Visit to a Quality Assured childminder in Noel Park to see more of how the Sure Start program works.

Patty and Roger Wanasen are the childminding couple who I am visiting in their home. The sun is beating down and Patty has told me not to eat before I arrive as she is preparing a picnic lunch. As I arrive I am thinking that it is too hot to sit out in the garden having a picnic and that the children will all get sunburnt etc. When I arrive and am walked through to the garden, however, I see an outdoor palace for children. Proper shading provided by the sort of tents you see at Henley or Wimbledon – one shading a table laid out with a feast (no other word can describe it) and the other covering a play area stuffed with children’s delights in terms of toys and play items.

And all the children and all their parents are there. It was totally delightful – and a truly good news story.

Childminding has always born the brunt of bad associations – the image being someone who has a child and takes in others to made a bit of money, puts them in front of the TV, gives them chips and crisps and takes no notice if they cry.

Well – this is as far from that as you can get. To be Quality Assured through the Childminding Network – locally co-ordinated by Naima in Noel Park – you have to jump through some pretty high hoops in terms of child nutrition, safety, knowledge and so on. Patty shows me around her house which really is a shrine to her love of children and her work – and shows me all of the record keeping on menus for the week, fire drills, accident book, attendance and all the certificates of various training achievement that both she and her husband Roger have attained. Patty is still a bit upset because OFSTED (yes that one) have given her ‘good’ rather than ‘outstanding’ and she doesn’t know why as she has poured her life and love into her childminding.

I have to say I am astounded too – I cannot imagine a better childminder setup or people more committed and warm and lovely. It’s just what you want when you have to leave your child somewhere – someone who will care as much as you. I thought they were outstanding and take the OFSTED report to study it. One parent suggests to me that OFSTED don’t like the free play time that Patty and Roger include. OFSTED apparently like children to be worked and instructed non-stop. I agree with the parent – free play time to do nothing, muck around or stare at the sky is vital. I will see when I read the report. But if that is what the case is – then it needs arguing against with OFSTED directly!

All the parents, and both mums and dads were there, were over the moon with the facilities and the personalities (which after all are paramount I reckon) of their childminders – and several of them had decided to keep their child there until school rather than go on to nursery.

All in all, superb. Then on to surgery at Jackson’s Lane for another couple of hours. Hot work…