For Simona

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Hi

You said in another thread that you are writing a list of questions for your LA and I thought that if we all sent the same questions to our LA's then we could compare answers.

Would you be prepared to share?

[Simona]

No problem...here they are

1. How will you ensure all non network 'independent cms' (IC) get to draw the funding now that the DfE has removed your restrictions

2.Will you provide support for IC in between inspections to maintain quality

3. what training will you offer IC and at what cost

4. will you continue to share information with IC in future

5. will the FIS advertise IC vacancies Will IC have equal opportunity to get enquiries from parents. Will you stop prioritising network cms by directing parents to them and flagging parents to them by text

6. will you provide feedback on inspections so we can address the issues flagged up by inspectors

7. if you continue running a network will you base it on a mixture of peer support and consultants support creating hubs for cms

8. are you setting up an agency for network cms, if so how do you intend to support IC. Will we be included in meetings, CPD opportunities

9. 2 year old funding is £6.10 but drops to £3.50 at age 3. Will you pass on the full funding when the DfE revises the formula

10. will you survey non network and IC on our future needs as you are doing with network cms at present

There are more but are pertinent to my LA and their practice...please add your own and anything I may have missed to do with IC in general

Hope it helps?

I am editing this as I have just received info on how all this works
The DfE will have to send the LAs a 'Revised guidance and Code of practice'...have added this to my list, so we need to lobby the DfE into doing so or the LAs will continue with their current practice, maybe ask the LAs to share the new guidance
Some
Info is also on ncma local for those who access it

[Simona]

I received a reply...well sort of... but it is a game of pass the parcel now...the DfE says go to the LA and the LA waits for the DfE for guidance!!!

[Simona]

Has anyone else tried to put questions to their LA? what was their response?
It would be very useful to compare our experiences such as access to funding in September..

is your LA including all good/outstanding cms?
do they still ask you belong to the network?
if so what are the requirements?
is the network in your LA going to continue or have you heard it may be stopped?

Have you been asked what kind of support you want in future...and at what cost?
will they still advertise our vacancies? free or at a cost?

We had a cms meeting last night...still a bit speechless really...but would like to hear your experiences...can you share?

[bunyip]

I'd have to find someone who can pick up a phone at my LA before I got any chance to ask them a question.

[CLL]

I have not had any communication with my LA since I registered. I am going to wait a few months until they have all the info and then ask about funding.

[Simona]

Many cms take that view...wait until they know more
The only reason I want to find out is that the funding will be a selling point for independent cms....whether for the 2 year olds or just the 3/4

I have told many parents about the 'possibility' of accessing funding in future and their response has been positive...many are still confused how it all works
It could mean we retain children until they go to reception rather than losing them to preschools

To me is part of the planning for becoming 'independent'...not that anyone has been supporting me for years...also how I sell my practice, advertise my vacancies, fees and other services etc

does it make sense?

Bunyip...have you tried the method used in Harry Potter...dropping letters by owl or maybe a pigeon will do!!

[teacake2]

This may be a silly question, having one of those weekends, but who would you actually try and contact in the LA, what position will they hold I mean,
Teacake2

[Simona]

Do you have an allocated consultant or someone with a different title who supports you or cms?
Every LA is different but there is an Early Years team in every council....you could google it maybe and look under childcare...good luck!

[blue bear]

I've asked three different DO's they all say the same they know nothing. There are no agencies being trialled in our area in September, they do not know what happens to independent childminders, training or the DO. 's own jobs.
One talked about £1000 being charged to childminders who join an agency and a similar annual fee expected for those independent childminders registered with ofsted.

2 year old funding has been set a £4.65 for this financial year. but it goes up for three year olds.

There are no networks here anymore but there is criteria for accessing funding they are waiting to see how much of MGC goes through before saying what will happen in September.

[loocyloo]

I used to know our head of early years but she moved on! so I sent an email to our FIS asking them to forward it.

She then replied & we email back & forth. I send her lots of links to all the bits everyone finds :-)

[tashaleee]

Would be happy to go to my LA with a list of questions if someone tells me what I 'need' to ask them

Do I go with the 1-10 list Simona has put here or is there more?

(PS feel free to PM them to me in case I loose this thread again as no idea how to flag a thread I need to come back to....)

[Simona]

LAs are perfectly aware of what is going on...they can read the press as well as we can, they also get emails from the DfE on what to do and what the future holds
My emails to them are endless and their reply very guarded

It is simply insulting to pretend they know nothing...surely the consultation on their future role is clear enough?? also MGC is a common document and they should be able to read and interpret it as we do

Truss announced the 2 year old funding should be set at £5.09...so some LAs will pass on less, at this rate the whole thing is shambolic and the LAs seem to have a rule of their own
usually the 2 year old funding is higher than for 3/4...so that is very interesting as it is the other way round in your LA!

