NCMA changes

[JAC DO]

Hello,

We have been told that our developmet worker has lost her job as of June due to changes in the NCMA.

So my question is how does your county support childminders and are any of you affected by the changes.

[loocyloo]

there is no NCMA in north yorkshire!

there is/was NCMA bods in York, but they don't come out as far as me when i was moving here they were no help at all!

however, north yorkshire LA is great, and offer training, support, info and always at the end of the phone ( also visits! )

[rickysmiths]

We lost all our NCMA DOs last April (2011) and we have no support from anyone else. though I must say we didn't get anything from NCMA DOs in our town anyway so I'm not surprised the contract wasn't renewed.

Please don't confuse the loss of your DOs with NCMA membership though because your LA employed the NCMA on a contract and it is not NCMA withdrawing the DOs.

[aly]

Hello,

We have been told that our developmet worker has lost her job as of June due to changes in the NCMA.

So my question is how does your county support childminders and are any of you affected by the changes.

are you caerphilly based?..if so yes N has or will be gone soon...this in my eyes is better becasue we got nothing from her/ncma as an organisation.

The FIS are tackling this and are restructering things and are announcing things in the near future.....if you want more details ring the FIS as they are there to help us childmidners from now on. FIS I mean early years

[littlequackers]

Hi The NCMA are pulling out of all LA work in wales including projects and childminding networks. They say because they are no longer cost effective. This is in not connected with NCMA membership etc and they are still having a couple of staff at their cardiff office for this work. The LA's are supposed to be picking up the childminder development that NCMA were doing.
Caerphilly have already got people in place and we have a childcare development officer who has said that we are to tell her what courses we'd like and if she has enough wanting a particular course then she will arrange it. So far to me it is looking like a bit of an improvement but will have to wait and see how it works out.

Tracy

[manjay]

The whole of Wales is affected as it will be a new model of working. It is due to the direction of NCMA moving to a professional association and the decreased funding from WG and Local Authorities.

It will be a difficult transition period but once all the changes are in place it will give a much fairer deal for childminders across Wales. It should stop the postcode lottery that happens now where support is good in some areas and very poor in others. This depended on your LA's and what they wanted NCMA to deliver. As with everyone in this current financial climate each LA is reducing funding that they are giving to organisations.

There are lots of new developments coming up so it is just a matter of watching out for them on NCMA's website or in your e newsletter.

It has been a difficult one for me to get my head around as I am very fortunate to live in a LA that really values childminders and puts lots in to supporting them. I am a member of a network which allows me to deliver Flying Start placements and Early Years education and all this will still be possible once the changes have happened. However now I have got my head around it I think it is a positive change for the future.

[tialil]

I will miss our development officer as I had a lot of help and support. However will be interesting to see the changes ahead.