

**The Juggler** · 23-03-2013, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by sarah707

I really hope it helps people! I just want as many people as possible to reply to everything they can.

Only 6 childminders are on the website as having replied to this one so far -

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/Re...aveyoursay.pdf

I think we can do a lot better than that!

ooh need to go and have a look, i checked out the website earlier but didn't see this. off to see what I did wrong! lol

Simona · 23-03-2013, 09:54 PM

Sarah: The Childcare Commission received only 328 replies ...that is telling isn't it? if we think of 96,000 providers in all and 54, 000 cms?
The EYFS consultation only got 122 replies from cms...
I will be doing mine as the deadline is towards the end of April...like or not the DfE will get my input....hope others will make the effort

**CH1957** · 25-03-2013, 03:03 PM

I emailed them last week and got this reply this afternoon:-

"Thank you for email. Initially I would just like to assure you that there is no obligation to join a childminder agency – they will be entirely voluntary and you will still be able to retain your current registration and inspection arrangements with Ofsted if you prefer.
We will however add your details to our list in case there are events concerning agencies which may be of interest to you in the future. We will be in contact when these arrangements are finalised.

Kind regards,

Lucy

Lucy Reynolds

CSDSD Priority Projects Team
Supporting Delivery Group
Current Project: Childminder Agencies (Sure Start & Quality Division)"

If nothing else, it does confirm agencies are definately coming in.