You can find out more in this Nursery World magazine article which finishes with the statement, 'Childminders will have the option of joining an agency; they will not be compulsory’ and which features comments from a much younger me –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/truss-asks-to-meet-only-those-open-to-agency-idea.
There are currently 6 childminder agencies (1) operating across the country (that’s 6 agencies which have opened in the 8 years since Ms Truss introduced her agency policy) and according to an article in the Telegraph, the now Prime Minister wants to use public money to open more (2).
The reasoning for putting money into agencies are stated as:
1. To increase the number of childminders and...
2. To reduce costs for parents.
I thought it might be helpful to look at these points:
1. Ms Truss states that she wants to increase the number of childminders – it was partly due to Ms Truss’ attacks on childminders when she was early years minister which perpetuated the decline in childminder numbers. Recent figures from Ofsted show childminder numbers are still falling at an alarming rate (3).
2. Ms Truss states that she wants to reduce costs for parents – Ofsted currently charge childminders £35 a year to register with them. This is affordable and the price has not increased for many years. If childminders are forced to pay an agency, they will need to increase parent fees to cover this cost.
Taking away individual Ofsted registration and the grade and professionalism that many childminders have worked so hard to maintain and improve will not resolve any of these issues – it will only serve to make them worse. For example, a recent poll states that more than 3 out of 4 Ofsted registered childminders will leave the profession if they are forced to join an agency.
Childminders who are currently Ofsted registered are asking about the benefits of registering with an agency, so I thought I would look at some agency documentation and make a list:
Benefits:
**Saves the Govt money because they can further cut Ofsted’s budget.
**Makes money for the agency.
Depending on the agency, childminders might also receive:
**Paperwork – various, some unnecessary for Ofsted - quality unknown.
**Access to some training – quality unknown.
**Email / phone advice line - accessibility unknown.
Drawbacks:
**Agency joining fee – one of the agencies I researched currently charges £300+.
**Re-registration faff including a new DBS and health check – fees to be paid by the childminder.
**Monthly fee payable to the agency – either a flat fee or a percentage of income depending on the agency.
**No individual Ofsted grade – members of the agency will be reliant on Ofsted inspecting the agency and finding them to be ‘effective’ (4).
**No individual Ofsted grade to help childminders 'sell' their service to parents.
**Parent confusion - what does 'belonging to an agency' mean? Is the nursery better because it has an Ofsted grade?
**Less / little / no independence to run your business your own way - depending on the agency.
**No knowing when the agency might put up their fees or withdraw their support if you fail to work their way.
**More regular inspections with or without a grade - depending on the agency.
**Total lack of control over the agency's Ofsted inspection grade.
Perhaps, instead of pushing an old and broken policy, Ms Truss needs to ask existing childminders why they are leaving the profession. She might then hear about how successive Government policies, punitive Ofsted inspections (not all but certainly enough to cause issues), continued ‘free’ hours underfunding, problems with tax free childcare, constant moving of the regulatory goalposts, less Local Authority funding to provide childminder support and more have impacted on and contributed towards declining childminder numbers over the past years.
If Ms Truss actually speaks to us and consults in a meaningful way, she might come to understand that childminders are early years professionals and that many established childminders want to be registered with Ofsted so they are viewed as equals to nurseries and pre-schools.
Thank you for getting this far - I hope it clarifies at least some of the many questions currently being asked by anxious childminders on groups and forums. What I'd like is for Ms Truss to keep her original promise and the choice to remain...
Chat soon, Sarah.
References
(1) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childminder-agencies-list-of-agencies/list-of-childminder-agencies.
(2) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/01/new-childminder-agencies-slash-childcare-costs-liz-truss-plans/.
(3) https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/ofsted-figures-show-ongoing-fall-in-childcare-provider-numbers.
(4) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childminder-agencies-registration-and-suitability