This is a letter to my MP based on a template provided by the Early Years Alliance, with my own views and tweaks added. 
Join the campaign to support and protect the Early Years by sending your own letter. The EYA template can be found HERE


 Re: Help protect the early years sector in England

 I am a Registered Childminder, one of many Early Years workers providing a vital service supporting parents and carers to continue to do their jobs while providing high-quality early education for the children in my care.

 
I am writing to you about my deep concerns for both the safety and financial viability of the early education and childcare sector in England during the current national lockdown and beyond.
 
As you will know, the government has announced that nurseries, pre-schools and childminders in England are expected to remain open to all children at a time when all schools have been instructed to close to all but the children of critical workers and vulnerable children. Government however has failed to follow this through with appropriate safeguards for the sector, leaving us vulnerable, not just to the disease, but also the financial impact of lockdown.
 
Young children cannot and should not be expected to social distance. Close contact is a necessary feature of the care of young children. Touch and affection are essential for children’s emotional development and well-being, and intimate care to meet physical needs is also an integral part of looking after a young child.
 
While ministers have argued that early years settings are ‘low-risk environments’, the government has so far failed to provide any specific evidence about the risk implications of the new variant of Covid-19 in early years settings among both children and adults. It also neglects to account for the number of children who are asymptomatic, or whose parents have chosen to isolate symptomatic children rather than put them through the trauma of testing. Children in themselves may be low risk, but just as in schools, they act as vectors for transmission and their close contact within a setting and inevitable mixing means they are potentially spreading the virus to their families, staff and staff families, and those of registered Childminders too.
 
In addition, as you may be aware home testing kits for asymptomatic testing have now been made available to all primary schools, secondary schools and colleges, as well as maintained nursery schools and classes, while private and voluntary providers, including Childminders, have been told that we will instead be given 'priority' access to community testing centres, despite many of these only being open during working hours and so inaccessible to the childcare workforce, already working long and often extra hours. The only alternative is for already short staffed and stretched settings to release staff during working hours to visit test centres, which may result in them having to restrict numbers in order to maintain ratios, or even to have to close, especially in the case of Childminders. Childminders are further disadvantaged, being unable to register on the priority portal, due to being self-employed.
This is grossly unfair treatment and will result in many early years providers being unable to access asymptomatic testing at a time when we have been asked to remain open to all families and are doing all we can to stop the spread of the virus
 
Leading early years organisations the Early Years Alliance, Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) and the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) have jointly called for the government to take the following steps to ensure that early years and childcare providers can remain open safely:
 
•                     provide clear scientific evidence on the risk implications of staying open for early years and childcare practitioners, including data on transmission rates and other key risk indicators
 
•                     prioritise those working in early years and childcare for Covid-19 vaccinations
 
•                     roll out mass asymptomatic testing at all early years and childcare settings, including Childminders, via the provision of home-testing kits
 
•                     reinstate early entitlement funding support for settings who have been forced to close or have seen a fall in the demand for funded places
 
•                     introduce targeted funding for providers reliant on private income who have suffered from falls in parental demand  
 
As my parliamentary representative, I am asking you to speak on my behalf and call on the Treasury and the DfE to commit to implementing the above recommendations as a matter of urgency, and ensure that all hard-working providers in our constituency have the practical and financial support we need to continuing delivering the care and education that is so vital to our community.
 
If you would like to find out more about our situation, please get in touch. 

It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to write a new blog on here as I have been busy writing them for Kinderly instead. 
Please follow the links to see what I said

10 Top Tips on Observations

6 Reasons to Use Loose Parts

I have been working in the Early Years sector for 20 years, after spending 13 years as a children’s bookseller and 3 years training to be a primary school teacher. In that time, I have seen trends and fads go around and come around. Some endure, particularly those based on a sound understanding of child development and a solid pedagogy. Others are popular for a while then wither away.

The popularity of topics has waxed and waned throughout my career and those who oppose them do so vociferously. As a new practitioner I embraced topics wholeheartedly and I look back at my early files fondly, with their planning webs linking each topic to areas of learning, differentiation for ages and photos of the ‘finished’ product.  Gradually, however, as I interacted with other practitioners and undertook training, I absorbed new ideas about child development and different philosophies, and consequently, my passion for topics dwindled. I discovered Froebel, the Reggio Emilia approach, loose parts, Te-Whariki etc. and my own pedagogy responded, developing into one that was more child-centred and predominantly play-based.  I started planning in the moment before I knew that this was even a ‘thing’.  

Against
Topics are currently out of favour in much of the Early Years community. The arguments against them are strong and valid. Topics start from the adult and reflect adult interests rather than the child’s. Topics are based upon adult ideas of what a child needs to know and should be interested in. Topics do not support the concepts of child-initiated play supporting curious, self-directed exploration and experimentation.  Topics are not child centric.

