Why regulatory reform will benefit childminders

Last year, visiting and inspecting around 55,000 childminders cost Ofsted £21.1m - nearly £400 per year per childminder. Yet there are concerns over inspections.

A recent study by Oxford University and the Daycare Trust found that Ofsted childcare ratings are an unreliable measure of quality. Childminders follow the early years framework and those receiving funding are expected to be a member of a childminding network. These networks were set up to provide peer support and training but vary considerably from area to area and can be difficult to sustain in disadvantaged areas. Often, the different forms of support and inspection are not well co-ordinated.

Instead of the status quo, I advocate Ofsted regulating local agencies that support a number of childminders. This role could be taken up by nurseries, children's centres or existing childminding networks.

In the Netherlands, agencies train and monitor more than 50,000 childminders and nannies. These agencies then act as intermediaries between parents and childcarers, handling payments and helping to negotiate hourly rates.

All childminders are registered with an agency, which checks the childminder has met the requisite national standards, supervises the quality of childcare provided by conducting home visits and meets the childminder at least twice a year. Agencies also help childminders with their business plans. They produce a care plan. All forms of childcare are highly regarded by parents in the Netherlands, with childminders receiving the highest quality ratings and being very popular with parents.

Agencies are regulated through annual, unannounced inspections. The regulator also inspects childminders on a random basis (between 5 and 30 per cent of the total annually) to verify that the standards have been met. The result of the agency model is that the Netherlands now has twice as many childminders per capita as Britain, while providing better supervision and more training and support.

The agency takes a percentage of the cost the parent pays for childcare (approx ten percent in the Netherlands). Thus agencies have an incentive to ensure there are available quality childminders in areas that may be under resourced. Better supervision would mean staff to child ratios could be more flexible.

Introduction of an agency model also provides an opportunity for childminding networks, nursery and local authority provision to convert to agency status. Agencies would reduce the bureaucratic burden on childminders. They would market childminder services locally, collect payment from parents and train childminders in best practice.

This structure would have the added benefit of allowing a clearer structure to organise Government funding through tax credits, the two-, threeand four-year-old entitlement, and employer vouchers, which could be an additional benefit for childminders.

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