Memorandum submitted by National Childminding
Association
SUMMARY
1.1 Childminders in England are registered and inspected
by Ofsted. This regulation is welcome because it enables childminding
settings to be compared both with each other and with centre based
care by parents, it is also valued as a mechanism for illustrating
the high quality home based settings available to families in
every community. However, many childminders would welcome further
guidance for both inspectors and providers, to clarify what documentation
is expected of them at inspection. Furthermore, many childminders
believe that bespoke training for inspectors (to help them to
better understand home-based childcare settings and how the EYFS
is applied) could help to eliminate inconsistencies between inspectors
regarding acceptable formats and levels of monitoring and recording.
INTRODUCTION
2.1 The National Childminding Association welcomes
the opportunity to contribute to this inquiry.
2.2 The National Childminding Association (NCMA)
is the only national charity and membership organisation that
represents home-based childcare in England and Wales, delivered
by registered childminders and nannies, with approximately 40,000
members. We promote quality home-based childcare so that children,
families and communities can benefit from the best in childcare
and education. NCMA's vision is for every child to reach their
full potential.
2.3 To achieve our vision NCMA works in partnership
with:
— Children
and families, so they are aware of, and have access to, high-quality,
home-based childcare, play, learning and family support.
— Registered
childminders and nannies to ensure they have the information,
support and training they need to provide high-quality childcare.
— Government,
local authorities, regulators and other organisations in England
and Wales who influence the delivery of children's services to
ensure they take account of home-based childcare and the views
of the profession.
FURTHER INFORMATION
3.1 Ofsted started registering and inspecting childminding
settings in 2001 and since then NCMA has worked closely with the
regulatory body to ensure this process is both supportive of childminder's
continued improvement and is reflective of the uniqueness of the
home-based setting.
3.2 Being registered, regulated and inspected by
Ofsted equally alongside other childcare providers is welcomed
by registered childminders for a variety of reasons. These include
providing an opportunity to illustrate to parents their childcare
setting is regulated and inspected. This quality check also
gives parents peace of mind about the standard of the setting
and many use Ofsted gradings and reports as a guide and influence
when choosing a childcare setting.
3.3 Ofsted inspections also provide a mechanism to
support childminders with their continuous improvement (particularly
if no other quality improvement support is available in that childminder's
area). They believe being inspected has helped in repositioning
childminding as a profession, rather than being seen as just "babysitting".
Ofsted inspections give providers the opportunity to identify
areas for improvement in their practice and demonstrate their
commitment to continuous professional development.
3.4 As well as supporting individuals to improve,
the information gathered by Ofsted and included in its local authority
profiles enables authorities to target their resources where improvement
is most needed. NCMA works with every local authority in England
and sees these profiles used on a regular basis to inform decisions
on what types of training to offer practitioners, whether to invest
in a childminding network or to target effort on supporting satisfactory
practitioners to improve.
3.5 NCMA would urge Ofsted to ensure that all of
its inspectors have knowledge of home-based childcare practitioners
and appreciate the unique nature of the setting. NCMA members
repeatedly report concerns around the inconsistencies between
inspections and inspectors. NCMA members have reported that the
approach and outcomes of inspections vary according to the inspector's
professional background, such as a school inspector compared to
an early years worker.
3.6 In addition, NCMA members report that they still
lack clarity around what is expected of them in terms of the EYFS
and this confusion is fuelled by the different attitudes of inspectors.
Further guidance to inspectors on what is acceptable practice
for assessment and observation evidence as part of the EYFS is
needed. Sharing this with childminders as well as inspectors would
do much to alleviate existing confusion. For example, it would
give childminders the confidence to capture information on sticky
notes and via photographs and know this would be acceptable to
all inspectors.
3.7 Indeed, the inconsistencies are not restricted
to being between inspectors but also between inspections, for
example with two very similar settings receiving different comments,
actions and gradings within a short time period from the same
inspector. NCMA members have reported that they would welcome
more advice on the evidence they need to produce to achieve specific
gradings and greater direction around required actions with to
improve, so they are clear what needs to be done to achieve a
higher grading at their next inspection.
3.8 Childminders also report anecdotal 'off-the-cuff'
comments from inspectors which, whilst in the minority, are demoralising,
including inspectors commenting that they do not award the grading
Outstanding to any childminders. Childminders are delivering
the EYFS on a level playing field alongside other providers and
are inspected in the same way - NCMA believes that therefore they
should be able to achieve any of the inspection gradings. Evidence
shows that more registered childminders have been graded Good
or Outstanding since the EYFS, clearly highlighting that many
inspectors do judge childminding settings fairly. However, ensuring
all inspectors undergo training to fully understand a childminding
setting alongside other early years settings would eliminate the
prejudicial view held by some that home-based settings cannot
ever be Outstanding.
3.9 NCMA would be greatly concerned by any move to
increase the length of time between Ofsted inspections or to focus
on more frequent inspection for just those who do not achieve
good or outstanding grades. All childminders are currently inspected
every three years and many feel this is already a very long period
of time. Situations and quality within settings can vary over
this time period and NCMA would urge the Government to maintain
the current inspection structure with every childminder being
inspected every three years, regardless of the outcome of their
previous inspection.
While recent work has supported childminders
in reflecting on their practice, particularly in completing the
Self Evaluation Form, regular Ofsted inspections provide an important
opportunity for childminders to discuss and receive feedback on
their practice which may otherwise be unavailable by any other
formal quality improvement support. As previously outlined, childminders'
access to quality improvement opportunities is variable and dependent
on, for example, the amount of funding that a local authority
makes available for childminders' training and development, the
scheduling of training opportunities at convenient times for childminders,
and childminders' access to quality improvement networks. The
provision of such networks across local authorities is currently
inconsistent: according to NCMA's 2010 membership survey, 52%
of NCMA members are not part of a formal quality improvement scheme,
with more than 1 in 10 saying that such a scheme is not available
in their area. In addition, more than a quarter of those who
had not attended any childcare training in the previous 12 months
said that this was because training was not available locally
or was not available outside their childminding hours.
3.10 NCMA strongly believes that the Self Evaluation
Form (SEF) has made the inspection process more efficient for
both Ofsted and the practitioner, and a move to less frequent
inspection of provision, being delivered particularly by a sole
practitioner, and focussed, for example, on just the welfare requirements
of the EYFS would be a backwards step.
3.11 NCMA believes that extending the period of time
between inspections could only be explored if there was a statutory
requirement on local authorities to provide a childminding network
that all childminders had the opportunity to belong to, so that
this provided another mechanism to support and monitor improving
practice. Childminders who join a quality improvement childminding
network, such as an NCMA Children Come First network, commit to
continuing professional development and are required to achieve
at least a level 3 qualification. All this is supported by a dedicated
Network Coordinator, who also provides childminders with guidance
on best practice and support in achieving the highest standards
in their setting. The benefits for childminders include increased
recognition of their quality, the ability, if accredited, to offer
the free entitlement to early years education and increased peer
support and training opportunities.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
ACTION
4.1 NCMA makes the following recommendations
to the Select Committee for consideration:
— All
Ofsted inspectors have an understanding of, or background in,
early years.
— All
Ofsted inspectors are trained to understand the unique nature
of childminding setting.
— All
childminders continue to be inspected on a three year cycle.
— Clear
guidance should be produced for both providers and inspectors
outlining the universally acceptable formats and levels of detail
for capturing assessments and observations.
— Ofsted
inspection focuses on all aspects of the EYFS, not just the welfare
requirements.
October 2010
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