For
However, the arguments in defence of topics are worth considering. Children can be enthused and inspired by topic themes. They are introduced to new ideas and concepts they might not otherwise have encountered. Their interests can be supported, recognised and shared with staff and peers. Topics can provide structure and a sense of security for both children and practitioners, working with a familiar format and knowing what to expect.

Balance
For me, as in many areas, it is a question of balance; of avoiding extremes. I appreciate and advocate many aspects of the Curiosity Approach, for example, with its focus on authentic, natural materials and open-ended play, but at the same time, I recognise the value of plastic toys and resources, and my setting encompasses both. I start from the child: what do they play with and become deeply involved with? The resource’s worth comes from this, rather than the material it is made from.

A new philosophy?
More recently I have been pondering about the value of topics in Early Years settings. I have concluded that topics are not inherently bad, despite the backlash against them. It is how they are approached and used that makes the difference. For me topics should be developed in two ways:

• To follow an existing interest of a child or group of children in the setting e.g. small world play with a train and track
• To spark curiosity and stimulate discussion: children don’t know what they don’t know e.g. introduce a new story or interesting object to the children and observe their response

Topics must engage and enthuse. If they don’t, they should be adapted or abandoned. Topics should not overwhelm the setting and be the only thing happening or available. Choice is essential. If a child is not interested in the current topic their own interests are still important and must be supported and validated. Know your children and what it is that truly fascinates them; is it the train or the track? Is it the rotation of the wheels or the way the track connects? Be guided by the child.
Topics can start with a new idea; a stimulus; an invitation to play. Sow a seed by reading a story or setting up a small world invitation and observe. Has the children’s interest been ignited? Would they embrace more content on the same subject? How can you devise opportunities that follow their curiosity in this new subject whilst encompassing their existing interests and fascinations? How can you do this in a setting where multiple children have very different interests and fascinations?

I recognise that children can and do enjoy some adult planned activities, especially those in which the adult is directly involved, but only as long as they are not forced to participate and are empowered to express their own ideas and thoughts in the process: no red flowers and green leaves imposed by an adult agenda.

This takes considerable skill on the part of the adult. It is all too easy for their own enthusiasm for a subject to take over and the agenda shift in their favour. Constant observation and reflection are essential to ensure that the child remains at the centre, rather than the topic theme. Go where the children lead; respect their ideas and follow their path. This may take you totally ‘off-topic’ but that is fine. It may lead to a whole new topic; that is also fine. In the Reggio Emilia approach children work on projects in a similar way. Projects come from the children but may be as a result of a stimulation provided by an adult. There may be one, primary project, or multiple projects. The key factor is that in all cases these projects are child-directed.
​
Conclusion
It is essential as a practitioner, that you constantly question your approach and ideas. No approach is necessarily wrong (or right). It is the intent and implementation behind the approach that count. Think about the why and how. Why are you doing it this way? How does this benefit the child? What is the impact? Don’t do something because that is how it has always been done, or because it is how you were taught, or because it feels safe and comfortable. Do it because you know that it supports the child’s learning, development and interests. Do it because it respects the child’s individuality and rights. Do it because it will challenge, involve and engage. Do it because it will inspire joy, awe and wonder.
 
 

On Tuesday I published a very long (too long!) blog about the prospect of Childminders and other settings preparing to reopen from 1st June, as per DfE guidance.

By 6.30pm this blog was already out of date and plans in disarray, following a statement from the DfE published by Nursery World Magazine, the Early Years Alliance and PACEY. The statement explained that in actual fact, Childminders (and nannies) could actually reopen the following morning, if they met certain conditions:

• They were not already open for key worker and vulnerable children and
• They only accepted children into their care from a single household

This casual treatment, ignoring previous, unambiguous guidance setting 1st June as the earliest date to reopen shows a complete lack of understanding and respect for the Childminding profession. I am appalled that the government think it is in any way acceptable to U-turn on such an important step. It is unfair and unrealistic to suggest that Childminders might reopen with less than 24-hour’s notice. Time is needed to plan, prepare and consult: A risk assessment to consider safety and hygiene practice is required; policies and procedures updated; space and resources assessed and reorganised; contracts revised; and the views and concerns of parents and children (& in some cases staff) taken into consideration. On top of this, if restricted to care for a child or children from just one household, the childminder will be operating at significant financial loss, potentially earning less than £2 or £3 per hour, which is not viable.

I appreciate that a number of Childminders are already in this position, having remained open to provide vital childcare services to front-line staff and other critical workers and for vulnerable children. I applaud their efforts, they are doing an heroic job, and those facing reopening for the first time can learn much from these colleagues going forward. The issue is not around being open already versus re-opening; it is about reopening at incredibly short notice, having been given different, conflicting information over the course of three days.

