Tiney childminder

[Jennybeans401]

I'm considering training with Tiney as a childminder. It seems expensive but I like the protection of being with an agency. Has anyone experience of Tiney as a childminder or having one of their childminders?

We've used one once and she was wonderful. The fact she had tiney as her backing also made me feel more confident,

Thanks, this is also why I prefer to be with an agency. They do seem very good.

Personally I think it's a rip off and I can't understand what they could possibly do that would be worth justifying the huge fees they charge (TINEY in particular are very expensive).

There's lots of support online for childminders that you could access if you're worried about setting-up and starting out life as a childminder registered with ofsted.

@BusyCM is it better to be with an agency to gain business though? Is it easy to find people to cm if not with an agency?

It's £300 joining fee with Tiney pluse you have to pay for a first aid course, GP medical, etc.

Money isn't a worry for us atm but trying to work out the best way forward.

There's such a shortage of childcare you really won't struggle to find people.

You will need a paediatric first aid course anyway, you can just book your own through at Johns.

It's seems an additional cost with little/no benefit to me.

Have you spoken to the Early Years team at your Local Authority? They will be able to help guide you through the process and give you support. There are grants available for new childminders too.

You don't need them to find you business. Get your name out there locally, make a Facebook and Instagram page set up a profile on Childcare.co.uk and visit toddler groups and make childminder friends.

We use a tiney childminder and she is great. Go for it

She might be great, but that's not because she's with tiney. She'd be great anyway surely?

The downside is for the childminder anyway, not the parents. The cost is so much.

How do you feel that 10% plus of your fee is going to the agency and not in your childminder's pocket? This must upset you since she is so great she should get to keep all of it.

Childminders are woefully underpaid per hour per child and then you'd be paying out to an agency. Am not sure what for tbh - if you are in an area with childcare shortages, you won't need an agency to get you work.
Years ago I was a CM - did the training with the local council, who parents can contact when looking for childcare. There are childminding associations to talk you through insurance and how to write contracts etc, which also provide a lot of support. I did a first aid course through St John's iirc. None of it was massively expensive and what I then earned was mine.
Unless all that training availability and support has disappeared, you could get everything an agency supplies without sacrificing income.

I wouldn't do Tiny they control too much and take too much of your earnings. They don't even seem to value the ethos of childminding forcing CMS to advertise as home nurseries.
The potential earnings in my area were grossly inflated almost double the fees CMS are charging....I guess so you're stuck and they can get more commission. They encourage you to recruit more CMS to get a better discount that sounds like pyramid selling.
I like my grading being what I've earned from Ofsted....I think an agency grading the people they earn money from are less likely to be impartial when giving grades it's like policing themselves.
There is loads of support and free training out there without having to pay hundreds a year.
Other agencies have had issues with one losing it's grading from Ofsted childminders were thrown into uncertainty as to if they could carry on working

She would be great if Ofsted registered too but actually earn more without charging you more. She would have access to all the training but have more flexibility on where she does it.

My borough matches new childminders to outstanding ones in a free buddy scheme we have training running all the time provided free through adult education and run by an Ofsted inspector. Talk to your borough.

What protection do you feel you will get?

If you're on Facebook look at joining childminding chat & activities group, you'll get plenty of advice from childminders on both sides of debate re agencies. There are plenty other groups for childminders

I was a childminder whilst agencies became a thing .
I attended and paid for courses but they are tax deductible.

One of the great things about been a childminder is control your own business .

you still are required to follow the eyes . County safeguarding policies .

I litterally can’t see the benefit.

Don't forget the percentage of earning on top which is 12% up to £50k .....fee childminders earn anything like this

Well among the local childminders I know we don't have as much respect for the agency childminders. We know our policies and all the procedures because we write the specifically for our setting. Agency CM edit the ones provided. I don't think I've met a very good Annecy CM but in truth I've only met a couple I've met a couple independent CM who are crap too but the majority are professionals and good standards.

I appropriate some parents will think being part of tinies makes them better and you have to weigh that up. But those parents may think an independent CM is more babysitter than educator.

Regarding training your LA will have lots possibly affordable and possibly funded. If you can get to some face to face it's good for networking and you can ask local CM what they think of agency CM maybe your area has a different opinion. PACEY have some brilliant online courses I'd recommend you get access to as part of your insurance if you use them as do childcare.co.uk who you will likely get a fair amount of work through.

What I will say is tinies first aid courses can be good. Often a group of CM get together and sort a course when it's due but if you don't sync with other then doing it through tinies is very convenient

Regarding getting work there is a national shortage of childminders is there not? There certainly is local to me. Phone your LA early years department and ask if many childminders have spaces is there a need for new ones. All childminders I know are full and have waiting lists the only one who isn't is very inflexible with when she will work so it's not what parents want.

Thanks, I'm starting to consider being independent to the agency. I think there is a joining fee with Tiney

Yes £300 then 12% from your weekly wage .....I'm not sure how they are working funding will they still take 12 % from the reduced rate funding pays ....or will they encourage you to give notice to 3 year olds as they pay less...with funding for 3 year olds being £4 to £5 depending on your borough that's a lot extra to lose.

I didn't give a damn about my CM being an agency one. I contacted my council for a list of local CMs and found her from their list.

Quite frankly even 16 years ago decent childcare was hard to find. If you have a lovely home and an approachable manner parents will seek you out.

If you have your own DC then let the school know you are a CM and can offer before and after school care to other children from that school. Not everyone can use the before and after school care programs as the hours aren't long enough or they don't have enough vacancies, or they don't even have them.

I used to find that Ofsted inspections intrusive enough and felt for my CM, I would have been annoyed on her behalf if an agency tried to set extra rules for her.

I would never be an agency childminder. Most agencies take a cut of your money and childminders work bloody hard for their money without having to give a percentage away.

What protection do you think you have with an agency? Your professional reputation depends on the agency's reputation. An agency was closed down last year I believe and all their childminders had the stress of trying to get registered with Ofsted asap (which is impossible as it takes weeks if not months) or not being able to work at all.

You don't need an agency to attract clients. Where I live there is a shortage of childminders.