Alliance comments on the registration of the first childminder agency

28th October 2014

Commenting on the news that the first childminder agency, St Bede Academy in Bolton, has been registered, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said:

“We are disappointed that the Department for Education has failed to address sector concerns about childminder agencies before starting the roll-out of the initiative.

“Serious questions have been raised about the potential safeguarding implications of agency inspection plans, and yet we now have a situation where the first childminder agency has been registered even though we still have no real information on how agency inspections will work in practice and specifically, how they will ensure that child safety and wellbeing are protected.

“Add to this the fact that that are very few restrictions on who can register as an agency, and that agency quality assurance staff aren’t required to have any early years or childminding qualifications or experience, and it’s clear that the current agency model is not fit for purpose.

“As such, while we accept that agencies are now part of the early years landscape, it is vital that robust inspection and quality assurance processes are put place before government pushes ahead with this policy. Rushing to register new agencies before this has been done is clearly the wrong approach.”

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Notes for editors

  • The
  • The Alliance’s recent Early Years Agenda survey of 1270 childcare professionals revealed that:

- only 3% of childminders are planning to join a childminder agency
- 85% of childcare professionals oppose current agency inspection plans

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE:

  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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