{"id":27754,"date":"2021-02-11T10:51:56","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T10:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=27754"},"modified":"2021-02-11T12:44:28","modified_gmt":"2021-02-11T12:44:28","slug":"childminders-northern-ireland-form-first-ever-unite-branch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=27754","title":{"rendered":"‘Most of us have never met in person’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Childcare providers are the very backbone of the economy, especially in the UK, where an unusually high proportion \u00e2\u20ac\u201c about 70 per cent of two-parent households \u00e2\u20ac\u201c have both parents in work.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Northern Ireland, childminders, who care for children in their own homes, are especially vital because much of the region is made up of rural communities, where nurseries are few and far between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite their central importance, childminders in Northern Ireland have long felt left out in the cold, with no one to turn to for support when things went wrong, and no one representing their sector\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s interests in the halls of power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But now a growing group of childminders in Northern Ireland decided to take matters in their own hands. If no one was going to speak up for them, they were determined to do it themselves. And now they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re making history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the help of Unite, in the last nine months alone, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve formed their very own Registered Childminders (RCM) branch \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the first of its kind in trade union history — which now has more than 300 members. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had a number of unprecedented successes so far and have gone from strength to strength.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From Facebook to organised action<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It all started with a Facebook group, launched in 2014 called Childminders\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Chat Northern Ireland.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caroline Rice, a childminder for 13 years, is one of the founders of the Facebook group, and now serves as the Unite RCM branch secretary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI can remember us celebrating our Facebook group\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 100th member, and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re now standing at more than 1400 members,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she told UniteLIVE. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bOver 50 per cent of the entire registered childminders sector in Northern Ireland are members of our page.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, the group has served as a real \u00e2\u20ac\u015bcoffee room\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 for childminders to discuss any issues they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had, to swap information and offer support and advice, Caroline said. While the childminders had tried to join a union before, they previously weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t able to get their own branch off the ground.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThen the pandemic and lockdown hit and our lives were turned upside down overnight. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s when one of the childminders in the group came back to us saying he had a contact in the union and we can try and get our own branch,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Caroline recounted. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd we said to ourselves, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re pouncing on this \u00e2\u20ac\u201c we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not letting this opportunity go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just been onwards and upwards from there. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s amazing because we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve organised our own branch with Unite and in only nine months we now have more than 300 members \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and most of us have never met in person face-to-face in the same room. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really surreal.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, the Unite RCM branch in Northern Ireland has met with a number of Stormont politicians including the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, party leaders, as well as ministers and officials in the health, finance, and education departments. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve secured a seat at the table at the All Party Working Group on Early Education and Childcare, and have successfully lobbied for additional grants for childminders during the Covid crisis, which has hit the sector hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Covid crisis<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unite RCM member and childminder Linsday Baxter highlighted just how difficult things have been since the pandemic hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhen we first went into lockdown, childminders in Northern Ireland could only take on children who were on a key workers list,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Lindsay explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bNone of my children had parents who were on the list so I had no children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt was terrible \u00e2\u20ac\u201c obviously when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re self-employed, whenever you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t work, you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get paid. You worry about your bills, your house. And on top of that, having nothing to get up for in the morning \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it was absolutely awful.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caroline noted that the initial key worker list was very restrictive not only for childminders and their businesses, but for parents and the kids themselves too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe had families who were still going to work in lockdown but they had no access to childcare because they weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t on the key worker list,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere was no transparency in the key worker list \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it was just health and social care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAnd then these families were forced to put their children at risk by going to unregistered childminders or they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d go with grandparents at a time when that was very risky for the grandparents\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 health. But people had to \u00e2\u20ac\u201c they had no choice. It was also bad for the children because they needed consistency and stability and that rug was just pulled out from under them.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The RCM branch took their message straight to Stormont, tirelessly campaigning for extra funding for childminders in the form of grants throughout the pandemic. This month, the branch successfully lobbied for self-isolation grants for childminders that will be backdated to September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve also secured a major victory for the many childminders who are on Universal Credit. Typically, any additional income must be reported to Universal Credit, and claimants are often penalised for these extra funds. Initially, childminders were required to report their Covid recovery grants to Universal Credit authorities, which meant they wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get the full value of the grant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But thanks to lobbying from the RCM branch, childminders in Northern Ireland who are Universal Credit claimants are no longer required to include the emergency funding in their claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis is a massive victory,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Caroilne noted. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also backdated, so that if childminders had previously included grants in their Universal Credit claims, they can request a review to get the money refunded. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s made a huge difference for childminders who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve now been able to keep their doors open.