For goodness sake!

[JCrakers]

I keep getting emails from the LA about courses and get togethers. Now Im funded I'm getting more.

This morning I got one for Tues 9th Oct 9.30-11.30am

Basically it should say:

Dear Childminder,

You have been invited to attend a course that is aimed at nurseries and preschools because the time is right in the middle of your morning. The 3 children that you are caring for on that day will have to be cared for by someone else while you travel the hour across the centre of town to the other side of the county.
I hope you can make it and that you remain professional while you tell your parents that they must take the morning off so you can attend

[LittleLadybirds]

I feel a bit like that too about our LA training programme. They keep sending emails about various workshops and courses that all sound really interesting and I would actually like to go, but then its mid-morning or some other ridiculous time. Or you have to attend at the same time for 6 weeks on the run?!?

We do have some training put on in an evening, but not much.

I'm going to an EYFS conference all day on Friday, and they've cancelled the specific childminder workshop as there's not enough interest - hmmm I wonder why? Cos no-one can afford to take the day off and still pay the £20 reduced childminder rate to attend!!!!!!! I wasn't supposed to have anyone on Friday, but the 2 new children I have just taken on both come on Fridays, so just had to say to parents it was pre-booked and I wasn't available.

It's such a shame that sometimes the LA is saying that childminders are equally valued professionals, but I feel it just isn't the case, especially training wise.

[Tazmin68]

we have been waiting for a one day caf training course which was aimed for childminders it has taken over two years and they have finally sorted two dates out. Anyone would think.we were asking the impossible for a saturday course.
Debbie

[Roseolivia]

Our LA was good at putting on training on nights and weekends but a lot lately seems to be on a weekday.

[blue bear]

I've been told by d/o that the powers that be cannot see why we can't attend in the day time, they think we are being awkward wanting evening and weekend training, I suppose they think if we are meant to be the same as nurseries we should be able to attend week day training like nursery staff can!
Worst thing they did in this area was to amalgamate setting and childminder support staff and bosses.

[Ripeberry]

But then don't nursery staff get paid to attend training? If they want us to train during the working day then they should pay for our loss of earnings. Yeah...as if

[bunyip]

TBH, I can see both sides of this.

Yes, I too find it deeply frustrating that so many courses are at inconvenient weekday times.

But, let's just play devil's advocate for a minute. I can totally understand why LA's and other trainers want to run the courses at those times. They are the times when there is most demand (from nursery staff, etc.) and the times at which the trainers regularly work, ie. "office hours". With their budgets cut to the bone, do they really want to run up additional costs by paying overtime for trainers and keeping venues open at the convenience of CMs? We are, after all, something of a minority in terms of our numbers and the number of children we care for, compared with group settings.

Also, if we really mean what we always say about being flexible, we are probably more capable of shifting our hours than session-based group settings are.

I don't mean to offend, but I have to say that we CMs are collectively guilty of a double standard here. As self-employed people we can choose when our services are available to clients, and those clients may want a whole range of different times. As regular and recent threads demonstrate, the vast majority of CMs (and yes, I know there are exceptions) don't really want to commit to much work outside of daytime Monday-Friday. Many CMs on this forum argue against providing much in the way of out-of-hours care, or providing a service to shift workers, or argue they should "...seriously charge WAY more..." than the usually hourly rate for such a service.

And yet we want LA's and other trainers to provide "out of hours" training opportunities, and frequently expect them to do it for free. Is it not a little unfair to expect something of training service providers that we are not prepared to offer to our clients?

[loocyloo]

i'm lucky, my LA does provide childminder courses at weekends and sometimes other courses as well. although typically the courses i want to do are always hours away during the week! i do take time off to go if i really want to.

what frustrates me though, is that i book the course, arrange to take the day off, help organise childcare for those that need it, arrange childcare for my own children ... and the day or 2 before, course is cancelled due to lack of interest! ( and these are not childminder specific ones, offered to the whole of early years! )

[rickysmiths]

I have to say I agree with Bunyip.

Over 10 years ago NCMA recommended that all their members build 3 or 4 paid training days into their contracts. I did and have never had a problem taking them if needed. In fact a pre school I go to was amazed that I did it and started doing it themselves! I think it is one of the ways that shows you approach your work in a professional manner.

My parents are told about it when they come to me, they understand that it is a paid day and as most of the have to undertake continuous professional training in their work and are paid while they do it they understand and are supportive. I do reserve 4 days a year and explain that I don't always need to take them.

My parents are always made aware of any training I attend during the evening or at weekends and I do a reasonable amount. During the year April 2011 to April 2012 I attended a study day on a Sat once a month, I renewed my First Aid so two more Sats plus a number of evening courses and meetings so they know that if I feel that a day time course would be beneficial to my work they are happy. I will always try to find alternative cover if they need it.

As a Self Employed Childminder, I started when my own children were 2yrs and 11mths old, that I would have to do some work in the evenings and at weekends despite the fact of having a young family so I could do training, go to exhibitions and conferences etc. I don't see how else it can be done and am often surprised when I see people on here refusing to do anything at the weekend or when they have finished work. I have friends who do this as well and of course it is their choice but I think they do miss out on quite a bit.

[jackie 7]

when the nursery staff attended my saturday first aid course they got day off during week. when I was in Brent most of the childminder courses were on a saturday and free.

[Jods]

I never got paid money for training at preschool - and most of these were in the day or evenings x

I had to drive 20 miles for my first aid and CM induction why because it was convenient to me, not bothered by that fact tho x

[wendywu]

My LA is quite good at putting on courses for CM weekends and evenings.

It is always the same minders who turn up so it many ways it is quite a nice social evening.

I would never tell my parents that i could not care for their child as i had a training day. I would rather do it in my own time

[LauraS]

Also, if we really mean what we always say about being flexible, we are probably more capable of shifting our hours than session-based group settings are.

I am definitely flexible (earliest regular start/finish is 6am/8.30pm, and I don't charge any extra, always one isn't there ) but that doesn't mean my families (or more to the point - their employers) are. I would argue that a nursery who employs numerous staff has a greater capacity to be flexible than little old me.

As a new childminder, there are nine (!) courses offered by my LA this year in their training book which I would absolutely love to attend and which would benefit me greatly. They are all in the daytime, all of them. All are 9am to 3pm or thereabouts. Therefore I won't be attending any of them.

Frustratingly, the LA advertise that they will deliver some courses to nurseries on their premises after hours subject to demand.

I would happily pay for the courses if it meant they would be able to run them at sensible times.

[bunyip]

Having just been involved in a training event, I can understand how disheartening it can be for organisers.

A CM friend of mine put on the event, in the evening at no cost to attendees. The trainer travelled across 2 counties to be there, and did not demand a fee.

We had to cast the net of invitations across 2 cities, 2 counties, every CM and DW we knew just to get the minimum 20 attendees necessary to run the event. Even then, although most people said "thank you", there were still some who grumbled about the venue, parking, and that they'd had to get an evening babysitter! And I was embarrassed for the trainer, since so many CMs were holding their own private conversations whilst she was trying to deliver her presentation/Q&A.