Net benefits: childminding benefits

Net benefits By Alison Moore

‘Childminders have always been seen as the poor relations of professional childcare but I think that's changing,' says Carolyn Terry, the childminding network co-ordinator for Essex. ‘They’re becoming more proud of themselves and what they do.'

The job of a childminding network co-ordinator is pivotal to that growing sense of pride - and it also provides career advancement for childminders, as well as others in the early years sector, who want it.

Since the National Childminding Association was founded in 1976, registered childminders working in the same area have often formed county or borough wide groups to share resources, advice and training.

But the new NCMA’s approved childminding networks scheme Children Come First has put all this on a more formal footing. Developed in association with the DfEE and Ofsted, the scheme started in September 1998 and was officially launched by Margaret Hodge, minister for employment and equal opportunities in November 1998. Each network is run by a salaried co-ordinator, who recruits childminders to serve the specific childcare needs of a particular area. Childminders wishing to join a network must be registered and have public liability insurance. They are regularly monitored by the network co-ordinator and assessed to ensure they provide quality childcare and education that exceeds the standards of local authority registration.

A network might be funded by an Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership to increase the number of pre-school places in a particular area - for example, a rural area where there aren’t enough nursery schools and day nurseries. Individual childminders within these networks have the opportunity to work towards accreditation as education providers for three and four-year-olds. Social Services, on the other hand, often fund networks of ‘community childminders’ in areas where many families have social problems, or where there is no locally centre-based care for special needs children. In these networks, childminders must undergo a specialised five-week training course. They might look after children with disabilities, children with parents involved in substance abuse or who are disabled themselves, and children excluded from school.

The job of a network co-ordinator involves managing a maximum of about 40 childminders (20 if working part time). Co-ordinators are responsible for recruiting childminders to the network and provide ongoing professional support.

Carolyn Terry is in charge of 43 childminders. She spent six and a half years as a childminder herself and also worked as a tutor on a childminders’ registration course before becoming a co-ordinator last year. She says, ‘When this job came up, I thought, yes, I’d really like that. I’m still working in childminding but on the other side of the fence.’

‘One of the first things I had to do was put together a mini roadshow to get childminders interested in the network. I put together a flyer to send out to them explaining what networks are and the benefits to them. Then I did a presentation evening, it was daunting - there was no one else to ask because it was just me!’

‘We are there to support all the childminders as best we can. For example, we have put together an equipment library with, for example, a triple buggy which childminders would find expensive to buy and which takes up a lot of storage space.'

Anne Robertson, who is network co-ordinator for Warwickshire, was also attracted to the job because it gave recognition to childminders whom she thought deserved it. She, too, has worked as a childminder although her career has mainly been in school nursery classes, a Barnardos family centre and in a further education college on a childcare training programme. She aims to provide 50 early education places and is now planning to target areas of Warwickshire with few childminders.

‘Working by yourself and serving the whole county is quite a challenge. The support mechanisms are brilliant but there is just me in my office,’ she says.

‘Recruiting a childminder to a network generally takes four one-hour home visits by the co-ordinator before the initial assessment ,’ says Sue Burt, who was previously a network co-ordinator and now oversees four networks as manager of the West Kent Childminding Network. ‘These visits involve talking to the childminder, looking around their house, seeing what play and activities they provide and observing how they interact with the children. During these visits the co-ordinator explores the childminder’s attitude to equal opportunities, confidentiality and working with parents. At this stage any training needs can be identified and a training plan drawn up.

Having recruited the childminders, co-ordinators carry out monitoring visits. ‘These take between 30 minutes to an hour, every eight weeks. They also have to make occasional unannounced visits. Another requirement is that childminders have regular support meetings. Co-ordinators organise these to take place at least every six weeks, and specialist speakers are often invited,’ explains Sue Burt.

It is certainly no nine to five job and there may be a considerable amount of travelling involved if childminders live far apart. ‘I don’t always get into the office every day - I might be out seeing childminders in another part of the county,’ says Anne Robertson. ‘I try to see them at times which are convenient to them - they may be out anytime from 11.30am, collecting children from school and so on.’

‘There are also evening and weekend meetings,’ says Carolyn Terry. ‘We have to be flexible in the hours we work.’

What do network co-ordinators like and dislike most about their jobs? ‘I really enjoy going out and visiting the childminders and seeing how settled and happy the children are,’ says Carolyn Terry. ‘There’s lots of work behind the scenes such as setting up a database of childminders so when parents ring up I can see who is in their area and who might be suitable. And there are more tedious bits such as typing letters - but I wouldn’t be rid of any of any part of the job.’

Anne Robertson says, ‘When you are working in a job that is new, it is obviously difficult - you are breaking new ground - but there’s isn’t anything that I don’t like.’

Do they miss working directly with children? Carolyn Terry admits that she does. ‘When I visit childminders I still tend to get down on my knees and talk to them,’ she says, whereas Anne Robertson feels that she sees children more often through working with childminders than she did when she worked as a lecturer.

Co-ordinators who have been childminders themselves usually find it an advantage but regardless of their background, they need to be able to get on with a range of professionals. Matching family and childminder is particularly crucial in community networks.

As overall manager of four networks, Sue Burt’s job involves ensuring consistency of standards and taking budgetary responsibility. She will also have to guide the network through Ofsted inspections - not only the planned ones for childminders, but also an early years inspection as the network is accredited for early years provision.

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How to become a network co-ordinator
 
At present opportunities are limited but are increasing. Some county councils run their own networks and should be able to tell you of any vacancies. Others are run by NCMA (0181 464 6164). Co-ordinators usually have extensive childcare experience with NVQ level 3 in Early Years Child Care and Education or an NNEB. The NVQ level 4 is likely to be the key in the uture. Co-ordinators should be able to work under pressure and have good communication and organisational skills. A driving licence is important, as is the willingness to work odd hours.

The NCMA suggests a salary range of between £14,800 and £19,800 for a co-ordinator. A network manager will earn up to £19,800. Opportunities for career progression may open up in county councils' early years teams or in early excellence centres as network co-ordinators work closely with these.

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Developing childminding practice

Two new courses Developing Childminding Practice (DCP) 1 and 2, have been introduced to help childminders reach the standards necessary for network membership. Each of these courses, which are accredited by the Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education (CACHE) involves 60 hours of classroom-based teaching at colleges throughout England, with coursework linked to the day-to-day practice of childminding.

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