In the future will ALL childminders have to have done DHC or NVQ3?

**Ripeberry** · 05-03-2009, 02:34 PM

Someone told me that by 2011 all childminders must have a minimum of NVQ3 to carry on being a childminder. Is this true? How on earth are you supposed to fit in everything and care for your own familly at the same time

?

**venus89** · 05-03-2009, 02:50 PM

My impression was that you had to have started NVQ3 or equivalent butsomething somebody told me the other day contradicted that - hopefully somebody knows!

**katickles** · 05-03-2009, 02:53 PM

There was a thread on here a while ago about this & TBH i can't remember the answer. Maybe take a look in the search & you may get the answer.

**melanieabigail2004** · 05-03-2009, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by Ripeberry

Someone told me that by 2011 all childminders must have a minimum of NVQ3 to carry on being a childminder. Is this true? How on earth are you supposed to fit in everything and care for your own familly at the same time

?

No you have to hold a level 2 equivalent (DHC all 5 units is this) by 2010. No mention of a level 3 being the minimum.

Mel

**Pauline** · 05-03-2009, 03:18 PM

As far as I've been told it will apply to NEW minders registering at that time. (a bit like us 'older' minders didn't have to do the ICP when it came out but new ones did)

They just won't have the resources to train every childminder to level 2 or 3 by that date!

But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't start training as I think it is excellent and shows professionalism on your part.

**Ripeberry** · 06-03-2009, 04:09 PM

I've had my developmental worker in this morning and i was asking her about the NVQ3 and i was concerned mainly about there being lots of essays to write (not done one for years) and what happens if for some reason i can't finish it, do i have to pay all the money back even though it is free from the council

I did a home-based bookeeping course a few years ago and could not complete it as the tutor was totally useless and they could not find a better one and then my mum became ill and i had to look after her so was too stressed! They then said i had to carry on paying and in the end paid out £1000 for something i did not want

So is it the best thing to do go straight for the NVQ3? Is there MUCH work to do? Is it like an exam? The last exams i did were O-levels and A levels back in the 1980's.

**sarah707** · 06-03-2009, 04:43 PM

I suggest we all wait and see.

There is not a requirement in the Eyfs for any further training...

Whether it changes, as far as Ofsted last told me, is at the consultation stage just now.

There is a requirement in the childcare register for level 2 -

Childminders and home childcarers must have successfully completed a:
 qualification at a minimum of level 2 in an area of work relevant to childcare, or
 training in the core skills as set out in the document ‘common core of skills and knowledge for the children’s workforce’.

This is for the voluntary part of the register only... and does not seem to be being inspected at the moment...

**Pauline** · 06-03-2009, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by sarah707

There is a requirement in the childcare register for level 2 -

Childminders and home childcarers must have successfully completed a:
 qualification at a minimum of level 2 in an area of work relevant to childcare, or
 training in the core skills as set out in the document ‘common core of skills and knowledge for the children’s workforce’.

This is for the voluntary part of the register only... and does not seem to be being inspected at the moment...

That's right and it is because it is not inspected that they have made the criteria for core skills (so that they can be sure people who are not being inspected are suitable to work with children).

The latest question being bandied around is whether we should therefore come off the voluntary register and then you wouldn't need to meet the core skills as listed, because on the compulsory register you are inspected under EYFS which does not make level 2 compulsory.

**happytotschildminding** · 06-03-2009, 07:57 PM

Hi - I'm doing (trying to anyway) the NVQ level 3 at the moment - but although I'm finding the childcare part of it manageable and enjoyed doing it (have completed all the knowledge questions) and have completed 50% through it, what has completely thrown me are the communication skills and maths skills - I've never been so frustrated in my life I am now about to pack it in because I don't feel I can talk to an audience for four minutes

that gives me the horrors just thinking about it. I'm really struggling with the maths - not just basic maths like I was given the impression it was either. Am now waiting to hear from my assessor whether I can do it without the nasty extras or I'll be giving up. And when powers that be say we have to have our NVQ's I will be looking for something different to do.
Carol

**tammerisk** · 06-03-2009, 08:55 PM

i doing nvq 3 ccld and i not heard about maths skills

i found it hard to start with but getting my head round it now and i suprised when i transferred it to the eel sheet how much was covered in just three direct observation by my asseser.

so i well on the way to completing it and should be findied well in the 12 months deline which ends in oct

hopefully finish before summer holidays and then off to uni to do foundation degree i think

**Ripeberry** · 06-03-2009, 09:24 PM

Why would math skills come in for an NVQ3? And public speaking would bring me out in a cold sweat as well and the maths part is bad for me as i've always HATED maths and have always avoided shop work just because of it

.

