What training should I expect CM to have had?

[Truckdriver]

Hi

I am meeting with two CMs this week for my LO who will be 1 year when she starts in childcare.

I have put together a list of questions to ask but the one area I am not sure about is the training/qualifications CMs can or should gain.

I was thinking first aid as a must but is there anything else.

What have the CMs on MN done?

Also is it a plus that there are involved in the local CM network? What benefits would this bring to my DD?

Thanks a lot.

hi

first aid is compulsory as is child protection

qualified to level 3 would be good (will be compulsory in future IIRC)

I have a level 3 qual in home based childcare, a level 2 qual in food safety, plus have had training in all sorts:

child development/speech and talking/children with autism/observing and assessing in early years settings/risk assessing early years settings/messy play/healthy living, on and on and on

My area does not have a network, it was disbanded in Sept 2008 so I can't say; it hasn't stopped me from achieving an outstanding grading from Ofsted; I am thirsty for knowledge and eager to enhance my skillset - whether a network would have helped, I don't know, I just find out what's out there and go do it

Sorry for ramble and good luck

BALD is correct about the compulsary although I THINK Food Hygiene also is? May depend on what borough you come under. This is the list I have on my website although I'm sure there are a couple more things I've done:

Childminder Pre-Registration
ABC Medical Services 12 hour Paediatric First Aid
NSPCC Child Protection Awareness Programme
Conflict Resolution
Safeguarding (Child Protection) Level 1
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
CAF Briefing (pre-CAF) for Childminders
Risk Assessment Awareness for Childminders
Parents as Partners in Learning
Childminders Guide to Observation and Assessment of Children within the EYFS Framework
Silly About Scrap
Level 2 Award in Food Safety

I'm shortly starting a Diploma (level 3) which I believe we'll all have to have something like this at some point, can't remember when they said it would be compulsary?

As for network, we didn't used to have one and finally we do so I'm in the process of getting on it. I'm not 100% sure what it means at this stage.

Paediatric First Aid is compulsory & must be renewed every 3 years.
Child Protection Training (which in spite of common belief does not have to be a qualification or renewed every 3 years - the requirement is that the practitioner keeps up to date & can demonstrate current knowledge of practice & procedures)
An initial childcare course - for childminders this is usually the Introducing Childminding Practice Unit of the Diploma in Home Childcare (formally called Cert in Childminding Practice) but some may have done other courses eg NNEB, BTec, NVQ etc. A new diploma was launched this year that is replacing all these but the existing qualifications will be valid still
CM's have to register with their local authority as food providers and having a food handling cert is part of this so most will have one of these.
This is the only mandatory training for registration but many cm's these days have far more - most of the ones I know have a level 3 NVQ, Foundation Degree or higher & their are 3 of us in my area with Early Years professional Status which is a degree level accreditation equivalent to QTS for early years.Incidentally at present there is no date set for cm's to have L3 as a minimum qualification. It has been talked about as an ideal & NCMA adopted a resolution a few years ago to lobby Gov to make it compulsory by 2015 but its not been taken on by the Govt

Regarding Networks:
Many networks require the members to have a level 3 childcare qualification or be working towards one as a condition of membership. Ours also require us to have Food Handling, renew our child protection every 3 years, be graded good or outstanding by Ofsted and attend 6 additional days training per year. A network is a quality assurance scheme and the quality of the childminders is monitored by a Network Coordinator. Cm's in a network can become accredited to accept Early years Funded children (15 hours free 'nursery' care for chn from the term after they are 3. Where there is no Network available some cms have been given funding to do the NCMA individual quality assurance scheme called 'Quality First'

Wow, thanks for giving some very comprehensive answers. That has really helped me think about what I am looking for.

I may be back with more questions once I have met them.