An interesting article from Nursery World re:agencies

[Mouse]

It seems worryingly accurate that agencies are going into this without a clue as to how it will work.

Concern over agency models as pilots start off | Nursery World

[AgentTink]

After reading this article i had a little look at First Years Childcare (remember they were the agency who had that really strange and funny website go live the other day). Here is some information about the owner

Nursery World article today gave a bit of further information about the owner of First Years Childcare...
Concern over agency models as pilots start off | Nursery World

They give her name as Natalie Bishop, and she is a registered childminder. After a bit of digging i have found that she is a very recently registered childminder (Sept 13), and runs childminding business called Teepee Childminding.

She does appear to have had a few different business ventures through the past few years most notably Imaginative Childcare Agency which according to face books description:
"We provide qualified high quality • Nannies & Mothers help •Babysitting services• Wedding and event crèches •Relief cover for nurseries •Children’s Parties
We also supply parties in a box and activity sets for parties across the uk."

So I suspect the fact that she has worked with Nannies and provided a service to local parents (based on £11 per hour fee) is the reason she has been chosen to pilot a childminding agency.

Natalie has also ran a nursery originally called Bluebells Day Nursery, and the name changed to Imaginative Montessori Nursery. The nursery is no longer currently operating.

I will be watching closely to see how her price structure works, what she feels childminders need in terms of support that isnt already available, what aspects if the agency she is trialling, and how she will find the time to support fellow childminders whilst being a full time childminder herself.

My main concern right now is she is members of a few different groups on facebook but has of yet not came forward as first years childcare.

[Simona]

Shambolic to say the least!

this is what caught my eye more than the fact agencies may not have a clue on cms practice unless, of course, they are LAs

''She told Nursery World that she has concerns about childminders being used as bank staff at the charity's nurseries, after it was suggested a childminder take along any children in their care to the setting while working there
She said, 'My public liability insurance wouldn't cover me for taking children in my care to a nursery. Parents put their children in my care as they want them to be looked after by a childminder.''

What are cms being used for in this model? why work in a nursery when we are 'home based' providers and the parents have chosen us for that reason?

As for the PLI issue I so agree with the cm....I have been sent requests to look after children in various places by my LA and have always flatly refused.
This is surely something our associations will pick up in future

[FussyElmo]

After reading this article i had a little look at First Years Childcare (remember they were the agency who had that really strange and funny website go live the other day). Here is some information about the owner

Nursery World article today gave a bit of further information about the owner of First Years Childcare...
Concern over agency models as pilots start off | Nursery World

They give her name as Natalie Bishop, and she is a registered childminder. After a bit of digging i have found that she is a very recently registered childminder (Sept 13), and runs childminding business called Teepee Childminding.

She does appear to have had a few different business ventures through the past few years most notably Imaginative Childcare Agency which according to face books description:
"We provide qualified high quality • Nannies & Mothers help •Babysitting services• Wedding and event crèches •Relief cover for nurseries •Children’s Parties
We also supply parties in a box and activity sets for parties across the uk."

So I suspect the fact that she has worked with Nannies and provided a service to local parents (based on £11 per hour fee) is the reason she has been chosen to pilot a childminding agency.

Natalie has also ran a nursery originally called Bluebells Day Nursery, and the name changed to Imaginative Montessori Nursery. The nursery is no longer currently operating.

I will be watching closely to see how her price structure works, what she feels childminders need in terms of support that isnt already available, what aspects if the agency she is trialling, and how she will find the time to support fellow childminders whilst being a full time childminder herself.

My main concern right now is she is members of a few different groups on facebook but has of yet not came forward as first years childcare.

Now that's very interesting AgentTink thanks for that

[Simona]

More extracts that cause me confusion


Nursery World also contacted Riverside Childcare. However, the agency was unprepared to reveal any information about its childminder agency model.

Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, said, 'We're doing all we can to help the organisations trialling the childminders agencies. Those doing the trials are genuinely trying to do their best and are committed to childminders.

'None of the organisations are going in thinking they know all the answers. It's a genuine development. There is no blueprint and those piloting the agencies are waiting for Ofsted to set the framework.'

A Department for Education spokesperson said, 'The introduction of childminder agencies will open up new routes in to the profession for high-quality childminders and will give more choice to parents. We are working with 20 organisations in trialling the agency approach, which will tell us more about how agencies might work and what models might be established.'

Riverside childcare continues being secretive about their trial...probably have no plans in writing anyway
Longfield of 4 Children charity is facilitating the trials...what do they know about CMs practice apart from the fact they want to use us in the Childcare Hubs?

The DfE is the most baffling of comments with agencies being a route for 'high quality' cms...surely those who will go into an agency are those with low grades not high quality cms?? I read that in many ways
Those organisations do not know a lot about cms...why apply then...for us to be guinea pigs?

And finally they are awaiting for Ofsted to set the framework for agencies...total lack of trust in any of these people really and not one of them told us how many cms have volunteered

I will go back and concentrate on looking for support as an independent cm then.... which is what I said at the very start...we are focussing too much on agencies and not enough on those wishing to stay independent!

