Supporting Partnerships – All LAs Need To Know About CMAs Sarah Read, Early Years Manager Action for Children 6 November, 2017
Aims of the session – Offer support to Local Authorities interested in setting up as a CMA or wishing to work with CMAs in their local area – Offer support to those considering setting up as an agency, either now or in the future – Share experiences and best practices of existing childminder agencies – Access to the most up-to-date information on childminder agencies
The current picture • 10 Childminder Agencies registered with Ofsted • Up to 36 childminders registered with each agency • More going through the registration process • 30 hours – childminders vital to this agenda • Partnerships are key
The 10 Childminder Agencies St Bede Childminder Agency The Northumberland Church of England Academy Trio Childcare Connections Ltd Daryel Care Leap Ahead – Achieving for Children City Childcare Childminding Agency Rutland Early Years Agency Limited @Home Childcare Suffolk Childcare Agency Dandelions – Northfleet Nursery School
Local Authorities establishing a CMA
How? – As an ‘in - house model’ – Working with other organisations to set up a CMA in a local area: Schools Maintained Nursery Schools Training providers Childminders Other early years provision/organisations
Considerations for Local Authorities – Trading Arm – Business plan, SWOT analysis – Staffing – Application / registration – Consultation with childminders – Events for childminders – Provision for Ofsted registered childminders
How Local Authorities can work with Childminder Agencies in their area
Working with Agencies in your Local Authority – Quality of provision – Safeguarding – Sufficiency – Funded places
What do you need to have in place? – Mechanisms to provide checks for prospective childminders registering with an agency – Systems to find out which childminders are registering with the agency and in which areas – Regular dialogue to ensure that a two-way sharing of information is maintained – Looking ahead – regular dialogue to establish how an agency in your area could support delivery of the 30 hours
Discussion – What are the benefits and challenges for Local Authorities when working in partnership with Childminder Agencies? – What are the benefits and challenges for Local Authorities when establishing themselves as a Childminder Agency?
How CMAs currently work with Local Authorities Rutland Early Years
@Home Child ldcare Chil ildminder Agency: : Partn tnership working wit ith LAs
Background • Registered as a CMA nearly 2 years ago • Flexible home childcare provision since 2005 • Quality home-based childcare for all families • Training provision • Social enterprise • Cover Notts, Derby, Sheffield & Leicestershire areas
Working in partnership with Nottinghamshire • Increase the number of childminders able to provide funded places • Regular quality improvement and assurance of childminders to help improve outcomes for children and close the gap • Register more childminders to improve sufficiency in target areas • Key partner in early innovator bid for the 30 hours – local focus is flexibility and parental engagement
How do we add value to Local Authorities
What are we doing as a CMA? • Start-up support with the registration process from start to finish – all under one-roof approach • Robust procedure for registering childminders • Sharing of information strengthens safeguarding • Provide regular quality improvement support to help preserve the high standards of childcare within the LAs
What are we doing as a CMA? • Regular quality assurance inspections • Increasing the number of childminders available to provide funded places • Increasing the number of Good and, eventually, Outstanding childminders
What are we doing as a CMA? • Equipping CMs with the knowledge and skills • Regular CPD training • Funded Level 2/3 qualification training • Mentoring: each CM has a dedicated SAM (Support, Advice & Mentoring)
What are we doing as a CMA? • Become a childminder recruitment campaigns in hot spot areas • Beginning to join-up with schools • Marketing and advertising to help fill CMs’ vacancies • Business support e.g. employing assistants
Partnership • At the top table with the LA: – Attend strategic meetings – Share information – Analyse data – Invited to be on interview panels Feel valued: Genuine Partnership
Achievements • Registered 38 childminders • Can now register some childminders in 2 – 3 months start to finish • Effective judgement from our Ofsted inspection • Proving and refining our CMA model for effectiveness, quality and growth • Beginning to be able to afford to employ staff • Beginning to offer career progression opportunities for childminders • Authentic partnership with some LAs
Challenges • Being a pioneer • Lack of funding • Conditions are not in place to incentivise childminders to join agencies • Some LAs are still not signposting us • Lack of understanding amongst existing Ofsted registered childminders • Admin intensive • Cannot be our sole focus as a business
What’s next? • Continue to review and refine our model • Diversify
Q & A
Developing a Statement of Purpose
Setting up a CMA When setting up a Childminder Agency your statement of purpose should contain: – Aims and objectives – Organisational structure – Arrangements for registering providers – Training and monitoring providers – Ensuring provision is of a sufficient standard
Setting up a CMA – Communication – Safeguarding – Enforcement action – Alternative arrangements for when one of it’s registered providers is unable to provide childcare – Additional services or facilities offered
Support Available Action for Children are continuing to support CMAs • Information events • Bespoke visits • Registration support • Telephone and email support • Toolkit
Support Available • Supporting new organisations to become ready to register with Ofsted • Supporting existing CMAs: o Forum o Regular meetings o Marketing toolkit o Ongoing telephone and email support
Toolkit https://foundationyears.org.uk/child-minders/
Further Information Contact Us: E: CMA@actionforchildren.org.uk D: 07734 165642 W: Foundationyears.org.uk/child-minders
Additional Partnership Working Childminder/CMA and school partnerships: – Roadshow type events across the country – Bespoke visits to schools – Bespoke visits to childminder groups – Production of a ‘wrap - around toolkit’ – Advisory board – 2 national ‘partnership working’ events – October/November – London and York
Continued Learning from Hubs – Working with existing Hubs to extend and develop partnership working with childminders – Re-work of the Hubs toolkit
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