In terms of fully re-opening there are valid concerns. Many of the Childminders already open have been operating at reduced capacity (and reduced income) but if the June 1st date goes ahead as planned (we won’t know until 28th May which is another issue entirely), potentially Childminders can have their full EYFS quota plus whatever number of over-8s permitted by their insurance capacity. This increases the risk proportionately, as the Childminder will now be coming into contact with a greater number of people. Childminders are in the unique position of having to accept people into their homes at a time when social distancing rules ban this in all other situations. Childminders can accept other people’s children into their homes and interact with their parents but cannot accept their non-resident children, or their grandchildren; a heart wrenching situation for many.

Childminders are putting themselves and their families at increased risk of contracting Covd-19 every time they work. It is simply not possibly to clean a home-based environment to clinical standards, and this is not appropriate, nor is (we are told) use of PPE unless we have a child showing symptoms. We cannot realistically exclude our families from our childminding environment, something that was seen to be being suggested by Ofsted on their Facebook page, before they too retracted and revised their statement, suggesting that all along they had meant excluding the household members of minded children not our own. We cannot and should not socially distance from the children in our care.

Yesterday morning I was interviewed by Judith Burns at the BBC, outlining these issues, part of which appeared in an article published on their website:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52642743

This morning I appeared on live TV on BBC Breakfast and was asked about my plans regarding reopening. This took me well outside my comfort zone and I have been overwhelmed by the many positive comments I have received from people who saw it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000j503/breakfast-14052020 appears at 6.51am

I am also quoted in an article published by Nursery World yesterday (you need to sign up for a free account to read this)
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/absolute-joke-childminders-on-being-told-they-can-reopen-with-less-than-24-hours-notice

I have shared these pieces extensively on social media, not to self-promote but to try get the message regarding what has happened over the past few days circulated as widely as possible; to get the voice of Childminders heard – not that I am so presumptuous as to assume I speak for all childminders!

I hope I have been successful in my aim.

Going forward
Having now had the opportunity to express my concerns, frustration and anger at the way Childminders have been dealt with by Government this week I am now attempting to achieve a state of acceptance and some degree of positivity going forward.

I am remaining closed for the time being and taking this time to plan and prepare for a hopeful opening on the 1st of June. I am looking forward to seeing my minded children and their families again and I WILL be hugging the children (if they want me to)!

​I am not planning on a move to Hollywood in the foreseeable future...
 
 

Just because we can, should we?
Like thousands of others around the country I prepared to watch the Prime Minister’s address on Sunday evening with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. I finished watching with a mix of anxiety and confusion. There was also a fair amount of irritation arising from the lack of immediate availability of guidance to flesh out the ‘recovery plan’. We had to wait until 2pm on Monday for that and with it came even further confusion. In spite of the guidance advising Early Years settings, and primary school year groups of Reception, Year One and Year Six to prepare for opening from 1st June, the statement on page 26 of the plan that said, ‘The Government is also amending its guidance to clarify that paid childcare, for example nannies and childminders, can take place subject to being able to meet the public health principles at Annex A, because these are roles where working from home is not possible. This should enable more working parents to return to work’, threw the childminding workforce into disarray. Did this mean Childminders should be opening from this week or from 1st June along with the rest of the childcare sector, and since when did Childminders not work from their own homes?
Fortunately, both PACEY and the Early Years Alliance were on the spot and able to obtain confirmation from the DfE that Childminders should be preparing to open from 1st June along with other Early Years settings, and not immediately; a point also made by the Prime Minister in his speech to Parliament yesterday afternoon. It would appear that the author of ‘’OUR PLAN TO REBUILD: The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy’’ misunderstood the role of a Childminder or used the incorrect term in error, perhaps intending it to mean ‘Home Childcarers’ who do provide care in the child’s home.
Since this initial guidance the Government have gone on to release a number of sector specific documents giving further details of what might be involved in the reopening process, such as who will be eligible to attend schools and settings and what measures should be in place, as well as guidance for parents on what to expect (see below).
As with all the guidance and documentation coming out at the moment it has been written in haste but with good intention. There are errors and inconsistencies which are to be expected in the circumstances. In places it is as clear as a muddy puddle and certainly open to interpretation. However, critique it as we may, it’s all we have to work on at present, though no doubt there will be numerous updates and additions over the coming weeks.
So where do we go from here?
As I said in the title, just because we can, should we? Although there is provision within the Corona Virus Act 2020 to enforce opening of registered childcare settings this does not apply to Childminders, who have been specifically excluded from this element of the legislation. Childminders have a choice. There is no single answer to the question of whether to be open or not, or to open for some children but not all, as every setting is unique and so will have to make a decision based on many factors. This blog is aimed primarily at Childminders but many of these factors are relevant to all settings. This list is not exhaustive:

• Attitude and feelings of the Childminder/provider
• Attitude and feelings of the Childminder’s family/household members
• Attitude and feelings of staff (where applicable)
• Parent opinions and concerns
• Children’s worries
• Ability to minimise direct and indirect transmission using recommended hygiene practices and distancing measures
• Availability and organisation of space to enable appropriate distancing measures
• Willingness to take on the extra burden of additional cleaning and organisational measures
• Ability to provide appropriate resources to support play, learning and development within the constraints of hygiene measures
• Underlying health conditions of Childminder or someone on their household, or of a child or one of their household.

