Truss: Shaping More Affordable Childcare (Nursery World)

[Simona]

Truss refers a lot to cms in this article and particularly our concerns over accessing funding...
I think her message is clear that good/o's cms can now do so

Maybe it was worth sending all those emails to the DfE about the barriers we still face....so far so good
The rest is around wrap around care...

Exclusive: The Minister's View - Shaping more affordable childcare | Nursery World

[Smiley]

You beat me to it, I was just about to add the link. Well she's back, maybe more information will start appearing now

[AgentTink]

A very clear article for once, and very complimentary about childminders. I still just wish somewhere it would state in black and white "from 1st september 2013 all childminders, nurseries, pre-schools rated good and outstanding WILL be offering the funding, and all LA's can not ask for any further criteria to be met. Any LA who doesnt allow their providers in their area to do so will be asked to clarify to the DfE why" . A simple statement like that would help me in my fight with the LA no-end.

Oh well i have sent my email to DfE last week detailing that my LA were waiting for the law to change, so i look forward to what their responce will be.

[Simona]

A very clear article for once, and very complimentary about childminders. I still just wish somewhere it would state in black and white "from 1st september 2013 all childminders, nurseries, pre-schools rated good and outstanding WILL be offering the funding, and all LA's can not ask for any further criteria to be met. Any LA who doesnt allow their providers in their area to do so will be asked to clarify to the DfE why" . A simple statement like that would help me in my fight with the LA no-end.

Oh well i have sent my email to DfE last week detailing that my LA were waiting for the law to change, so i look forward to what their responce will be.

Keep on at them...would be great if the lady from the DfE would confirm this too

I would send your LA a link to the article!
Fingers crossed for you

[Simona]

I don't know about you but I tend to skim read articles when I go back the next time I find lots of bits I missed

The announcement by Truss in her interview tells me she has been listening to cms but not engaging with them directly ...so she is in her office reading our tweets and letters.....do we thank her researchers and civil servants for passing on our concerns to her?...good on them but they still have work to do.

So her announcement yesterday has given cms 'equality' after many many years of campaigning against the unfairness that only networks and accredited cms could draw funding
Next question: what will become of networks if accreditation is not necessary to draw funding??

Amazingly this very giant step has received little attention from any association or press or anyone remotely aware that cms have had a fight on their hands for years

As for the LAs I am sure they will still put ..or try...barriers in our way
I can see the argument that giving funding to those who are satisfactory is contradictory as the grade will soon be seen to be 'requires improvement'...

I agree there so although Truss message is clear it is not really going to work unless she directly addresses LAs' concerns....

[sarah707]

Thoughts on the Facebook group - it's a very conciliatory article which doesn't mention agencies - why??

We wonder if it's her last hurrah before she goes off to another Dept - or if she wants us on side for something in the future.

there's not a lot of trust for anything she says though so childminders generally are all still very wary ....

[Simona]

Thoughts on the Facebook group - it's a very conciliatory article which doesn't mention agencies - why??

We wonder if it's her last hurrah before she goes off to another Dept - or if she wants us on side for something in the future.

there's not a lot of trust for anything she says though so childminders generally are all still very wary ....

I agree Sarah...
it is a very sweet message and I too noticed there was no mention of agencies but...we need to act on that issue of funding and make sure she acts on it

I have just emailed the woman from the DfE again, whose name I was given, to make her aware of more conditions imposed by LAs and asking Truss to clarify directly with the LAs

Perseverance must pay even when our patience is at snapping point!

[FloraDora]

Thank you for highlighting the article, I am certainly entering into childminding at an interesting time.
I have been amazed by my LA and their attitude to new childminders. They insist on having a 3 day training yet have sent me a disclaimer saying they are there for support only and OFSTED are the group I take advice from. I am used to relying on the LA Early years team to advice and guide me in all things EY when I was HT in charge of a primary and nursery, now as a childminder this other arm of the LA just 'supports' not advises??
I appreciate there are going to be differences in childminding to nursery but after 30 years of being an Early years Teacher, Leading teacher in the LA for EY, running two nurseries and a school that achieved good in OFSTED it seems I would not be able to offer the 3&4 year old placements ( the age I know best) until I have gained the gold level in the LA's grading system, which involves attending regular meets for two years! But they are quite happy that I care for babies .... With only my own children' s experience of 28 years ago??
I am happily just going through all the motions and amazed at the amount of paperwork involved in setting up my new business, I naively thought it would be less!
I am in awe of all the forum members experience in keeping all this paperwork up to date.