You can ask any questions you like as an independent cm...whatever your worries are try to get clarification...mine were very pertinent to my LA and I got a lot of waffle back
Agencies do not have to be 'local'...you can check @Home Childcare to see they do everything online, how they will do 'face to face' CPD and checks remains to be seen

The figures quoted for registering with an agency are close to what I have seen quoted and the figure for our inspection/registration fee is close too
we can only wait for confirmation but I can see from the notes of my meeting with Truss last year that they are close to what she said it would cost...how we are supposed to save that amount if our inspection happens to be straight after September 2013 is unclear so far ...as is everything else in these reforms!!

[zippy]

Our fee as independents to be set a £1000 maybe that's ridiculous they have already said it costs around 400 to inspect us how on earth can they justify £1000 per annum, tons will have to quit if that's the case and no new ones will sign up at nearly £100 per month costs before they start

[Simona]

Zippy...has anyone suggested £1000 per annum? that would be really pushing cms out of business...I can't see any of the unemployed mothers coming into childminding to pay that sort of fee??

if we get inspected every 4 years that means our inspection would cost £4000 for a two hour with an inspector????

Unfortunately we don't know...although I would guess those sitting with the DfE at the task and finish group have a good idea how much the figure may be set at....
I wonder when Ofsted will announce our revised yearly fee?

[Kiddleywinks]

You can see where this is going
It was claimed it cost £600 a year to inspect child minders
We may have to fund our own short course training, first aid, safeguarding (?), workshops

Or hey, you can always join xx agency for less.....

[Simona]

If we paid £600 per year and the inspection is every 4 years that makes it £2400...for a two hour inspection?
I feel this is speculation that will only frighten some cms
I must dig out the NWorld article with the figures they arrived at for inspections...it was nowhere close to this amount!!

Also we do not know how much it would cost to inspect an agency with xx cms on their books...whatever the cost it will be passed to cms??

You can see why I wish ncma had been part of the task and finish group as a 'listener' and 'observer' after all they do have 37,000 members...who is there representing independent cms ?

[Kiddleywinks]

If we paid £600 per year and the inspection is every 4 years that makes it £2400...for a two hour inspection?
I feel this is speculation that will only frighten some cms
I must dig out the NWorld article with the figures they arrived at for inspections...it was nowhere close to this amount!!

Also we do not know how much it would cost to inspect an agency with xx cms on their books...whatever the cost it will be passed to cms??

You can see why I wish ncma had been part of the task and finish group as a 'listener' and 'observer' after all they do have 37,000 members...who is there representing independent cms ?

I'm not saying it does cost this amount, the lunatic at the asylum said that at the beginning of all the reforms announcements
It's not speculation, and it does frighten the hell out of me

Nursery world worked it out to be £69.21 per childcare place for cm's as opposed to £11.92 for nurseries (2010 - 2011)

My point was, I think the system being introduced will work against trying to stay independent as this isn't what the government wants, so by making the cost of doing so so high many will feel resigned to join agencies as no doubt those fees will be considerably less than 'going it alone'

[tashaleee]

Has anyone else tried to put questions to their LA? what was their response?
It would be very useful to compare our experiences such as access to funding in September..

is your LA including all good/outstanding cms?
do they still ask you belong to the network?
if so what are the requirements?
is the network in your LA going to continue or have you heard it may be stopped?

Have you been asked what kind of support you want in future...and at what cost?
will they still advertise our vacancies? free or at a cost?

We had a cms meeting last night...still a bit speechless really...but would like to hear your experiences...can you share?

OK my LA is 'awaiting consultation feedback' before they apparently know what they need to tell us....

However my source (who handles all my payments) knows nothing of funding changes for September - as far as they are aware there are no changes at this time...

So in other words I know nothing ....

Personally I dont think anything will come out before the end of June from LAs - I know for a fact that mine have their budgets in place until next April 2014 so they dont expect much to change before then.... time will tell of course on that one...

[Simona]

We seem to have two distinct situations...LAs who have been very co-operative and opened up the funding to all cms removing any conditions and those who still say they know nothing and hold on tight to their conditions

Judging by the comments that have resulted from the BBC report (cms not even mentioned of course) it is obvious that LAs are aware but want to keep things for themselves as the consultancy company led by James Hempsall is working with all LAs not just the few

If the scheme flops the DfE can take all the blame


BBC News - Free nursery scheme '55,000 places short'