INSET days for childminders and nannies

[Tanith]

The idea has been around for quite a while now. Our LA is beginning to see it as an answer to the long-standing complaint that training is often held during the weekday when childminders and nannies are working, so it's inaccessible to us.

So I thought it would be a good discussion to have.

Do any childminders or nannies have paid training or INSET days in their contracts (as advised by our Early Years department)?

If you do this, how many days do you have and are they paid or unpaid? What are parents' reaction to it?

Are parents prepared to pay for it? Would it be a problem for some?

Is it a good idea for childminders and nannies?

Him, that's a really interesting idea. It had never occurred to me to do that as a childminder. I've always been lucky enough to find weekend or week night courses in the main but there have been some interesting courses I've missed out on because they're week day only. I might consider writing this into my contracts in future!

As a nanny I can't see my employers giving me time off during the working week to do training as it would mean them finding cover or using their Al to cover me, not something many like doing even for sickness or holiday, and also can't see them paying for my time at the weekend and or a course, some may offer to pay for the course of it directly benefits them but I would say very few would offer to pay for both.

I can't see parents being very happy about paying for training days. It is all well and good the LA suggesting that but they are not the ones that will lose business if parents become disgruntled. You only need to look at the amount on threads on this forum from parents complaining that they have to pay their childminder for sick/holiday days to see that it would not be popular.

Interesting idea but I can't imagine many parents being happy about it. Some might but most parents go to work so they would need to cover the day from their annual leave or by getting someone else.

Why can't LA's do weekend courses?

They do, Nick, but they're often pretty limited and basic. They're also snapped up very quickly.
The interesting workshops are rarely available unless you can take the day off - and lots of childminders and nannies can't do that.

I, too, think it's a great idea in theory, but I wonder just how popular it would be in practice. I'm not sure I agree with parents and HBCs being expected to make up for the LA's shortfall - we're the poor relatives as it is.

Most of our interesting courses are on weekdays too. I have been to one today, so I haven't been paid, although cover staff were provided for the nurseries and schools. I don't think I would pass the cost on to parents, but it's an interesting idea.

I don't know if you can group nannies and childminders on this issue because I think the employed/self-employed status is relevant.

As a nanny I think parents should provide opportunities/funding for CPD because we are their employees and that's what a good employer does. It's funny though because you will get lots of nannies who don't expect funding/time off for courses and lots of parents who will argue it's too expensive etc (see the first aid thread at the moment). However, if you do a thread asking about Christmas/birthday presents you'll get a load of responses from parents and nannies detailing the bonuses and gifts that they've given/received. I think this culture needs to change, funding for training is far more important than a Christmas gift (lovely though that is). I don't think nannies can be expected to be treated as professionals until this issue is ironed out.

With childminders it's different because they're self-employed and so training will normally be self-funded, I guess you have to allow for this expense when calculating your fees.

I do think the local authority needs to sort themselves out though. In my LA nannies are not even allowed to go on the courses in the first place!

It's not so much paying for the courses themselves I was thinking of, OutragedfromLeeds, but the accessibility to those courses.

As has been pointed out, nurseries can get cover for their staff to attend training - many LAs will even pay for this cover. However, they seem to have a problem putting on courses when HBCs can get to them. One excuse I've been given is that the nursery staff won't attend training in their own time.

Our LA does allow nannies to attend its courses - I thought all LAs were supposed to do this now? Might be worth checking.

I think the issue of accessibility/timing is the same really. Nanny employers should provide time or pay for their nannies time if out of normal working hours. Childminders, as they're self employed, should build this into their contracts.

And the LA should sort themselves out.

Last time I enquired with the LA was last year and was told nannies are not allowed to attend. Maybe I should try again if there has been a recent change?

We do have one training centre that runs courses 10am-2pm, so within school hours and has a crèche for any pre-schoolers. That's a good idea.

Being self employed I see it as my role to think about training and do allow for this in my hourly fees.

Like others have said it's a timing issue, not necessarily cost. Whilst there are some courses at the weekend, there aren't so many. Understandably people don't want to work at weekends, but it makes it very difficult to ensure CPD when you can't access the training.

It wouldn't be ideal, but if you could fit in one day every quarter and dedicate it to training, it would make life easier. I know my parents would rather I was kept informed and up to date!!

Just on a side note- I booked myself and my assistant on a first aid course, it has to be a full course to meet ofsted requirements, I found one running on a Monday and a sat- it's double the cost for a Saturday, so sometimes I do think would it be less of a financial strain to be closed for the day!!

A lot of courses can be done online now as well, although you're paying private rather than LA prices. But if the main issue is time and not money that is a solution.

The children's centres where I live offer training for cms in the evenings
The early years team also offer training at £500 a session, so if the CMs and nannies got together they could cover the cost and book it at a time and place that was convenient for them
I don't see the idea of inset days being popular with parents

The interesting workshops are rarely available unless you can take the day off - and lots of childminders and nannies can't do that.

so how can your suggestion work?!?