[Simona]

Thank you for highlighting the article, I am certainly entering into childminding at an interesting time.
I have been amazed by my LA and their attitude to new childminders. They insist on having a 3 day training yet have sent me a disclaimer saying they are there for support only and OFSTED are the group I take advice from. I am used to relying on the LA Early years team to advice and guide me in all things EY when I was HT in charge of a primary and nursery, now as a childminder this other arm of the LA just 'supports' not advises??
I appreciate there are going to be differences in childminding to nursery but after 30 years of being an Early years Teacher, Leading teacher in the LA for EY, running two nurseries and a school that achieved good in OFSTED it seems I would not be able to offer the 3&4 year old placements ( the age I know best) until I have gained the gold level in the LA's grading system, which involves attending regular meets for two years! But they are quite happy that I care for babies .... With only my own children' s experience of 28 years ago??
I am happily just going through all the motions and amazed at the amount of paperwork involved in setting up my new business, I naively thought it would be less!
I am in awe of all the forum members experience in keeping all this paperwork up to date.

Your LA may be referring to Truss stating this in her article:

''I have also heard from nurseries and childminders that there are sometimes mixed messages about requirements from local authorities and Ofsted.
That is why we are reforming the system so that regionally based Ofsted teams will work closely with local authorities on improving weaker providers, based on issues identified in Ofsted reports. Local authorities also play an important role in making sure there is high-quality provision in their areas by encouraging good providers to expand. I want to reassure you that local authorities and Ofsted working together with nationally consistent criteria will create a level playing field for all good quality providers, including childminders.''

Yes Ofsted are setting up 'local support teams' to help weaker providers to get to good but Sue Gregory has said this support is not available to cms (I did question her at the PLA conference why she was not including us and her speech is in PLA Under 5 magazine this month)...
her reply was that cms cannot be included until the 'agencies' are sorted first and could not mention us at the time!!
How conveniently exclusive is that??

So again we have mixed messages from the LAs, Ofsted and Truss and we are left trailing behind agencies...they seem to have taken priority even though they do not even exist yet.

I am also amazed that LAs continue to say 'we know nothing' when so much is actually known to us...

Sorry to hear about your paperwork...once in place you should relax but it is certainly mounting rather than diminishing!...good luck!

[Rachel23]

A very clear article for once, and very complimentary about childminders. I still just wish somewhere it would state in black and white "from 1st september 2013 all childminders, nurseries, pre-schools rated good and outstanding WILL be offering the funding, and all LA's can not ask for any further criteria to be met. Any LA who doesnt allow their providers in their area to do so will be asked to clarify to the DfE why" . A simple statement like that would help me in my fight with the LA no-end.

Oh well i have sent my email to DfE last week detailing that my LA were waiting for the law to change, so i look forward to what their responce will be.

I contacted my LA last week about offering funded places, had a phone call yesterday and they sent me an expression of interest for providing the free entitlement for and the criteria was :
* I needed to be good or outstanding (I'm good) *have a level 3 in appropriate early years and childcare qualification. (Which I hold)
*be upto date with lscb level 1 safeguarding or provide a date when i intend to renew it (my LA have an e-learning course I am going to do on my week off end of August)

It then goes on to say to provide free entitlement for 3&4 yr olds I must
* complete the 'starting off' document with LA Early years consultant
*sign a contract with LA

This was just for 3&4 yr olds, I questioned about two year funding and was told I must do this 3/4yr funding before I can offer the 2yr

I am so confused about if this is what they are supposed to be doing from sep 1st or do I need to wait until 1st sep and then go for it?

[AgentTink]

I contacted my LA last week about offering funded places, had a phone call yesterday and they sent me an expression of interest for providing the free entitlement for and the criteria was :
* I needed to be good or outstanding (I'm good) *have a level 3 in appropriate early years and childcare qualification. (Which I hold)
*be upto date with lscb level 1 safeguarding or provide a date when i intend to renew it (my LA have an e-learning course I am going to do on my week off end of August)

It then goes on to say to provide free entitlement for 3&4 yr olds I must
* complete the 'starting off' document with LA Early years consultant
*sign a contract with LA

This was just for 3&4 yr olds, I questioned about two year funding and was told I must do this 3/4yr funding before I can offer the 2yr

I am so confused about if this is what they are supposed to be doing from sep 1st or do I need to wait until 1st sep and then go for it?

