thumperrabbit Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 We have found out this week as of next academic year ALL free training will go. So for those of you who have already been paying for your training roughly how much are we going to have to budget?? Quote
Fredbear Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Nearly all our free training has gone for quite some time now. It is still discounted but still works out approximately for our first aid training £850.00 + hire of facility, this is every three years, safeguarding for three members £100. We just do the essential ones now which is such a shame. To be honest our funding level is not fit for purpose now, worry where it's all going to end. Are others struggling too.:) Quote
finleysmaid Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 we have become very creative with our training budget.....use lots of online courses/plan for where and when /record internal training etc etc the one thing i won't compromise on is our first aid training (we always seem to have children with challenging conditions!) but i spread it out so never have more than 2 people every year. We are doing some work with another school next week so that will be paid training ...that's probably it for this term. If i need to do something expensive we will go and find grants to cover it. 1 Quote
Mouseketeer Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 We purchase 'credits' now, 1 credit being £20, most of the courses cost 0.5 or 1 credit, so it is still quite heavily subsidised, I think our safeguarding is still free at the moment, but there seems to be a bit more 'must do' training now...which is ok if it's offered within an hour of setting Quote
Foreveryoung Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Safeguarding free here, all others chargeable varies between £25-80 we now tend to send one person on and they deliver it back into setting. I tend to go on quite a few and then do the in house delivery. I also do research and train staff in house in subjects I feel we need to look at so as to keep things moving, kinda secretly love power point lol. As finleysmaid says it's about being creative. Found good hygiene for £15 bargain Quote
Cait Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Cumbria LSCB has some free safeguarding training. Educare also offer some online training and some of it is free if you are with PSLA Quote
lynned55 Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Well we have had no training offered free or otherwise, since I cant remember when....... I have had a member of staff working for me for just over two years and for the first time since she started they have offered some Senco training.(which is free) Quote
shiptonpreschool Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 This is our second year that we have had to pay for training. We can purchase places from the LA at £70 per place, but First Aid we have to source ourselves. I am becoming increasingly concerned over the expectations Ofsted and the Government place on us, however we don't have the finances to meet all of their demands. We are a small rural Pre-school which has charity status. I have felt for a long time that there is a "bigger plan" we are not privvy to and eventually all of us smaller groups will be replaced with either big chains or the schools who are being urged to take children from 2 years old. Maybe I'm just an old cynic but thats certainly how it feels. Good luck with budgeting for your training...I'm just about to source Safeguarding!!! 4 Quote
louby loo Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 . I have felt for a long time that there is a "bigger plan" we are not privvy to and eventually all of us smaller groups will be replaced with either big chains or the schools who are being urged to take children from 2 years old. Maybe I'm just an old cynic but thats certainly how it feels. I have thought this for a long time now . I really don't think we fit the government remit with regards to getting people working. We don't really offer actual 'childcare' other than for school based jobs, added to that all staff are so low paid that they do not give much back into the system with regards to tax + NI payments. Its so sad sometimes I really long for the old 'playgroups' type ethos. (That said- I don't mean going back to 'adults drink tea and watch while children play with a few toys and puzzles!!! ) 5 Quote
Stargrower Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 None of our training is free except safeguarding. We have to budget much more carefully. I really like Finleysmaid's positive approach to this though. Thinking outside the box! :1b 1 Quote
louby loo Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 If people do in house training, do you make up certificates for them? We do in house, and a formal cascading which we minute in meetings, I also have a training/dev chart which log everything on. Quote
Panders Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 (edited) I am assuming that this may only be happening in Kent, but, when Kent stopped our free training, I don't really know who started it off first i.e., settings or Kent, but we formed groups called Collaborations. So local groups got together to purchase training to make it cheaper per head. Kent then gave Collaborations money for training this was dependant upon how many staff there were in each of the Collaborations. We meet each term and decide what training would be useful and book it, if we have any spare places to fill we offer it to other Collaborations or those groups who did not want to join in in the first place and found out just how expensive training can be, it is offered to them to make us a small profit to plough back into the Collaboration funds for the next round of bookings. If this is not happening in your area may be you could start up your own Collaboration with a few local groups, make your own rules up on how to run it. I know we are all already very busy and Kent have given us help to set these up but I have to say it has been well worthwhile. Edited February 27, 2015 by Panders Quote
Guest Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 Hey panders were you at the collaborations meeting day, I was there. Collaborations are proving to be a great way to support each other, network and help cut training costs . It was kent that suggested and started the groups. Ours is a big group but I know there are smaller ones as well. Narrowing the gap including Inclusion is currently free, we have to pay for everything else including safe guarding Quote
Panders Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 Hi Suer, no I missed the original meeting but at a networking twilight session meeting my old SIP introduced me to the Collaboration leader, so very nearly missed out on it all. The training we have used has been great. Quote
