Following further engagement from SCMA, the Scottish Government has agreed to put Self-Isolation, Under-5s and Testing on the agenda again of its public health advisory group taking place next week. SCMA has been asked to share with the Scottish Government any anecdotal information which we can provide to enable public health advisers to understand the experience of frontline childminders.

As members will be aware, SCMA has been very active in working to reduce childminders’ workload levels - which many of you have been reporting as being unsustainable. Recognising that there is no quick fix, and that this can’t be switched off overnight, we have been undertaking a series of actions to address this. Our latest action, earlier this week, took the form of making a detailed submission to an independent Expert Group about the impact that bureaucracy is having on our workforce. This stated that –

SCMA is delighted that our Community Childminding Service is expanding in Fife, in partnership with Fife Council. Our Community Childminding Service already covers Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline, Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy, and from October we will be undertaking a phased expansion to also be able to support children and families in all remaining areas of Fife. As such, SCMA is currently recruiting for more Community Childminders in Fife.