Attitudes and concerns:
A large number of headteachers, teachers, childcare managers, staff, Childminders and parents have made it very clear on social media and via the news media that they strongly believe it is far too soon for children to be returning to school and childcare, and that the age groups selected are the wrong ones, believing the focus should be on those older children who are approaching exams and who are able to follow social distancing practices.
People are rightly fearful of the risk of infection and a potential ‘second spike’. Too little is known about the transmission of the coronavirus to be sure that allowing young children to mix in numbers is safe. Although it is known that children are less likely to transact Covid-19 and that if they do, their symptoms are more likely to be mild. Government have cited this a one of the reasons why they believe it is going to be safe for children to return. What about the adults caring for those children though, or the adults bringing and collecting the children given that far less is known about children’s role as carriers and their transmission of the disease to others? Is it safe for these adults to be mixing?  The government guidance freely admits that social distancing between young children is not possible, but it is also not possible for the adults caring for these children. Young children NEED physical contact to feed their emotional well-being, in the same way that they need to eat to feed their physical being. They need hugs and cuddles, comfort and tears wiping (and snotty noses and pooey bottoms!). These are requirements of healthy development and cannot be denied. Osfted have made a number of suggestions on their Facebook ‘Childcare Registration’ page as to how settings might manage some of the challenges, most are quite reasonable but this one stands out as particularly unhelpful:
‘’Reducing the number of people you come into contact with at work; if you are a nanny, not mixing with other nannies and household members, if you are a childminder, not allowing other household members to come into your childcare space’’
Given that the 'childcare space' is the whole house (registered premises) obviously this would be unfeasible, but even if a Childminder only uses downstairs how can they tell their partners and children they cannot move around freely in their own homes, especially given the restrictions already being placed on them. If the childminder has young children of their own this is obviously impossible. Even with older children or a separate playroom it is problematic
Childcare settings are opening to enable parents to return to work, but should providers be accepting children if their parents are at home? The guidance for workers remains unchanged and says that they should continue to work at home if possible and only travel to their workplace if they cannot work at home. For some parents though, working whilst caring for a small child is not easy, and often impossible. In these situations, it would be entirely appropriate to accept these children into the setting. If the parent is successfully managing their work-child balance there is no obligation for them to change this, especially as attendance at an Early Years setting is not a legal requirement. Government are keen however that parents take up the opportunity to send eligible children to school and are strongly encouraging this, but even so, have not made it compulsory.
In addition to fears around getting the virus there is also understandable resentment around the logic of it being suitable to accept unrelated children into the Childminder’s home and to have direct contact with their parents but not be able to see their own grown-up children or their grandchildren, due to social distancing rules. For parents who have previously relied on grandparents to provide children there is similar resentment. The government argue that grandparents are at increased risk due to age, but not all are over 70, and many may not even be in their 50s yet.
Before going forward and making any firm decisions regarding opening, Childminders will need to talk to their families first to make sure they have their backing, before then discussing the options with their minded families. They also need to think about themselves and their own mental and physical health. Do they feel ready and able to go back?
If the childminder decides to proceed, they will need to address any concerns the parents and children may have. They will need to update policies, procedures and contracts to cover any changes they are implementing, such as doorstep and sickness policies and think about how best to communicate these to parents, including getting them signed. They will need to ensure their child record details, including emergency contacts are updated and gather new starting point or ‘all about me’ information about the children – a lot will have changed in 11 weeks. They should ask questions about how the children have been affected by the lock down. For some children it may have been a very traumatic experience, and some may have lost loved ones to the virus.  
Logistics
Before reopening the setting, Childminders will need to think about how they can adapt their space, organisation and routines in order to fulfil guidance on hygiene and distancing.
The first step will be a risk assessment, remembering that it is about minimising risk rather than eliminating it, as the latter is simply not possible. It is also about balancing children’s needs against safety.
Things to consider include:

• Staggering drop off/collection times so parents and children from different families do not arrive together
• How to manage drop offs and collections whilst social distancing from parents.
  • This will be affected by the age of the child and any separation anxiety they may have. For babies, I have seen it suggested that they be placed in a receptacle such as buggy or car seat for the other adult to then pick up from. Personally, I feel this is a step too far, and that the risk of passing the disease between the adults during the fleeting time they are in contact is much lower than the risk to the child’s emotional well-being in this situation.
• How you will ensure areas and resources used by children are cleaned frequently, following government guidelines
  • This may involve limiting the spaces in which children are allowed to be in and reducing the toys available to ones easily cleaned, including removing soft toys, dressing up and furnishings unless these can be washed daily. Messy and sensory play may have to be restricted to avoid potential disease transmission. Furniture may need to be covered with the coverings washed daily. You will need to allow time during quiet points in the day and at the end of the day to clean, following the hygiene practices in the government guidance.
• Consider making increased use of your outdoor space and keep rooms used by children well-ventilated
  • Virus transmission has been shown to be much less outdoors and we know that being outside is highly beneficially to all of us, both physically and emotionally. Guidance is not clear regarding taking minded children to public outdoor spaces. From 13 May the government have relaxed some of the restrictions but the rules state that going to outdoor public spaces can only be with members of your household and that if you meet up with anyone it must be on a one on one basis at 2m apart. Minded children are not part of your household, but we await clarity on whether they can be counted as such for this purpose. If not, outdoor play will be restricted to your setting’s garden, yard or drive. If you do go out to a public space will this be limited to walkable locations? If not, how will you reduce risk in the car to prevent spread of infection? Public transport is to be avoided.
• How you will manage daily routines such as nap times and meals.
  • Are there changes you need to make such as no longer offering children the option of ‘buffet style’ food? Will you need to change your opening times, such as closing earlier to enable more time to clean without it impacting further on your family life?
• How you will you encourage social distancing within the setting.
  • Young children are not able to distance effectively. Even those children who understand the concept will not remember when deeply engrossed in their play. Older children however can be encouraged to keep apart where space allows. It may be possible to rearrange your play areas to create segregated areas. For group settings children should be kept in small key groups with dedicated staff, and these groups should be kept separate from each other as much as possible. Where there might potentially be too many children to facilitate this, settings have been advised to prioritise which children return, starting with 3 and 4-year-olds. Also consider mixing between settings: will you care for children who attend more than one setting, or who are also at school, given the increased risk this poses?
• How you will reduce the risk of spread of infection through good personal hygiene routines:
  • Supervise frequent hand washing for 20 seconds, especially after using a tissue, being outdoors, before and after eating and petting an animal
  • Use of hand sanitiser where soap and water are not available
  • Remind children to keep their hands away from their faces and promote the idea of ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ when coughing, sneezing, wiping noses etc. – have a ‘snot station’
  • Consider if you want to wear apron and gloves when dealing with bodily fluids, such as nappy changing. Some practitioners do this anyway. PPE, including wearing masks, is not being recommended for general use in childcare and education settings but may be appropriate in some situations, such as when attending on a child or other adult who starts to show symptoms whilst at the setting. Masks are problematic with young children who rely on being able to see the mouth moving as part of speech and language development and to aid in reading other people’s emotions. They are also, quite frankly, a bit scary!
  • Consider any additional measures such as taking temperatures on arrival, providing changes of clothing on arrival, storing coats, bags and shoes outside etc. Government guidance specifically warns against temperature taking as it is not accurate enough and might give false reassurances. Change of clothing for children is also not recommended but may help you and parents feel safer.
• Consider what you will do if you, a member of your family or staff, or a child become ill whilst at your setting.
  • Do you have an area where you/they can be isolated? How quickly can parents get to you? Think about emergency contacts as technically the child cannot mix with anyone outside their household. Make sure you are up to date with current requirements regarding self-isolating following this. Organise a virus test if anyone in your household develops symptoms.
• Looking to the future, and business sustainability, think about how you will recruit and welcome new families.
  • How will you share paperwork? How will you show them your setting whilst maintaining social distancing rules and so them not being allowed inside your premises? Could this be done doing an online platform such a Zoom?

So, what is the answer?
It’s up to you to decide!
Personally, I am very wary of opening as I am not sure that even by the 1st June it will be safe to do so but I also know that the time may never feel right or at least not for a long time anyway. Coronavirus is not disappearing any time soon and might never go away completely. Government are working towards a principle of slowed down infection rates whilst possible herd immunity builds and a vaccine is developed, but these are unknown factors and cannot be relied on. We have to go back to work sometime, we cannot afford not to. This will not be work as we have known it in the past but some form of normal will emerge.   
I am still considering my options, keeping dialogue open with my families and awaiting further government guidance. I’m sure there will be many more late-night updates over the weeks to come.
Watch this space!
 