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unite member Lorraine, who is both a childminder and foster carer, told UniteLIVE that the pandemic has had a massive impact on her business \u00e2\u20ac\u201c one that even persists now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI went from earning a decent monthly wage to nothing for months,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bEven now, the demand is just not there. So many children\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s parents are still working from home so they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need childminders.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Lorraine highlighted just how helpful the grants have been, saying that they \u00e2\u20ac\u015bhelped keep my business afloat\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond their campaigning work in Stormont, the Unite RCM branch is helping its childminder members in countless practical ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bKnowing that the union is there on the other end of the phone has been incredible,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Lindsay explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bEven with queries about paperwork, about inspections, about measures that we have to implement with Covid \u00e2\u20ac\u201c anything at all they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re always there to answer our questions.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0098My life suddenly stopped\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Childminders in Northern Ireland are particularly in need of support, having to navigate a heavily regulated system that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not fit for purpose and often not fair, Caroline noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had childminders suspended for a year or even two years for small allegations. We are quite vulnerable to malicious allegations. When it happens you often don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a leg to stand on and there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nowhere for you to go.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was precisely Lorraine\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s experience, who, despite having been a seasoned childminder for more than a decade, suddenly found herself suspended after a malicious allegation last August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI had a child leave and the parent didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to pay the four weeks\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 notice on the contract. This  parent waited a week after the child left then phoned social services and made an allegation against me. Then I had an unannounced visit from Early Years [teams of social workers which inspect childminders] and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like my life suddenly stopped.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lorraine was suspended pending the investigation, so for thirteen weeks she was barred from childminding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI went to Caroline and some of the other girls. I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t able to work and was desperate for support and they told me, this is exactly what your union is for.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lorraine then contacted Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s RCM branch organiser Keith Murdiff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bHe was fantastic, Lorraine explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bHe talked me through what we could do. He gave me more confidence to actually deal with Early Years. He gave me the proper advice and how to approach everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThen I had to go to a panel meeting \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it was a bit strange because it was on Zoom \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and Keith was able to attend that meeting and any other meetings I had with the Early Years social workers. The whole ordeal was over in a matter of hours after Unite got involved.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0098If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re part of the union, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll help you the whole way\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After her experience, Lorraine urged other childminders to join Unite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI have said to the other girls you need to join for what it costs you; it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s incredibly valuable,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bYou can pay more than that for a cup of coffee. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really buttons for the support that you get. You can suddenly find yourself in the situation I was in and the union offers you that protection.  I was out of work for 13 weeks after the allegation, but it could have easily been six months or more. If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re part of the union, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll help you the whole way.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Caroline, being part of Unite has given her the confidence to become an advocate for childminders in Northern Ireland, many of whom, like her, are struggling in so many different ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a single parent, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m self-employed, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a childcare provider, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m on Universal Credit and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m basically working on the breadline. So I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been able to speak from personal experience about a lot of the struggles that people are facing right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBeing part of the union has pushed me to speak out, whereas before I only spoke out locally. Now I feel like I can speak out openly about my circumstances; I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not ashamed of my circumstances. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been on the TV, the news \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I would never have ever done that in my life if it were not for the union. The activist in me has reared its ugly head — and it ain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t going back!\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Heart Unions week this week, Unite organiser Keith Murdiff, who has worked with the RCM branch to get it up and running, hailed the members and their work. \u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe RCM branch is so special because they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done all this work all themselves really,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Keith told UniteLive. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis is a real grassroots campaign of working-class people \u00e2\u20ac\u201c mostly women but we have men too — working together during the pandemic, getting organised and educating themselves, and just helping each other out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhat makes it all the more remarkable is that these childminders are self-employed so they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t come from a trade union background. So they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had to learn about working and acting collectively, learn about the inner structures of our union, and then they have had to navigate all that in the middle of a pandemic, where most of them have never even met face-to-face. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re an incredible group of people who I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m very fortunate to work with. I feel they have taught me as much as I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve taught them.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can find out more about the Unite RCM Northern Ireland branch on their Facebook page here. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Hajera Blagg<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Childcare providers are the very backbone of the economy, especially in the UK, where an unusually high proportion \u00e2\u20ac\u201c about 70 per cent of two-parent households \u00e2\u20ac\u201c have both parents in work.\u00c2\u00a0 In Northern Ireland, childminders, who care for children in their own homes, are especially vital because much of the region is made up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27755,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[1337,1575,219],"wps_subtitle":"Registered childminders in Northern Ireland organise first-ever childminders branch in trade union history \u00e2\u20ac\u201c in the middle of pandemic. Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s their inspiring story.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27754"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27754"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27772,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27754\/revisions\/27772"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}