thumperrabbit Posted February 28, 2015 Author Posted February 28, 2015 I am assuming that this may only be happening in Kent, but, when Kent stopped our free training, I don't really know who started it off first i.e., settings or Kent, but we formed groups called Collaborations. So local groups got together to purchase training to make it cheaper per head. Kent then gave Collaborations money for training this was dependant upon how many staff there were in each of the Collaborations. We meet each term and decide what training would be useful and book it, if we have any spare places to fill we offer it to other Collaborations or those groups who did not want to join in in the first place and found out just how expensive training can be, it is offered to them to make us a small profit to plough back into the Collaboration funds for the next round of bookings. If this is not happening in your area may be you could start up your own Collaboration with a few local groups, make your own rules up on how to run it. I know we are all already very busy and Kent have given us help to set these up but I have to say it has been well worthwhile. This sounds interesting - Who starts the Collaboration off, a setting or Authority? Does a member of the Authority attend your meetings? Who is actually 'in control'? How do you know who to approach to do the training or do you just use your Authority people? Is it just PVI or do you invite 'maintained / school nurseries'? The only thing that I'm concerned about it almost making yet another job for myself by arranging everyone elses training :blink: Quote
Guest Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 Our LA have always offered training at a highly subsidised rate. Majority of our courses are only £20-30 per place, then we get emails through the year about free courses being run too. They're one offs that our LA manage to arrange as brilliant experiences. I've been on 3-4 of them, including the Making It REAL training on literacy development with parents. Quote
thumperrabbit Posted February 28, 2015 Author Posted February 28, 2015 we have become very creative with our training budget.....use lots of online courses/plan for where and when /record internal training etc etc the one thing i won't compromise on is our first aid training (we always seem to have children with challenging conditions!) but i spread it out so never have more than 2 people every year. We are doing some work with another school next week so that will be paid training ...that's probably it for this term. If i need to do something expensive we will go and find grants to cover it. Grants??!! Now that is a job and a half isn't it? think I need a training course (free obviously!) in how to be successful I've been successful in getting a grant due to the affluent area we are in (Parish council & schools struggle too) where do you manage to get grants from? So with for example your First Aid training, do you go to the provider who your Authority have recommended or do you go with the cheapest option you can find, as long as relevant? Quote
finleysmaid Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 Grants??!! Now that is a job and a half isn't it? think I need a training course (free obviously!) in how to be successful I've been successful in getting a grant due to the affluent area we are in (Parish council & schools struggle too) where do you manage to get grants from? I have one of my trustees just for this job (it suits her really well as she can fit it in when she has time) There are lots of websites that can give you ideas but the recent ones we have used are Local trusts (google and find out what they are for... they sometimes match fund) Local shops....tesco/sainsbury's /waitrose (green token scheme) co-op (local fund) /budgens all have schemes to give back to their community ...if there are new shops/offices being built you can ask your local council if there is any development money(they have to pay this to the community...schools get preference but you may be eligible. Company charity money....find out who your parents work for ...do they have a charitable division? we got some money from an IT company to help with outdoor provision but you need personal connections! Banks ...if you have any connections often do match funding Donations from parents/shops and businesses (got £400 of plants last year from a garden centre for the verge outside pre-school) Parents can sometimes give you time too ...we have a Dad who does lots of our diy and our gardener now looks out for items for us on his travels turning up with all sort of bits and pieces Get in with your local council...talk to them about your needs and the value of what you do. Make links with rotary /lions clubs etc they will often help with projects My motto now is if you don't ask you dont get! 2 Quote
Panders Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 This sounds interesting - Who starts the Collaboration off, a setting or Authority? Does a member of the Authority attend your meetings? Who is actually 'in control'? How do you know who to approach to do the training or do you just use your Authority people? Is it just PVI or do you invite 'maintained / school nurseries'? The only thing that I'm concerned about it almost making yet another job for myself by arranging everyone elses training :blink: well as I said I. My post it is an extra job which someone has taken on for the benefit of us all in the Collaboration. I am aware of a groundswell in my area about a few of us getting together to pool our resources, especially for core training, however Suer has posted that the Collaboration idea has been put forward by Kent Count Council and because of that they have given a lot of time and help to get this idea off the ground. we have had a member of Kent at our last meeting but she was discussing something quite specific. I would say the members are in control, we choose who to use for training, where and when and who to sell our unused places to and at what cost that will be. I think anyone who was in the pre-school field could join a collaboration, however there are not too many school based nurseries in our area. 1 Quote
Guest Posted March 1, 2015 Posted March 1, 2015 Collaborations are controlled by settings, maintained are not included as there funding is different from PVI We set our own agenda, constitution, bank account, we charge £20 for the year to go towards higher ing the room we use, we meet about 5 times during the year. We arrange training, networking, visiting each other, we pass on info, arrange speakers. Although the initial collaboration idea came via the LEA the lead now is very much independent It has been really good and supportive as there is so little now x Quote
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