Alliance comments on new childminder agency inspection handbook

11th January 2016

Commenting on the release of the childminding agencies inspection handbook, published today, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said:

“This handbook, published over a year after the registration of the first childminder agency, highlights exactly why agencies are such a flawed idea and why they have had such a low take-up rate.

“°ϲʹ ratings are widely viewed by parents to be a key quality marker for early years providers, and yet, despite this, only 10% of registered childminders are likely to be visited by °ϲʹ directly - and even then, the purpose of these visits is to ‘assess the effectiveness of the agency’s arrangements for assuring the quality of its childminders’, and not the actual quality of the childminders. With agencies themselves only rated as either ‘effective’ or ‘ineffective’, how can parents feel confident of the standard of care being given to their children?

“Given the level of concerns that the sector has raised about agencies, particularly those around safeguarding and welfare, it is disappointing that that inspectorate is pushing ahead with this flawed initiative. It may be a cheaper way to inspect childminders, but as we in the early years know well, doing things on the cheap and ensuring the provision of high quality care and education are two objectives which simply do not align.”

For further information or to interview, Neil Leitch, Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance please contact:

Emma Caldwell
Pre-school Learning Alliance
T: 020 7697 2598
E: Emma Caldwell

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Notes for editors

  1. The Pre-school Learning Alliance is the largest voluntary sector provider of quality affordable childcare and education in England.
  2. Through direct provision and its membership of 14,000 nurseries, sessional pre-schools and parent and toddler groups, the Alliance supports over 800,000 children and their families in England. The Alliance also develops and runs family learning programmes, offers information and advice, runs acclaimed training and accreditation programmes and campaigns to influence early years policy and practice.
  3. For information about the Pre-school Learning Alliance, visit our website:

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