Alison Goddard gained her NNEB in 1994. After six years as a sole-charge nanny, she moved to the Hutchison family to look after girls aged three and four and twins who were born three weeks after she started the job.
Alison says, 'I love to be busy and I certainly was. In the beginning Tracy, my employer, was on maternity leave, so we worked together. We got on really well. She has her own business, so even when she went back to work she could sometimes be at home, in which case we would share the care - which is very easy when there are four children!
'But once the older girls were at school and the twins were ready for part-time playschool, there was no longer a full-time job for me. I had never had problems finding work, but suddenly all the available jobs seemed to be part-time or on the wrong side of the city. My job with Tracy was in a village just to the north of Cambridge, about 40 minutes' drive from home. To get through the morning traffic into or across the city would have added another half hour to my travelling time.'
Tracy adds, 'Once the twins were old enough for playschool I could not justify employing a full-time nanny any more, but I knew that I wanted my children to continue to be based in their own home and to enjoy the top-quality care provided by Alison. That's when we came up with the idea that she would register to work in our home.'
Alison continues, 'I got in touch with the National Childminding Association and they sent me the information. I had to fill in several forms that asked detailed questions about my background and previous employment, and I had to get a letter from my GP confirming that I had no health problems which might make me unsuitable as a childcarer. It took me about eight months before I was cleared and my certificate and registration number came through, so while I was waiting I actually had to take a temporary nanny job with another family.
'The NCMA was very helpful. They sent me a large folder that covered everything anyone might want to ask about childcare. I had to take a first aid course that took place over two Saturdays and was one of the best ones I've ever done. I also had to do an "Introduction to Childminding" course, which I was able to do from home. I was allocated a tutor, someone I could phone if I had any queries, and I had to send in four assignments which she marked. The fourth one was sent to an external verifier to be assessed.
Most of the topics I had already covered on my NNEB course, and anything else was in the information folder.
'Now I work for Tracy as a "registered home carer" instead of a nanny. For most of the day I look after no more than three children under the age of three years, and at the end of the day I have three children of school age.
'I still really enjoy my job, but it has changed. When I worked for one family I tended to organise a routine where all the children would sleep at the same time, and we went out to activities or to play with friends. Now that I have children from several families I have to organise the day around their sleep patterns and be very aware of their individual needs.
'I have got to know each family very well. I do a lot more home, garden and village-based activities than before. Other than clearing up the toys and paints and so on, I don't do any nursery duties - and there's rarely time to. I'm busy all day, and I love it.
'Apart from noting any mishaps in the Accident Book, I don't do any paperwork. I am paid a guaranteed salary and I still have all the contractual rights of an employee. I am very lucky that Tracy is a businesswoman. She takes care of all the paperwork, recruits the children, arranges who comes on which day, collects their fees, fills in the tax credit forms and sorts out the insurance. She also makes sure that the house, garden and rooms we use conform to the required safety standards.
All the people who regularly use her house (parents, grandparents, cleaner) have had to be criminal records-checked.
'Now Tracy has also registered as a childminder, so she can help me if necessary, especially after school when her own children come home. When I arrive in the morning she has already set out the toys and equipment that I'll need for the day.
'I love my job and I think the home carer scheme works very well, as long as the employer does all or most of the administration side. After all, I am a professional childcarer, not a businesswoman.'
