Training frustration. Use it or lose it!

Despite being very short of funds our LA is doing all it can to support childminders. They have arranged some very good training sessions, all put on in the evenings and only childminders can attend. And they're all free. We even have drinks & biscuits provided!

I've had a letter through today to say that several of the courses have been cancelled due to lack of interest. It is so frustrating. There are over 300 cms in our LA and they need a minimum of 12 people to attend each course. It's so disappointing that they can't even get that many going.

You've got to wonder if they'll bother for much longer. It must be a kick in the teeth for them to go to all this trouble only for people to show so little interest. And then how many childminders will be complaining that they never do anything for us?

So if you are offered training in your area, grab it while you can :thumbsup:

I do agree with you we are lucky that courses are still being put on for free in our la. However its the same faces that go to them.

Our do's are trying to get more cms to attend them as the la is wondering why they are putting them on if cms don't go.

My gripe is that they are not doing any new ones so once you have done them you don't want to repeat them year after year

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Originally Posted by FussyElmo

My gripe is that they are not doing any new ones so once you have done them you don't want to repeat them year after year

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That's what happened here a couple of years ago. They were the same courses, year in year out and none of them were the sort that needed repeating.

This year they have put on all new courses (apart from first aid and safeguarding) and they are all relevant and interesting.

But like you say, it's always the same people that go along. You can just about predict who's going to be there.

the same thing happens here, we have some excellent courses & specific childminder conferences on a Saturday and its always the usual people who are there.

we have minders moaning if the training is held in the evenings/weekends or weekdays ... yet they never come to any! EVEN its is right on their doorstep! GAH! very frustrating!

our DO has even started using the childminder drop in to run little 'bite sized' training sessions ... yet the minders who would benefit never come. :(

I agree with you but our la makes it difficult for some childminders. It's always over the other side of town on an evening about an hours drive. You would need to leave at 6 to be there for 7 and then don't finish until 9 getting back at 10. Some cm don't finish at 6 anyway but it makes it such a late evening. I think they should be spread out across the town so we don't always have to do this

Its the same here. I put my name down for a course because it was local 630pm-930pm but it got cancelled.

The last one I did was on the other side of the county. It was 6pm-9pm so I had to finish work at 5pm, refund 4 sets of parents an hour (which was only about £25) drive 45mins, without any tea because Id not managed to get anything beforehand as weds were my busiest day, sit through 3hrs of stuff I already knew (It was all common sense stuff) everyone was yawning and half asleep and then drive 45mins back. Got in at 10pm, knackered.

So, now I only go for a course that's no more than 20mins drive as it was just too far and because I was tired I cant really remember half the stuff they were teaching ..lol

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Originally Posted by munch149

I agree with you but our la makes it difficult for some childminders. It's always over the other side of town on an evening about an hours drive. You would need to leave at 6 to be there for 7 and then don't finish until 9 getting back at 10. Some cm don't finish at 6 anyway but it makes it such a late evening. I think they should be spread out across the town so we don't always have to do this

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That does make it very difficult and is perfectly understandable.

Our courses are all pretty central to most people, so they don't really have that excuse, It's such a shame that so many people should be able to attend, but just don't bother then moan that they get no support!

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Originally Posted by JCrakers

Its the same here. I put my name down for a course because it was local 630pm-930pm but it got cancelled.

The last one I did was on the other side of the county. It was 6pm-9pm so I had to finish work at 5pm, refund 4 sets of parents an hour (which was only about £25) drive 45mins, without any tea because Id not managed to get anything beforehand as weds were my busiest day, sit through 3hrs of stuff I already knew (It was all common sense stuff) everyone was yawning and half asleep and then drive 45mins back. Got in at 10pm, knackered.

So, now I only go for a course that's no more than 20mins drive as it was just too far and because I was tired I cant really remember half the stuff they were teaching ..lol

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That's why it frustrates me that our local cms don't realise how fortunate they are. The longest any would have to travel is about 15 minutes. I know some won't finish work till late, some will have other commitments and others can't get there, but there are plenty that could.

I also know some cms don't want to do courses, which is fair enough, but we'll be sat at our weekly group with them moaning that our LA does nothing for us! I'm sure childminders in other parts of the country would love to have the opportunities we do, yet so many here take it for granted.

I find it hard to get to any of the courses to be honest. I work a 50 hour week (many of you work more), I have 3 children of my own who have their own activities and also need looking after, I am doing a college course myself as well as the other day to day things that need seeing to.
Some of the courses I have been on have been great and very informative but others I have come out of wondering what it was all about.

It same here. Over the last few years the LA haven't put on as much training as they used to but still put on plenty. It's always the same childminders here who go.

How frustrating!

It's the same here - the same faces locally so they stop the local courses and we have to travel further. Now all training has stopped and we're travelling even further and paying...

I do a lot of mine online now - childcare.co.uk has lots of free courses for gold members and I am working through those - it's all I can do to stay updated :D

Training opportunities is something all cms need to seriously reflect on...whether free or otherwise anything coming from the LAs has to be considered very carefully...'use it or lose it' in this instance is very appropriate Mouse! you are right.

Potential cms agencies continue to ask cms to help them to create a package of support for cms for the future...this will certainly include training that we will have to pay for.

Lets reflect on this after Christmas...we either take what little is coming from our Las or leave a void that will be easily filled by Agencies....this is exactly what we do not want them to do....although there is plenty of training available online we also need opportunities to have face-to-face meetings for sharing information and open debates...we cannot just rely on being updated and improve practice just by being online...my view of course!

Have a peaceful and restful time and I am sure we will be back to do battle in 2014!

My LA works very hard to provide relevant training at a reasonable cost but the same faces are at the training, the ones that need it or it is provided to help never attend. I agree with Simona use it or lose it.