Apparently all the local CMs get together and agree to set their prices ... isn't that a bit ... you know ...

If they are fixing prices - as doricpatter says, this is against competition law and can have serious consequences

"all the local CMs get together" - I have to laugh.

As our local CM coordinator, LA Early Years and SureStart coordinator would say, "we wish!"

Our delightful LA Early Years Officer, bless her, tries her very best to get us together. So far - well at least since I have been a registered childminder - we have yet to all attend the same meeting together!

I think what may give you that idea; one organisation in particular, publishes 'typical' or 'average' prices for the area. As a result, childminders like myself read this, and think OK then I will charge a basic rate £3.50 per hour. If all the childminders in that area do the same, it would give the impression that the prices are set.

What I would be suspicious of, is if all the childminders charged the same rates for other situations, for example, bank holiday rates, holiday rates, give the same discounts for siblings, all charge the same price for lunch etc IYSWIM.

But if they don't have update prices on the childcare listings and they don't have websites, how do you know that they're all charging exactly the same rate?
Surely if the only way they can know what everyone else is charging is by getting together, the only way you could know the same information is to be present while it was being discussed?

Sorry, but I think you're making huge assumptions to accuse them of price fixing.

it does sound a bit odd, thank you for explaining

I agree that it is at the moment 'just hearsay'

Ofsted don't get involved in issues surrounding payment, so no point chatting to them

I am sorry that you have had a bad introduction to the CMs in your area, I can see that it makes you feel and I do too, tbh

In my area we charge different rates, as others have stated - CM #1 might charge £4 phr including food but not hols, CM#2 might charge £3.50 phr but expect nappies wipes and food to be supplied, CM#3 might charge £5 phr but keep numbers deliberately low so that the ratio is 1 to 2 ; swings and roundabouts

here, have some

Majority of my parents have their childcare paid for them, or most of it anyway as I'm in a disadvantaged area, my own daughter has to pay me the most as she's a professional and earning enough to pay me, I have charged £3.50per hour for the last 5 years. I consider that to be really cheap considering the experience I have. Childminders generally look at the information on the internet for their area to see how much every one else is charging. In my experience some parents just go for the cheapest while others pick who they feel their children are suited to.

Sorry about the multiple replies on my behalf, not intended, screen keeps going blank!

Minderjinx, I agree with your feeling about the hostility towards childminders, its such a shame, but I still think there is a lot of ignorance regarding the kind of people we are as childminders and the huge amount of services we provide, I see myself as a bridge between parents and the professionals due to the mistrust and lack of confidence some parents have towards health visitors, doctors, schools etc. I am available 24 hours a day should the need arise to my families. How many parents could say that about the nursery staff they use, do they give out their personal details to be contacted when parents want them for support and advise? I work very much on my own as I don't agree with the way the whole system is working now, I'm a Grandmother of 4 children under the age

Minderjinx, I agree with your feeling about the hostility towards childminders, its such a shame, but I still think there is a lot of ignorance regarding the kind of people we are as childminders and the huge amount of services we provide, I see myself as a bridge between parents and the professionals due to the mistrust and lack of confidence some parents have towards health visitors, doctors, schools etc. I am available 24 hours a day should the need arise to my families. How many parents could say that about the nursery staff they use, do they give out their personal details to be contacted when parents want them for support and advise? I work very much on my own as I don't agree with the way the whole system is working now, I'm a Grandmother of 4 children under the age

Minderjinx, I agree with your feeling about the hostility towards childminders, its such a shame, but I still think there is a lot of ignorance regarding the kind of people we are as childminders and the huge amount of services we provide, I see myself as a bridge between parents and the professionals due to the mistrust and lack of confidence some parents have towards health visitors, doctors, schools etc. I am available 24 hours a day should the need arise to my families. How many parents could say that about the nursery staff they use, do they give out their personal details to be contacted when parents want them for support and advise? I work very much on my own as I don't agree with the way the whole system is working now, I'm a Grandmother of 4 children under the age of 5 and have been involved in childcare for 35 years.

Had it not occurred to you Doric that the person, presumably a childminder, who said that everyone else was about to put their rates up but that she wasn't could have been telling porkies or stretching the truth to make herself look good? This is at best hearsay. The fact that this one is saying she is not setting the same rates shows that not all minders are in fact doing the same.

That said, I don't think five pounds an hour is unreasonable for looking after a child. When you take tax, national insurance and expenses off that figure it's actually a very modest income (and I know in some areas the "going rate" is even lower.

What does strike me though is that you seem to have a very angry and hostile attitude towards your local childminders. That doesn't bode well for a happy and co-operative relationship. Surely you would want to leave your children with somebody you respect and value?

doric - how did you come to hear this and what was said, I can't grasp it, could you reword for me? this bit -''we had a get together recently and I know they're all going to up their rate now but I've decided ..." - who said it, who is the 'we' (sorry to be so thick)

I just have to reply to this thread and say childminders are self employed and trying to run a business so therefore i think they can charge what they want an if parents dont want to pay it dont pay it and dont go there then find someone else cheaper or a nursery.
Sick to death of listen to childminders being slated,
In our area "manchester" childminders charge between £3 - £4 ph/£25 - 30 per day.

I think that is reasonable as its roughly the same price as nurserys.

Summerfruit - could I ask where you're based? I hadn't heard of anyone charging £75pd.

[heaves bosom and contemplates putting prices up a tad]

HSMM - Following the parents who insisted on paying me more, I have decided to increased my fees so everybody is going pay me the same.

Looney - I read that bit about charging different amounts for the same service. The children who have been with me for the past 5 years are paying different rates to children I have taken on more recently. This is because they are still on an hourly rate and the new people are all on a daily rate.

I don't think I have discriminated as such (apart from by start date), so hopefully it's OK.

I think the extra payments you and Summerfruit are getting would probably be classed as bonus payments, or something?

That's what I thought, just wanted to check after seeing this bit:

'discriminate between customers, for example charging different prices or imposing different terms where there is no difference in the circumstances of supply'

But it's not us discriminating, it's the parents insisting which is different :)

Yes nobody has a say about how much you charge.

So we're ok to do that then I presume? :)

Looney - 1 family is paying me 65 pounds a day instead of 60 pounds because they insisted on doing so.

Agree with Shoshe.

Question about that Act though.......I have 1 family who pay me £5ph instead of the £4.30ph the others are charged. This is purely because that family INSISTED I was worth more and they absolutely wanted to pay me £5ph. I explained that they'd be paying 70p more per hour than EVERYONE ELSE but they still insisted. Please tell me that's not illegal! It's not like I chose to charge more. Also, I know some people put their prices up but agree to keep existing customers on the old rate. I don't do this but are those people breaking the law does anyone know?