This is the problem rachel, some LA's are not asking for anythign other than good/outstanding as is stated by the government in various documents whilst others like yours are asking for more on top of the ofsted grade. this thread below will give you some more idea of what the DfE thinks should be happening, look down about half way through by a post by Simona with a letter from the DfE.
2,3 & 4 year old funding

I have written to the DfE to try and get a definative responce in regards to what happens if by the 1st September we are not allowed to get funding from my LA without jumping through all of these hoops.

My LA is stating that they are waiting for the law to change, however im not sure what they mean by this, so i have also asked the DfE that question too. Does the law need to change, and when will this be?

Once i have a answer i will post it on here.

Rachel if you are having these issues with your LA you really ned to send a email to the DfE because if they are not aware of these issues we are facing they will not know to fix them.

[Rachel23]

This is the problem rachel, some LA's are not asking for anythign other than good/outstanding as is stated by the government in various documents whilst others like yours are asking for more on top of the ofsted grade. this thread below will give you some more idea of what the DfE thinks should be happening, look down about half way through by a post by Simona with a letter from the DfE.
2,3 & 4 year old funding

I have written to the DfE to try and get a definative responce in regards to what happens if by the 1st September we are not allowed to get funding from my LA without jumping through all of these hoops.

My LA is stating that they are waiting for the law to change, however im not sure what they mean by this, so i have also asked the DfE that question too. Does the law need to change, and when will this be?

Once i have a answer i will post it on here.

Rachel if you are having these issues with your LA you really ned to send a email to the DfE because if they are not aware of these issues we are facing they will not know to fix them.

Thank you AgentTink I will have a look and get onto the DfE
X

[Simona]

The new Guidance comes into effect from 1 Sept 2013...I fail to understand where the LAs cannot get that
The present guidance allow LAs to impose conditions...NO MORE from Sept!!!

I feel.....this is my view...that cms are now entitled to draw funding 'because it is in the 'Statutory (legal) Guidance'

Exclusion is to me discrimination...it also means families who choose cms will be discriminated against because it is now a statutory requirement for the LAs to include cms as long as we are good/outstanding....it was not before unless cms complied to the conditions...those have been removed

Cms can, of course, refuse to draw funding if they wish for whatever reason but, my view again, their business may suffer

Sorry for the repetition...has anyone tried to contact the DfE directly by phone ?
0370 000 2288

I am aware that many of the childcare reforms are not at all good for cms BUT this one is...
I also know that we will be subsidising childcare and losing money...it is like Catch 22
if you have tried and failed with your La try another strategy

You know I wrote to the DfE last week...I also sent this email this morning

''following my email to you reporting the barriers LAs are still putting up for cms I have a few to add to the list:

-LAs are claiming that to allow cms to draw funding they have to employ a dedicated person to administer the funding therefore costly to them. Some refuse to even answer cms' emails on the subject

-LAs are concerned that 'satisfactory' cms who may be included in the funding will soon be seen as 'requires improvement' therefore contradictory to the funding being only for high quality providers, this should be clarified.

- this is 'unconfirmed' and still unclear but some LAs appear to be asking cms for a higher level of PLI when looking after children with complex needs or those who belong to a network, which adds a huge financial burden to us as the additional premium is very high.

Having said that the Minister has given an interview to Nursery World where she clearly states that cms can draw funding from September
Exclusive: The Minister's View - Shaping more affordable childcare | Nursery World

I am pleased the Minister has been listening to our concerns which I am sure have been reported to her by our emails to the DfE.
This is encouraging but cms need to see a clear message delivered to those LAs who are still putting barriers up and adding conditions to us.

I want to thank you and David for reporting our worries to the Minister, her action will remove the inequality good and outstanding cms have been the subject of for many years and, I agree with her, will give parents a greater choice.

Many thanks for your help''

The only other thing to try is our representing associations...
I have brought it to their attention on several occasions recently and over many years....at this rate I will start my own and represent myself!

[mum24]

Our LA is still expecting us to attend a certain number of meetings a year to enable us to draw funding, I have not yet heard any different.

[Simona]

I have just called the DfE
Their answer:
copy parts of the emails received from the DfE to your LA
complain using the LA complaints procedures
go to the ombudsman

write to the Ministers and let them know....if you feel strongly write in and add to my emails, can't think of what else you can do

Use the characteristics of effective campaigning:
have a go.....be a nuisance
keep trying...persevere
make links...engage with the policy makers

the EYFS can work in our favour too!!!