Guidance for settings:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020?utm_source=3daf3f8c-87d9-4a78-90ec-6196e4a070e5&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings
Guidance for parents:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/reopening-schools-and-other-educational-settings-from-1-june#contents
The recovery plan…
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governments-covid-19-recovery-strategy
NB
Where I have talked about settings going back, opening or reopening, this is not to assume all settings have been closed. I am using these terms to refer to settings that have been open for children of critical workers and vulnerable children who will be opening to a wider range of children as well as those who have been fully closed and are reopening for the first time.
o edit.

As speculation regarding the possibility of easing lock-down restrictions over the next few weeks grows, including the potential timetable for the reopening of schools and childcare settings, some of the support measures put in place by Government have begun to kick in.

Sadly, it has turned out that much of the support announced by the government is not available to the childcare sector or has been diluted following subsequent ‘clarification’ by HM Treasury, such as claiming furlough alongside receiving FE funding.

This is highlighted in a sobering report from the Early Years Alliance which featured on the BBC, ITV and other prominent news channels, suggesting that around a quarter of providers believe they will have to close permanently as a result of the Coronavirus emergency and inadequacy of financial aid from the government.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52506919

What support is available?

• Business rates holiday: for childcare settings currently paying business rates in England for the 2020 to 2021 tax year.
• Small Business Grant: payment of £10,000 for businesses in England in receipt of either Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) or Rural Rates Relief (RRR)
• Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan: 12-month interest free loans for small and medium-sized businesses with an annual turnover of up to £45 million. There is also the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme to support larger businesses, with an annual turnover of over £45 million.
• Bounce back loan: a new, low interest loan scheme for small and medium-sized businesses of between £2,000 and £50,000, with no fees or interest for the first 12 months.
• Statutory Sick Pay rebate: small and medium-sized businesses can reclaim up to 2 weeks Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for staff sickness or self-isolation absence due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
• Universal Credit: increased by £20 per week. No minimum income floor for the self-employed (including childminders), meaning Universal Credit can be accessed at a rate to match statutory sick pay (SSP). A guarantee has also been made that tax credits will not be recalculated during this time e.g. as a result of reduced income due to furlough
• Income tax: tax on account payments due to be paid in July 2020 can be deferred up to 31 January 2021
• Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS): a grant for employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19). Employers can ‘furlough’ eligible staff who would otherwise have been laid off and pay them 80% of their usual monthly wage, up to £2,500 a month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contribution and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contribution on that wage and claim these payments back from HMRC.
• FE funding: a guarantee that FE funding will continue to be paid to Local Authorities who will be expected to distribute this as normal to providers, whether open or closed and including if the provider is accessing the CJRS
• Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS): a grant for the  self-employed or members of a partnership who have lost income due to coronavirus (COVID-19). Individuals can claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for 3 months. To be eligible an individual must have lost income due to coronavirus; filed a tax return for the financial year 2018-19; have trading profits from self-employment that represent 50% or more of their overall income and be intending to continue to trade in the tax year 2020-2021.

So, what’s the problem?
There is no denying that on the face of it these measures constitute a generous and unprecedented package of financial support, something the government is fond of repeating whenever there is criticism. They have stated that the support offered is intended to be ‘temporary, timely and targeted’ and that ‘no organisation should profit from the exceptional financial support available and should therefore only access the support required’. Both statements appear fair and reasonable. However, the devil is in the detail, and issues are found in the government’s complete lack of understanding of how the childcare sector operates and its unique challenges, coupled will the chronic underfunding the sector has endured for far too long.
 
The guidance states, ‘we expect that all relevant organisations should first consider any potential options to reduce their operating cost and secure commercial loans before seeking to access grant paying schemes like the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’. All very well but what if you are not eligible for these loans or do not have the means to repay?
 
Many settings do not qualify for either the business rates holiday due to being in properties where they are not paying rates anyway. Settings may not be eligible for rates relief due to their property’s rateable value. Settings may be wary of applying for the coronavirus business interruption loan and then finding themselves unable to repay and are concerned about the additional burden this will place on their already struggling business. Others cannot apply as they are unable to demonstrate to lenders that their business will be viable going forward. None of these schemes are available to self-employed Childminders.

There was better news yesterday, with the launch of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme which at first glance appears to be a more favourable option that the business interruption loan and is potentially open to Childminders too. This grant is 100% government guaranteed so less of a risk for lenders, and interest free for the first year. It IS still a loan, however, so will have to be paid back.

Universal credit is available to some self-employed Childminders, but the application process is unwieldy, mistakes in entitlement calculations made frequently, and no use if you have a partner who is earning as both incomes are taken into account.

The Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is a bit of an unknown factor and comes far too late. On Monday (4 May) HMRC opened a portal for individuals to check their eligibility. Those successful were then given a date and time mid-May to log in to make their actual claim, with payments due by the beginning of June (possibly sooner). Those being told they are not eligible are given a link to a form to complete requesting that their claim is investigated. HMRC will also be sending out letters/emails inviting the SE to apply for this scheme.
The main issues with this scheme are:

• Many are not eligible, having started trading after 4 April 2019 so did not file a 2018-19 tax return
• Average profits reduced if the Childminder was on maternity leave or ill during the 3-year claim period
• The pay-out is based on profits after expenses, but Childminding expenses are disproportionately high compared to other self-employed/home-working jobs, often representing 50-60% of overall income and even higher than this in the first year of trading
• Being employed at some point in the 3-year calculation period alongside Childminding and its disproportionately high expenses can mean that the employment income exceeds 50% of total income so not eligible to claim

I have saved the ‘best’ till last: the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and FE Funding. These have caused so many providers many sleepless nights.

The first hit came when HM Treasury confirmed fears that despite assurances by the DfE that the CJRS and funding could be claimed together there was a caveat and subsequently there would be conditions applied.

The second hit was in the form of new guidance and legislation allowing Local Authorities to redistribute the FE funding in ‘exceptional circumstances’ from closed providers, to open ones, in spite of settings having been advised that funding should be claimed and would be paid as usual even if children were not attending.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and furloughing staff
Firstly, what actually is furlough? Until coronavirus furlough did not exist is UK employment law. Historically it has been used to refer to periods of leave of absence granted to military personnel and it is a feature of US law as a period of unpaid laid. Its nearest equivalent in UK law is ‘lay-off’ which comes with its own set of rules and may be appropriate for staff who cannot be furloughed. The government have introduced the term furlough as a temporary leave of absence due to the coronavirus pandemic as part of the CJRS, in which employees are paid 80% of their usual salary, up to a maximum of £2500, which is repaid to the employer by the government. These employees are placed on leave, in blocks of 3 weeks at a time, rather than be laid off or made redundant.

I’m a bit late with this, given that furloughing has already taken place, but then, so were Government. They sent out the revised CJRS financial guidance regarding the impact of funding late on a Friday evening, immediately prior to the furlough claims portal due to open on the Monday morning (20 April), when staff had already been furloughed . This left owners and managers faced with a weekend of recalculating entitlements, and the dilemma of continuing with their furlough claim as planned or waiting for the promised childcare specific calculation tool (we are still waiting!). There was also the issue that the new calculations meant some of the staff already furloughed were no longer eligible.

Going back to why the new guidance was a problem… It states that ’where employers receive public funding for staff costs, and that funding is continuing, we expect employers to use that money to continue to pay staff in the usual fashion – and correspondingly not furlough them. This also applies to non-public sector employers who receive public funding for staff costs’. The reasoning behind this is sound in theory – businesses can’t expect to receive financial support that duplicates support they are already getting as they would then be profiting from the crisis. However, it doesn’t take into account the varied business models found in the childcare sector, or that FE is not just about paying staff salaries, it is about delivering high quality Early Years care and education and all the costs associated with this.
In spite of protestations by the major Childcare sector professional bodies, to both the DfE and HM Treasury, they are holding fast to their story: that the revised guidance was simply a clarification of what should have been obvious from their previous publications and that it was never intended for settings in receipt of funding to be able to take full advantage of the CJRS. The guidance does however allow for limited access to the CJRS, enabling settings to furlough staff who would typically be paid from their private income i.e. fees from parents:

‘Educational settings that are in receipt of some public funding should only furlough employees, and therefore seek support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, if they meet [all] the following conditions:

• the employee works in an area of business where services are temporarily not required and where their salary is not covered by public funding
• the employee would otherwise be made redundant or laid off
• the employee is not involved in delivering provision that has already been funded
• (where appropriate) the employee is not required to deliver provision for a child of a critical worker and/or vulnerable child
• the grant from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme would not lead to financial reserves being created’

​
It’s pretty hard in a childcare setting to identify staff who never work with a funded child in some capacity, including with documentation relating to a funded child. Settings do not usually separate out their funded income and fee income to pay staff. Income is pooled and allocated to meet the overall needs of the business. The guidance does recognise this to a degree:

‘If it is difficult to distinguish whether staff are funded through free entitlement or private income for the purposes of meeting the first 3 conditions as listed above, then an early years provider can access the CJRS to cover up to the proportion of its pay bill which could be considered to have been paid for from that provider’s private income. Providers should initially use the month of February 2020 to represent their usual income in calculating the proportion of its pay bill eligible to be covered by the scheme’.

