Childminder groups question agency model

A local childminding association is building its membership nationally while the Government continues to push for childminders to use agencies.

Childminding UK, which supports independent childminders and not agencies, is the national incarnation of Northamptonshire Childminding Association (NCA).

The association has 170 members – around 23 per cent of the county’s childminders – and its resources have been increasingly selling across the country.

Executive director Elaine Pitteway, who was a member of the DfE Childminder Agencies Task and Finish Group in 2013, advised against the agency-based restructure because the cost of ensuring quality ‘doesn’t add up’.

Opposition from elsewhere has been based on perceived loss of independence and how quality will be monitored when home settings would not be inspected.

Under the Childcare Act 2006, a revision allows childminders to register with agencies rather than Ofsted. Agencies are now responsible for vetting and monitoring the childminders, but with no Government funding.

There has so far been a reportedly very low take-up among the country’s 47,000 registered childminders.

Ms Pitteway said, ‘I was opposed to the proposals purely because I know how expensive it is to carry out all the duties required of agencies to ensure good quality, let alone check the suitability of prospective childminders and find suitable childminders for parents.

‘I’m not sure the true cost of that would be affordable for most childminders.

‘So while I could see the value of an agency based on a childminding network model, the business model of an agency setting up, managing a website, recruiting childminders, assessing and monitoring quality, providing support and training and brokerage for parents with no other financial support still doesn’t add up.’

Childminding UK is offering a membership package including best practice advice and insurance. The organisation’s board of trustees are all working childminders.

The NCA, a registered charity, was formed in 1991 and in 1999 began managing the childminding network for the Northamptonshire local authority.

Ms Pitteway said, ‘In 2011 tough decisions had to be made by the local authority and we suffered a significant cut in funding. We realised we would need to diversify if we wanted to survive.

‘We began offering our services direct to childminders on a commercial basis rather than just under the umbrella of the local authority.’

In 2014, the NCA set up the childmindinguk website ‘to see if our resources would be of use to childminders further afield’.

‘It was us dipping a toe in the water,’ Ms Pitteway added. ‘The resources have been selling all over the country, indicating a demand for what we were offering, so we have launched the childmindinguk membership package nationally.’

In Northamptonshire there are 750 childminders, of which 170 are NCA Premium members, who pay £60 a year.

‘Our downloadable resources, such as Duty of Care and Policies and Procedures, have all been written to support childminders to meet the legal requirements,’ Ms Pitteway said.

The package also includes telephone support. Ms Pitteway said, ‘Childminders are often confused when they are contacted by private companies about resources and training, so we want to give clear and accurate information about what the EYFS requires them to do and what is classed as best practice and professional development.’

She added, ‘We have eight staff with a wealth of knowledge and experience: early years professionals, qualified trainers, assessors and years of childcare experience. Our board of trustees are all working childminders.’

Another childminder association opposed to agencies is Independent Childminders (ICM-SE), which claims the system has ‘failed in the Netherlands’.

Director Bea Heath said, ‘ICM-SE members continue to be unconvinced that agencies are the way forward.

‘It is our understanding that there has been very little take-up of childminder agency places by the existing 47,000 registered childminders, while the number of independent childminders rated Good and Outstanding has increased to 85 per cent.

‘Agencies, we have been led to believe, will not receive any government funding, yet unlike Ofsted will be required to provide continuing professional development and other support. This may lead to potential conflict between the need to make a profit and ensuring quality of care.

‘Ofsted will only visit a small sample of childminders registered with an agency as part of the agency’s Ofsted inspection, but not to assess the delivery of care of the individual childminder.’