**PaulaR** · 07-03-2009, 10:12 AM

I'm over half way through my NVQ and haven't done any maths. I did my four minute speach this week. It had to be about the human rights act...we are all doing a speach on one act. It went very quickly and its not worth packing the course in for the sack of four minutes. Everyone in our group was nervous, so we all sympathised with each other. I put my head down and read of my paper and it was over.
The course is not so bad so I would advise anyone to go for it while the funding is there. Mine should take less than a year to complete and its only one eve a week

**nell57** · 07-03-2009, 10:31 AM

I completed nvq ccld lvl3 last year. I didn't have to do any maths skills or a 4 min speech

I can understand why you might be worried about it happytots, but I completed mine and if I can do it, trust me, anyone can

**Rubybubbles** · 07-03-2009, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by nell57

I completed nvq ccld lvl3 last year. I didn't have to do any maths skills or a 4 min speech

I can understand why you might be worried about it happytots, but I completed mine and if I can do it, trust me, anyone can

I completed mine last year too and the same no maths or speech!

I did all my work at home, and some training days, no college involved.

I will be honest, I found it tough! I did engineering at Uni so childcare was completely not my line of work

BUT now it is done I am so glad I did it, I find it really does give me an advantage! I like training courses though

**Little Antics** · 14-03-2009, 02:42 PM

Hi

Most colleges and centres do a basic maths and english test before the candidate starts. This is not to stop them from undertaking an NV, but to assess where they may need support for example in their written english in order to be able to undertake reflective accounts or some assignment work. As for public speaking - I would check if the awarding body requires it or is it a stipulation of the college - as nowhere have I seen that this is required. Where in the NVQ standards does it say that you need to demonstrate this?

The centres are there to assess your ability to work with children, to ensure that you fully understand the code of practice, EYFS and welfare requirements and how these apply to you and your setting etc., Have you asked what the reasoning is behind this 4 minute speech? This must be just a centre thing and not the awarding bodies as I have worked both with CACHE and Edexel - check it out where it states in the standards you need to do this.

Most KS is covered by observation, professional discussion, questioning or reflective accounts now days - good luck

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 14-03-2009, 03:21 PM

This has been bantered about for the last ...... years but what if the government changes etc...

Lots of comments and questions but nothing in stone as far as I know

**Allie** · 14-03-2009, 04:16 PM

I did NVQ a few years ago and there wasn't a maths or speech element, my friend did NVQ 3 last year by distant learning and she didn't mention anything like this either

Allie

**wellybelly** · 14-03-2009, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by Ripeberry

Someone told me that by 2011 all childminders must have a minimum of NVQ3 to carry on being a childminder. Is this true? How on earth are you supposed to fit in everything and care for your own familly at the same time

?

I have just come back from an EYPs conference at Derby university and a speaker from the CWDC said "all practitioners working with children will require a level 3 qualification by some point in the future. There are currently 300 different types of level 3 qualifications which will be dramatically reduced so that the practitioners will all be taught the same thing. Also some previous level 3's will require a top up by Sept 2012 to meet the needs of the EYFS."

Sorry to anyone this affects

**Allie** · 14-03-2009, 04:38 PM

I would suggest no one panics as the time scale for everone having a level 3 keeps moving, if bought in suddenly the childcare force would collapse.

As it takes time to undertake a level 3 everyone must be given enough warning before it becomes law

Allie

**Deb** · 09-04-2009, 06:14 PM

I am doing the level 3 and so far havent had to use much in the way of maths of speaking. It isnt like a taught course where you learn something and then produce an essay - quite different and it has took me a while to get my head round it but now I am ploughing through it nicely.