My Lords, I would like to speak to the group of amendments including Clause 74 stand part, Amendments 237, 239, 240 and government Amendments 240A to 240Q on childminder agencies. As regards Clause 74 stand part, I welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue. There are superb childminders right across the country, but their numbers have fallen
significantly in the past 20 years. Through the introduction of agencies we aim to increase the number of childminders in the market, and provide an affordable, high-quality service to parents. This is enabling legislation. Childminder agencies will be voluntary. No childminder will be forced to join an agency. However, some childminders, especially those new to the profession, may want to take advantage of the support that agencies can offer.
Securing high-quality outcomes for children is central to the agency concept. The noble Baroness, Lady Morgan of Huyton, the chair of Ofsted, told us when we met with Peers last week that when childminders work together, there is a clear improvement in quality. Ofsted regards this as a way of professionalising the sector and driving up standards. Ofsted will play an essential role in ensuring this through its inspection of an agency—including, for example, observing a sample of childminders registered with the agency to make sure that the agency is providing a high-quality service.
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Affordability of childcare is a growing concern for working parents. Agencies will be able to operate more cost efficiently by reducing administrative burdens on individual childminders and helping them to fill their spare places. This and increasing the number of childminders will help make it more affordable for parents.
Amendment 237 tabled by the noble Baronesses, Lady Hughes of Stretford and Lady Jones of Whitchurch, would delay the coming into effect of the childminder agency provisions until after a period of consultation. We already have plans for consultation on agencies. During the course of the passage of the Bill through the other place, my colleague the Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs committed the Government to consulting on the key requirements for registration for agencies, and we will bring forward plans to do so in due course.
On the point of the noble Baroness, Lady Morgan, and my noble friend Lady Walmsley about piloting, we are supporting trials and will disseminate the learning so that others who may be interested may follow. No one will be forced to set up or join an agency. Twenty organisations are participating in these trials, including local authorities, schools, children’s centres, nursery providers and private companies. Of the 20 trials, six are private businesses, eight are local authorities and two are academies.
I will take the second question of the noble Baroness, Lady Hughes, away, but I know that fostering agencies, which will probably be many of the organisations concerned and cover a large proportion of the fostering market, are expected to secure the quality of their carers. We do not expect Ofsted to visit every one.