Have you heard about NCMA local?

[LesbianMummy1]

Just wondering who has heard about it/joined it etc

It is for all childminders/nannies

ncmalocal.com/

Not heard about it. Does not look as comprehensive as the information we have here on Mumsnet. Looks to me to be a thing for promoting things the NCMA wants to talk about, rather than an open forum about any childcare related topic. The site is new (launched early January) so maybe it just has not got many posts yet. Reading the forum does not require a login, so for now think I will keep posting on Mumsnet.

Hi
In our city we have an unfortunate situation where the facilitator is a very unpopular lady. She does have a strange way about her when you meet her but that hardly justifies all the mean and bullying chatter being bandied about. It is really sad that people are boycotting the site because her name is associated with it. I have seen her several times recently and she is taking her role really professionally and stepping up to the mark. So come on if you think I might be talking about your city, give the forum a chance.

Hi nannynick there are different sections of the site the conversation section is one bit the local for each district will have information about that city only and the ncma members section is about ncma membership.

Each city/area will have a facilitator and they will be organising meetings and groups around the topics that childminders/nannies want to talk about. Each city will have a launch meeting so people can find out more and then hopefully set up the peer support around those who want to be involved.

I have found most people are unaware of what the site/project is about and was curious what other people take from their sections.

Maggi that is a real shame all I can say is maybe if you can support her and then other people can see the impact and maybe continue to support her. if you want to pm me what area you are in I can see if there is anyway she can get more support.

It is hard as not everybody will like everybody but I hate back biting and swiping.

So what you see without a login isn't the whole thing. I've now got a login and I can see more, though no local section in my area (Surrey/Berkshire/North Hampshire border). City would be useless, no city here - it's towns and villages.

I can see a nanny board - not many posts on there yet. Can't see how it would be different to posting on mumsnet?

This is still in the pilot stage at the moment and is going to be gradually rolled out Nationally, so keep an eye out for more areas starting up. There is a Hampshire Local page, but as that is an even bigger area geographically than mine in West Sussex I hope they've got more than one facilitator! I hope other mn's do look at the site & find out more about it in their areas, I'm sure that it will eventually build up into something worthwhile.

Hi Nannynick my geography is hopeless but from what I know the pilot areas that are near you are Hampshire, Kingston upon Thames, and not sure which others but can check.

Think at moment lot's of people don't know about site so is very slow most people I have spoken to have not heard of it.

Think the face to face meetings may be more useful for people who use internet forums already

Looks like the Hampshire facilitator may be based in Fleet, North Hampshire so that's far easier an area to get to than say Kingston or Richmond.

LesbianMummy1 as you seem to know quite a lot about this NCMA site... could you say what the purpose of the site is, why should people join it?

OK from what I know:

It is originally being rolled out in 33 pilot local areas

Blackpool, Bromley, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, Croydon, Cumbria, East Sussex, Halton, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Isles of Scilly, Kingston on Thames, Kingston Upon Hull, Lancashire, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, Medway towns, Merton, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Richmond on Thames, Somerset, Southampton, Stockport, Sunderland, Sutton, Thurrock, Warrington, West Sussex.

In each of those areas there will a volunteer facilitator who is to organise meetings and then co-ordinate their local section of the site.

The idea of meetings is that Childminders & Nannies come together to discuss their profession and the issues they want to discuss e.g. the new eyfs, or childrens centres. They are also designed to help people feel less isolated, and to be able to buddy up for support and to help each other. The progress will also be updated on the local section of the website.

A facilitator will also update with local issues, legal changes, and other relevant information.