I feel a bit sorry for councils at the moment

[SueFinanceManager]

As the title of this topic suggests I am feeling a bit sorry for councils who seem to be getting hit from every direction, see this latest news piece;

Councils 'failing' over sufficient childcare, says Daycare Trust

 

The point is made as follows;

 

But the Local Government Association's (LGA) David Simmonds said councils did not have any responsibility to actually provide childcare.

"Our responsibility is to work with those private providers, to work with the voluntary organisations, to work with schools to try and increase the supply,"

 

And if you read Elizabeth Truss report she thinks council shouldn't be involved inspecting settings.....well if they don't inspect them then how will they know if they are failing???? If they are failing then the LA will be the first to be taken to task for allowing a setting to fail.

 

So where does this leave the teams of hard working authority early years teams who seem dammed if they do and dammed if they don't at the moment.

 

I am lucky enough to work with many LA EY teams and they are doing their best to provide support against a back drop of not only funding cuts but in many LAs ongoing restructuring and redundancies which must be completely demotivating.

 

Without serious funding from government how are LAs supposed to provide new settings? Haven't lots of LAs closed children's centres because of a lack of funding.

 

Not sure what the answer is but just hate this blame game

[AnonyMouse_8466]

And you just know that our LA development workers/advisory teachers/childcare officers/workforce development managers will be taking a lot of the heat from practitioners' frustrations at yet more changes afoot within the sector, and will be facing so many questions they just can't answer because they haven't been given the briefings.

 

And all of this against a backdrop of continuing fears about job losses/funding cuts and team reorganisation.

[AnonyMouse_19762]

:blink: I'm trying hard to feel sorry for the Council......hmmm.........must try harder, must try harder

 

I do take your point Sue - especially in relation to the EY teams as far as SIPS, Development Workers are concerned - ours are certainly hard-working and provide great support :1b

 

However - our LA make some (in my opinion) ludicrous decisions and waste so much money......a couple of examples spring to mind.....

 

Last week - a call from my Development Worker/Business Officer - "I need to come and talk you about the 'Free for Two' scheme" - now before I could even speak she went on to say "Yes, I know you are not interested in it but I have to come and go through the paperwork with you"........well OK that's sounds fine - but what that meant in practise is that she came and copied information from the old sheet (from the last time we had this discussion) on to a new sheet.......what's that all about - what a waste of time, energy and money

 

Tomorrow - my deputy will attend the first of a two day SENCO training course .......we are massively fortunate I know, in that this is still being supplied free of charge - all sounds good - but this training is taking place in a 'swanky' hotel with a super-duper lunch thrown in.........my suggestion would be that they book a good old village hall and practitioners provide their own lunches........just think of the money that could be saved.......

 

Anyway - that's all a bit of a rambling post - must get back to the job in hand and try harder to feel sorry for Councils

[AnonyMouse_8282]

Having a husband that works for the LA, I hear terrible tales of the incredible waste that does happen. Mostly due to having far too many chiefs, and nowhere near enough indians, my sympathy does run a little thin on times.

 

On a more early years mindset, in our LA our advisors are fantastic..........We fill in our own RAG, they know what training we have accessed etc, they then send back their RAG results to us. If we want support it's there- if not as long as we're 'doing ok' we are left to get on with it :1b . We have regular cluster type meetings once a term. Sometimes, they'll call in if they are passing just to check all's well - as I say they are fantastic.

 

Unlike my friend who has a setting in a borough-who has to go through an 'ofsted style' inspection every year. Why? Fair enough if you've had a bad inspection results. or complaints etc.. but on a normal basis?

[AnonyMouse_8282]

 

 

.........my suggestion would be that they book a good old village hall and practitioners provide their own lunches........just think of the money that could be saved.......

 

 

Ha ha - just crossed posts with you, but I must say our LA has taken your adivse and we do now have the above!!! :lol:

 

xx

[SueFinanceManager]

I used to work for the local authority many, many moons ago and I appreciate your point about the extravagant way money was spent and may still be spent now but to get back to the original news piece that councils are being criticised for not providing places/settings.

 

Not providing lunch at a 2 day senco training will not build a purpose built early years facility. Does any LA actually budget to build such premises?

 

Working with many LAs as I do the opportunity to attend any training that is paid for by the LA is a rarity.

 

I think it is very easy to knock the LAs and that was not the purpose of this thread...I think they have enough of that without this adding to it

 

If the LA do not build new facilities where are they to come from? If you wanted to open a new setting are there grants and things available?

[AnonyMouse_19762]

Sorry Sue - didn't mean to ruffle feathers or cause offence.......

[AnonyMouse_8282]

Who paid for the children's centres not longer used? (not an argument - genuine question :1b )

 

 

However will stand by my argument that 2/3 LA staff x 3 hours [ plus] , added together with time to write up reports for every setting in a LA must add up to a fair amount.

 

x

[SueFinanceManager]

Sorry Sue - didn't mean to ruffle feathers or cause offence.......

 

No offence caused and I appreciate things aren't perfect just trying to work out where all these extra places are going to come from....seems government pushing responsibility on councils whose budgets they have already cut????

[SueFinanceManager]

Who paid for the children's centres not longer used? (not an argument - genuine question :1b )

However will stand by my argument that 2/3 LA staff x 3 hours [ plus] , added together with time to write up reports for every setting in a LA must add up to a fair amount.

x

 

Re children's centres....not sure but what a waste of some brilliant purpose build buildings that have now been closed.

 

As said above, sure some of the LA procedures are not perfect and things vary so much from LA to LA...some of the LAs I work with would like to have 2 or 3 LA staff

[AnonyMouse_8282]

 

As said above, sure some of the LA procedures are not perfect and things vary so much from LA to LA...some of the LAs I work with would like to have 2 or 3 LA staff

 

I don't think ours have many left- hence us being left to get on with it. However they are there if we need them

[Guest]

I do feel that since a major "Cull" of staff a few years ago our LA does not waste quite as much money at that time there seemed to be rather a lot of staff doing similar roles. We used to find it amusing that some staff job shared but came to visit us together?

 

I do feel that often courses are stretched out over too many days and could be condensed especially as cover is not usually paid now. I understand the frustrations about the costs of nice lunches and many moons ago i discussed this with my then EYAT he said you get a nice venue and lunch because your worth it and in a way i agree, it's quite a nice treat to have a day out and have the opportunity to network.

 

I do worry that if some LA have to cut out or do less visits setting standards (especially satisfactory ones) may drop and eventually children will suffer. They need to get the balance right.

Edited March 4, 2013 by Guest