So, basically, if your typical income, based on February 2020, is split (for example) 40% funding and 60% fees, you can furlough staff up to the value of 60% of your total staff wages bill. So, if you have 5 staff, including a deputy and manager, whose wages add up to £7000 (3 x £1200, 1 x £1400 DM, 1 x £1550 M) in a typical month, you can furlough staff up to 60% of this; i.e. £4200. You could furlough your 3 staff on £12000 which comes to £3600 and claim back 80% of this from the government, but you could not also furlough the deputy or manager as this would take you over your £4200 maximum. Alternatively, you could furlough 2 staff plus the deputy or manager and still be within your maximum but in any of these combinations you would only ever be able to furlough a maximum of 3 people. How many you furlough will also be determined by how many children are still attending if you are open, in order to maintain ratios and other EYFS requirements.  If your setting is closed it is a good idea to still keep some staff working, so there is someone available to maintain admin, reply to emails, keep in touch with families, check the premises etc.

This blog is already twice as long as it should be so I won’t go into all the other considerations and processes to undertake regarding furlough, lay-offs, short-time working and employment law, but I will end on a final point regarding furlough. If a member of staff has been furloughed they cannot do ANY work or volunteering for the setting or any organisation related to it, that either generates an income or provides a service so no, they can’t do a bit of cleaning, read stories on YouTube (unless uploaded beforehand), update learning journals or check in with their key children as ALL of these things are providing a service. This may be tough for the staff who may want to still help and support the setting but it is simply not allowed and if you are audited you could be made to repay the grant if staff are found to have broken the rules. It will be viewed as fraud by HMRC. (They can work or volunteer for other, non-related organisations, if this is permitted or not excluded by their contracts).
 
On that cautionary note I will end. Congratulations if you made it to this point. I’ve included relevant links to guidance below. I should add that I am not a legal or financial expert, but I have leaned heavily on my HR manager/CiPD qualified husband for confirmation and clarification, especially around furlough.
 
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19#support-for-businesses-through-the-coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-scheme
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-the-coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-scheme
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-back-statutory-sick-pay-paid-to-employees-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-business-support-grant-funding-guidance-for-businesses
https://www.gov.uk/lay-offs-short-timeworking
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/emp-law/employees/furlough
edit.

For many childminders who have had to take the difficult decision to close their doors during the coronavirus pandemic it has been a huge wrench to not see their minded children every day.
We naturally become very close to our minded children, with them often becoming akin to a second family, so this is hardly surprising. It is difficult for the children too. Many will be too young to understand why they can’t visit any more and may be worried they are no longer cared about by their childminder.
 
In my first blog I mentioned some ways in which childminders and their mindies can stay in touch with their families that will benefit everyone. I have updated this to take into account the significant changes that have occurred since that was written, not least the ‘lockdown’ situation we are currently in.
 

• Book in a weekly Skype call or Facetime session with the families or sign up to Zoom. This could just be one family at a time or a conference call with them all. You could just chat or consider doing something together such as singing or yoga!
• Record yourself telling a story or signing a rhyme to share with families. You do not need permission from a publisher for this unless you post the recording on a public platform such as your website or YouTube. Even then, many publishers have granted temporary blanket consent for educators and librarians to do this. Click here for a useful list of publishers who are offering this.  
• Put together 'busy bags' or book bundles from your resources to loan to families. Don’t forget to clean them well before and after use and ensure families are not travelling unnecessarily to collect these. They may be able to pick them up on a shopping trip for example, or during their daily exercise outing if they live close enough. If you can, leave the bag in a porch or on your doorstep to be collected. If not, make sure you step back 2m after answering your door, whilst the bag is picked up.
• If you don't have one already set up a secret Facebook or WhatsApp group to keep everyone up to date with news. You and the children can post video clips of yourselves with little messages or doing funny things, or add ideas for activities, recipes, favourite books or songs etc.
• Rediscover the ancient art of letter writing. Send postcards and notes to your mindies and encourage them to send you their pictures. We hardly ever receive post these days that isn’t junk or a bill so this will brighten everyone’s day.
• If you use an online Learning Journal company look at ways you can keep in touch through this, for example using Tapestry’s ‘memo’ function. Encourage parents to take photos and upload these and their own observations to their child’s LJ if the system enables this or email them to you to upload if not. Ask the children to look at their journal with you/parents during a conference call and tell you their favourite picture or outing.
• Some companies are offering free access to home learning resources that you can share with families and the DfE are working with organisations to provide resources to support home learning as part of their Hungry Little Minds campaign. The BBC are launching a home learning campaign on their Bite Size website from 20 April. Famly are producing weekly activity posts and I am working with Kinderly who have developed similar support for their clients and families, to produce a weekly newsletter including activity and resource ideas
• Create competitions or challenges for the children – who can send you a picture of a yellow flower in their garden for example, or who can spot a ladybird, or bake brownies or dust their rooms – use your knowledge of the children to set appropriate tasks
• Create plans for the future: what would they most like to do when they come back? Make a top 5 of things to look forward to. This could be visit their favourite park, bake their favourite cake or create lunch together, read a favourite story and so on.

Do let me know if you have any ideas to add to these. You can use the comments feature below or email me childrenatheart.childminder@googlemail.com