Hello and Welcome to the One Voice site,
History
This site was originally set up by Penny Webb, a registered childminder from Worcestershire who is very concerned about the proposals within the ‘More Great Childcare’ document.
The concerns led Penny to set up a petition (with the support of Laura Henry and Nathan Archer) to enable people to voice their concerns and to join together in signing a petition.
The next step in the campaign was to set up this site to provide a platform to bring together all those who are concerned about the Government’s plans for early years setting as described in the document ‘More Great Childcare’, and who want to speak with One Voice.
The intention behind the site is that anyone who wants their information to be added to One Voice this can be done by emailing the information to:
togetherforquality@hotmail.co.uk
Moving Forward
Over the last few months it has become clear that despite over 80,000 people signing the various petitions (in particular the ones set up by Penny, the Pre-school Learning Alliance, Melanie James and the Childmindinghelp forum), numerous articles, letters and blogs that the government is not listening to the sectors concerns
The general feeling within the sector is ‘Enough is Enough’ and we can not allow the government to implement changes that are not in the best interests of the children.
June O’Sullivan has suggested that we ‘Reclaim Early Years’ and so the One Voice site will now support this campaign and become an information point (please see the page ‘Reclaim Early Years’)- which seems a natural development as the site already contains a wealth of information about the sectors concerns and issues related to the governments proposals in More Great Childcare.
Important
June O’Sullivan has now posted her new blog with ideas for June 1st – please see the Reclaim Early Years page
Support from the National Union of Teachers
The National Union of Teachers are now supporting the original ratio petition, the One Voice website and the Reclaim Early Years day
The One Voice site is constantly being updated and changes made to make it easier to read and navigate. This is work in progress and is being carried out by Jennifer McQuillan, free of charge, to support the campaign.
It will be much easier to find all information in one place
I may be being a bit dim and missing it but I can’t find a ‘contact us’ link anywhere…
Like I said – being a bit thick. I just found the email address buried in the blurb.
Thank you for comments Rebecca
I agree that it is not that clear – as although the contact email address is on lots of different pages – their is not a ‘contact us’ page.
I will add one – in due course. I have to admit that IT is not my thing at all – and as this blog is set up and run by me – I only have my not very satisfactory method of trial and error to work things out.
An excellent idea to collate information and links all in one place. We all need to step up, stand up and be heard..together.
I’m on your list! Silly but very chuffed to see my name up there. Wish I was doing more but feeling a bit inadequate and impotent. Spent 3 hours of child-free time this afternoon while kids at cinema/mothers day shopping with DH, trawling through reports and policy papers and trying to summarise issues and evidence. I’m now brain dead and in total awe of you Penny, and similarly Sarah Neville and Simona MacKenzie, and all the others above who seem so much more capable and have made themselves figures of real influence.
Edited by P.Webb on 3.3.13 in response to comments recieved
Thank you for your comments Rebecca – and your name is there for good reason! You are one of the people who email me things directly (rather than sharing via Social Media)
I am very sadden that not everyone wants to join together through One Voice for the sake of the children of this country.
I think it is important to include links to as much information as possible including different forums / petitions.
It is up to each person / group to decide if the impact of joining together through One Voice is more important than any personal agenda
Unfortunately I do not have the capacity to check every forum and every website or every media article and so do have to rely on people to send me information
There are a lot of people who are influential and doing a lot in their own ways for the campaign – but if everyone spoke with One Voice – we could do so much more.
Edited on 3.3.13 by P.Webb in response to comments recieved
Well done Penny for being professional and being able to rise above egos.
Am I alone in thinking if the two initial petitions had been joint we would be looking at a petition of 60,000 plus signatures……now that would have been a show of sector unity.
My feeling is that at a time when immense change is being proposed to the Early Years sector a united stand will carry far more influence. While personalities seek personal “pats on the back” while in fact spreading panic by speculating on what the proposed changes will actually mean for all involved, can only in my view, be counter productive to a sector that already struggles to be respected and valued.
Time after time and on all the social media, Childminders, Parents, childcare professionals etc are saying the same things are important to them. As sector professionals I see our role as helping to shape and direct any changes proposed through proper meaningful engagement rather than headline grabbing tactics.
Hear Hear Bea, we all need to stick together. I am on different forums just because they exist, and I have joined the Independent Childminders Focus Group because not only am I opposed to agencies, but I also believe that we need to have a voice in maintaining the same terms that we work under now in respect of inspection costs, training availability etc and this will be easier to negotiate as a body rather than an individual.
But I also share here as much as I can, and I for one am very grateful for all of the hard work that Penny is putting into this. I don’t really understand why others chose not to share or work together.
Loving the new look site Penny too. Much more user friendly
Some thoughts on what we as a profesdion need to do.
1 Keep to actions needed to change minds.
2 Post exact information about consequences.
3 Put last short message about feelings and links to posdible voting intentions. government bit wobbly after eastleigh and if large number of possible voters question their priorities they might adapt. essential to gather birws of all together. if we cant find our way around our own side then no one else will even try.