@Home Childcare additional clarification on costs to cms

@Home Childcare have published this additional clarification on the costs cms will have to pay if, when they become an agency...I admit there are choices ...their 'buzz word' but paying for something we can get for free is a chatge cms do not need to pay

I fail to understand why they say there has been speculation...no we have read their info on their website and it is very clear...all we have done is debate the costs

See what you think

@Home Childcare - Some Further Clarification Re: Our @Home Childminding Costs

Well, that makes it all clear then...not!

I wonder how many potential childminders could afford the £599 start up price, or even the £199 introductory price.

As far as I can see, there's still no mention of Ofsted inspections? Presumable you would still have to register with Ofsted, paying their fees & having individual inspections.

Are they just offering training & support?

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Originally Posted by Mouse

Well, that makes it all clear then...not!

I wonder how many potential childminders could afford the £599 start up price, or even the £199 introductory price.

As far as I can see, there's still no mention of Ofsted inspections? Presumable you would still have to register with Ofsted, paying their fees & having individual inspections.

Are they just offering training & support?

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Yes mentoring and peer support which had up to now been free
Their reply on inspections will be 'how can we know when we have no idea how we will be inspected ourselves'?..in a way they are right because they don't know as yet

what is unclear to me is if cms are able to join and remain independent and therefore still individually inspected?
It is clear though that cms can remain self employed with them....they are very 'persuasive' in their advertising

just spat my coffee all over my keyboard.......

Anyone got a spare £600 ???

I quite like the idea of paying £15 a month an being able to access good and wide ranging training every quarter. However, I can't see how they can continue to offer new training that long term childminders have not already done. We only need first aid, child protection, food hygeine every three years, so what will they fill the other 9 training slots with for that 3 year period?

I honestly do like the idea of having a training agency, but it will need to have a much much wider range of courses on offer to make it worthwhile. For the few courses they offer it is more financially intelligent to just pay per course.

I know a lot of minders already pay an internet company upwards of £10 a month for paperwork and record keeping systems, so I imagine that part will work out well if this company uses an e-record style. I can't remember which package they included that in.

As for the start up costs, I have no opinion. Been so long since I started I can't compare it to anything.
And for the £40 a month to get support and mentoring, that really isn't worth it. I can't see that package taking off.

New registering cms can apply for a £250 grant but if they have to pay this agency £599 where is the benefit?

Good to see they are the first to give an idea of prices ...lets wait and see what others would charge

Also some LAs are now charging for some training...some is still free so why pay an agency?

Paperwork...I would be happy to share mine with cms ...all they have to do is adapt it to their needs...why pay anyone for theirs?

This is appalling , how can the government keep the childcare sector hanging on like this, we don't know hardly inspires confidence does it. In three weeks the new changes will need to be implemented but as yet no one actual knows what the changes will be, ridiculous. You can bet ofsted will expect us to implement and be working by any changes when they come to inspect early in September.
All the prices quoted just confused me, it's been a long day, the introductory offer of £199 (usually £299) and the £599, can anyone tell me what the difference is?

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Originally Posted by blue bear

This is appalling , how can the government keep the childcare sector hanging on like this, we don't know hardly inspires confidence does it. In three weeks the new changes will need to be implemented but as yet no one actual knows what the changes will be, ridiculous. You can bet ofsted will expect us to implement and be working by any changes when they come to inspect early in September.
All the prices quoted just confused me, it's been a long day, the introductory offer of £199 (usually £299) and the £599, can anyone tell me what the difference is?

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The funny thing Bluebear is that @Home Childcare are saying there has been speculation and confusion since they published their cost hence the clarification???...they are the first to cause it and I am no clearer that you are apart from ...they cost a lot!

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Originally Posted by blue bear

This is appalling , how can the government keep the childcare sector hanging on like this, we don't know hardly inspires confidence does it. In three weeks the new changes will need to be implemented but as yet no one actual knows what the changes will be, ridiculous. You can bet ofsted will expect us to implement and be working by any changes when they come to inspect early in September.
All the prices quoted just confused me, it's been a long day, the introductory offer of £199 (usually £299) and the £599, can anyone tell me what the difference is?

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From what i can gather they are saying that if you sign up to do a level 2/level 3 nvq/diploma they will offer you the start up childminder package at £199 (usually £299) - only reason they offer it at this price is due to the money they make from you doing your level2/level 3 through them. If you do not want/need to do a NVQ/Diploma then you can purchase the start up childminding package at £599.

Anyone else feel like from their statement that they are desperatly trying to convince us. I am really unsure why they felt they had to clarify. Instead i feel like they come over as patronising, and happy that they are in some sort of secret that us childminders know nothing about.

How can you say you will be an agency from 2014 but have no idea of those costs yet. surley any business worth its weight in gold would have sat down and done it forecasts and calculations before even submitting itself to trial one?????

I am really struggling to understand why no one is piloting the whole childminder agency from beginning to end. How can you possibily get any results on just looking at segments of the agency proposal????

Anyway i have been thinking about what the costs would be if they were a full agency who has to provide home visits, support, registration, training, insurance, record keeping, getting you customers, advertising and all the rest ......well lets use their current costs as a basis for this :
Support, Advice and Mentoring plus Continous Professional Development £50 per month

Therefore anything additional such as insurance, record keeping, advertising, accounts etc would be additional cost onto this price.... it is not looking like a affordable option....