Do you use childcare.co.uk?

[BusyCM]

I'm finding it really quiet on there at the moment and the profiles on there either aren't filled out with much information and/or messages aren't replied to.

What's it like it your area? It's not just me by the way, other cms and the local preschool are finding the same. Maybe people are using other means to find childcare now?

Yes I usually get all of my nanny jobs there but it is very sparse at the moment

I'm a cm and I use it. It's definitely not quiet in my area, five inquiries last week Even though my profile states no space until next year.

Interesting it's the same for nannies. I wonder where everyone is!

I've never heard of it. We wanted preschool/nursery rather than childminders or Nannie's so maybe that's why.

For preschool, we just used word of mouth and google, it didn't occur to me to think there was a website that collated them all!

What area are you in?

Interesting that you've never heard of it. Lots of people use the local council website which has all provisions listed but childcare.co.uk has the ability to update vacancies in real time and to send direct messages and make a profile by settings or parents so you can reduce time wasting. It is good, just really quiet at the moment. Even the active ones have really niche requirements.

I think it’s gone downhill in recent years actually. I used to find it very good for nanny jobs. Lots of time wasters now and very quiet. Not sure if people have moved onto the bubble app for as hoc childcare as it’s more about faster response/instant book on there.

Possibly better for babysitting and ad hoc arrangements but most childcare is long term regular care.

Yes, obviously. I was merely offering a different perspective on why the site might be quieter than it used to be.

@BusyCM I'm in the Midlands.

I've had one nanny inquiry from there this week. I don't get many usually, so not noticed a difference.

I'm fed up with parents not filling out the profile properly ticking everything or looking for a cm to come to their home and do the housework. They really control our profiles but parents can post real time wasting posts. I can't update my profile because they want a photograph of me I don't think that's great for safeguarding

I do hate that they demand our ID and certificates etc, plus they want an hourly rate (I don't charge hourly) and like you say, a profile picture. It is very intrusive, bearing in mind parents could be anyone!

I think when I'm out especially working it enables strangers to identify me ....if a parent is banned from contact but finds my profile they could hang out near a school and follow me home and wait for their child to arrive. I refuse to update my profile or use my proper name. My profile is the Ofsted logo.

And have they told you to change it from the logo to your photo? That's terrible.

I'm in the SE, it used to be great.

There's barely anything on there now and I'm fed up to the back teeth of this new trend where parents don't actually tell you anything about the job! Literally tick every box & that's all.

my position is being made redundant so I need to start looking for a new position, but the Gold Membership is daylight robbery. Given I can't reply to messages parents send me, I'm guessing parent charging has changed too.

The only parent with a profile was 'interesting' but I'm not looking after a 2 year old & baby twins for £15 an hour!

This may not all make sense outside of my head, by this time on Friday nights I'm a wreck!

Yes we used it for our first childminder, who was great until she had to quit.

We fell victim to the ‘local facebook recommendation’ where childminders’ names were coming up and it turned out to be mates recommending eachother.

Yes I can't make any changes or I have to change my picture so availability is 3 years out of date.

We recently found an absolutely brilliant childminder on there. Coincidently, she was recommended in our sensory group 2 days after I found her profile on there by 3 different mums and we luckily managed to secure the days we wanted. I think a lot more people are choosing nurseries for September as they’re offering the new funded hours and not all childminders are.

That's interesting, I don't know any childminders that aren't offering funding. I've made sure my profile explicitly says that I do

That’s good it’s included! I came across quite a few profile with very little info which put me off straight away.
The pool of childminders I know isn’t huge but the ones I know of who aren’t accepting it have stated it’s because they couldn’t afford to operate if they did. I assumed this was a National thing but happy to be corrected if not.

Most childminders will take it otherwise come September when it's from 9 months old there will be less business.

I'm on there, as a nanny who works in the South West. It's so quiet, there are no families on there at all these days!! I guess because of COLC? I don't know where else to look for work, except through agencies.

I'm a mn and last few weeks I've had a few messages and haven't managed to do any due to being booked

But I took their details and got them mn who weren't busy

If they send you a message then they just have paid to send /receive

So you should be able to reply to their message