What has happened to the Childcarelink.gov.uk site?

[WailingGhoshe]

I go into it and nothing comes up for our area, it does say they are changing the site (now called FIS?) Did anyone get told this was happening?

I've emailed our council contact (we were informed via newsletter on Tuesday, once the changes has taken place!!) to ask what's going on. Wonder what the reply will be!!

BBC Watchdog has a category for Government, Education. I feel getting them involved will get the most publicity, as even if they don't feel it can be covered on their prog, they can pass it on to BBC News and News regions, from which national press will then pick up the story.
www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog

Can someone link me to the childcare bit? The link posted by NannyNick doesn't work, and I can't find a link on the parentknowhow website.

I think this thread is an excellent topic for the daily mail if ever I saw one. Where is our lurking reporter when you need her?

childcarefinder.direct.gov.uk/childcarefinder

have emailed watchdog.

Looney, I phoned yesterday complaining and was told that they are having 'teething problems' and should be up and running shortly.

I think they need dentures.

i had no idea this had changed, and i'm actually quite angry about it!!

i'm not activly working but i havent de-registered, i wsa just going to take on a part time child if one came along, but now there not going to because the website, the only place i'm still advertising is broken

and what about all the new people just starting childminding how are they ment to get there name out there if the website that parents are surpose to trust and turn to isnt working

sorry just needed to vent!

I'm annoyed about this and I'm not even a childcare provider. How could they be so careles as to remove the old site (which worked) before the new one is up and running. It's up I guess, but it isn't running. This oversight is outrageous and totally inexcusable.

And, from a parent's perspective, they have removed a vital source of information for working parents... or even non-working parents. If my childcare goes pearshaped I always turn to chidcarelink for a childminder who can step in whilst I sort out something longer term.

This is appalling. And I would like to know who the numbskull who removed the working site is so I can campaign against his/her re-election.

I have also just checked - I thought it was odd that a friend of mine in the next village has had about 3 enquiries lately and I haven't had any {{checking for bad breath and body odour}}- and I have just found that I am not on the list. I called up and they told me what others have said here, but said they have no idea when it will be sorted. She did say they have had quite a few people calling recently (probably because of this post) - call and complain it may make them move a bit quicker (we can only hope)

Just had a phone call from Watchdog, they are looking into it.

Ohh can we be on telly....I like being on telly

You can Katy, I dont like being on the Telly.

a phonecall already, bloodyhell that was quick!

Good to know that Watchdog are showing some interest. Hard to know who we can complain to. I used the Contact details on the direct.gov.uk website yesterday but haven't had any reply.

Doing a Name Search (didn't know you could do that) I think I have found myself - the information is rather lacking to say the least!

You have more than me Nick, put in my name and i get error!

Have found an article about delays of the new database, from back in September - Children & Young People Now: Makeshift plan for childcare directory as delays continue
"Many local authorities missed the 7 September deadline to get all the relevant data on local schools and childcare services ready for the new online Parent Know How Directory, to go live on 30 September."

Was Surrey one of them? Is there a list of all the councils who missed the deadline?

Well Dorset must have been, actually when I finally got through to Surestart they didnt seem to know what I was talking about!

LA Email from DCSF to local authorities, 10 September 2009

The letter on 17 September which mentions that DCFS were in discussions with Ofsted to publish data from Ofsted's system.

Support website for Local Authorities - this may contain information useful to journalists who pick up this mumsnet thread.

Isn't it a bit worrying that Surestart don't know about the new system... surely that isn't the case. Maybe they have been told to make no comments. Seems like DCSF have known there were going to be issues since early September... so were they trying to hide it? Did they think no one would notice? It may have taken a while for us to notice... but we did!

The contractor for this project appears to be Tribal Group PLC "Tribal has won a £3.6m contract from the Department for Children Schools and Families to provide the national Information System for Parents and Providers (ISPP), an online system that will enable parents to access up-to-date, integrated national and regional data on both childcare and family service provision."

Journalists: PR & Media Relations Manager contact for Tribal Group PLC. In addition to usual contact details, they also list an Out of Hours urgent contact number - so you can get an immediate comment / sound bite.

Nick if watchdog phone me back can I put them onto you, you are much better at this sort of thing than me.

Can you email me on nanny 475 at hotmail dot com.

Alas I'm not great at chatting to people on the phone. I am also not a Childminder, so this issue does not as directly affect me as it does childminders. Therefore I'm not that useful to them... they need childminders whose livelihoods could be wrecked by this delay in the system being operational at a usable level.
Feel free to point them to this thread though, I'll post anything I find that may be of help to them and other journalists researching this matter.

We have made it to Mumsnet "Discussions of the Day" - thanks Mumsnet HQ.

Ok will do that.

It dosnt actually affect me as I have no vacancies, but as a mentor of new girls, it obviously will affect them.