[SYLVIA]

Reading these comments, I feel sorry for any new childminder who thinks they are going to gain high quality training and support from an agency that can't even organise themselves. I'm staying independent!

[Simona]

After reading this article i had a little look at First Years Childcare (remember they were the agency who had that really strange and funny website go live the other day). Here is some information about the owner

Nursery World article today gave a bit of further information about the owner of First Years Childcare...
Concern over agency models as pilots start off | Nursery World

They give her name as Natalie Bishop, and she is a registered childminder. After a bit of digging i have found that she is a very recently registered childminder (Sept 13), and runs childminding business called Teepee Childminding.

She does appear to have had a few different business ventures through the past few years most notably Imaginative Childcare Agency which according to face books description:
"We provide qualified high quality • Nannies & Mothers help •Babysitting services• Wedding and event crèches •Relief cover for nurseries •Children’s Parties
We also supply parties in a box and activity sets for parties across the uk."

So I suspect the fact that she has worked with Nannies and provided a service to local parents (based on £11 per hour fee) is the reason she has been chosen to pilot a childminding agency.

Natalie has also ran a nursery originally called Bluebells Day Nursery, and the name changed to Imaginative Montessori Nursery. The nursery is no longer currently operating.

I will be watching closely to see how her price structure works, what she feels childminders need in terms of support that isnt already available, what aspects if the agency she is trialling, and how she will find the time to support fellow childminders whilst being a full time childminder herself.

My main concern right now is she is members of a few different groups on facebook but has of yet not came forward as first years childcare.

Agent Tink...I wonder if you could do a bit more searching in your Sherlock Holmes role?

If this cm has been registered since Sept 2013...I read that right have I?...that is just 2 months...has she been inspected as yet and what is her grade?
She appears to have experience in the sector but very little about cminding, so it would be great to know what criteria the DfE used for choosing someone just starting out?

SYLVIA...the aim I would say is to try to persuade new cms to stay off agencies.
I understand that they do not need to register with an agency....well in some areas there aren't any so the LA will still be carrying out the process, my worry is in those areas where the LA has become an agency where will new cms turn to for registration?


So many unanswered questions!!!

[AgentTink]

If this cm has been registered since Sept 2013...I read that right have I?...that is just 2 months...has she been inspected as yet and what is her grade?
She appears to have experience in the sector but very little about cminding, so it would be great to know what criteria the DfE used for choosing someone just starting out?

Simona, your right, she has not been graded as of yet in her childminding capacity, the only visit she has had was her registration visit.

Through her nursery in 2009 she was graded good. ... however im a bit confused here as the nursery opened 29/5/2009, and by 2011 it had closed. Someone else then appeared to have decided to take it over with the same name but another EY number as they registered it on the 21/12/2011, however they never got as far as their first graded inspection, and it is now stated as closed on Ofsted.

[Mouse]

This lady and her assistant are members of the Independent Childminders facebook group, so I would guess there's a good chance they're on here as well . It would be nice if they showed themselves and joined in the discussions. It seems a bit underhand of them to be reading our posts, but not declaring their interests.

[Simona]

Simona, your right, she has not been graded as of yet in her childminding capacity, the only visit she has had was her registration visit.

Through her nursery in 2009 she was graded good. ... however im a bit confused here as the nursery opened 29/5/2009, and by 2011 it had closed. Someone else then appeared to have decided to take it over with the same name but another EY number as they registered it on the 21/12/2011, however they never got as far as their first graded inspection, and it is now stated as closed on Ofsted.

Thank you Sherlock!!!
I rest my case...food for thought that needs a bit of thinking I believe.

[SammySplodger]

This lady and her assistant are members of the Independent Childminders facebook group, so I would guess there's a good chance they're on here as well . It would be nice if they showed themselves and joined in the discussions. It seems a bit underhand of them to be reading our posts, but not declaring their interests.

Yup... that's what I was going on about a week ago... This example and another I can't mention as it will be starred out.

Very underhand and if you search through the posts on FB it's quite interesting reading...

[Simona]

This lady and her assistant are members of the Independent Childminders facebook group, so I would guess there's a good chance they're on here as well . It would be nice if they showed themselves and joined in the discussions. It seems a bit underhand of them to be reading our posts, but not declaring their interests.

Mouse....Your post appeared after I posted mine
The real worry about all this is the lack of interaction between agencies and cms themselves...apart from @Home Childcare who have been very open about the whole thing there is a definite lack of open debate
Even those cms invited by their lAs to discuss have come out none the wiser.

If agencies want to 'prove' their worth I feel there have to be questions and answers from both sides...I am a bit irritated by those who declare how good agencies will be for us or represent independent cms on our behalf but do not allow CMs to test 'prospective' agencies directly

I want to know what agencies can do for us but also want to know what Cms can do for them!
An agency will only be as good or outstanding as the CMs who choose to belong.....so an open debate is very overdue in my view and I will make sure that point is driven home to those who can do something about it!