Sam's Pledges

This is technically the 'terms and conditions', but I've made it personal by calling it Sam's Pledges because well, the Hub is personal and so is being a childminder!

(If you're reading this and wondering who Sam is, please have a nosey at the Story Behind the Hub).

Childminders open up their hearts and homes to the families that need them and it doesn't get much more personal than that!

Creating the Hub really has been a dream come true and a long time in the making - I've been tipping the knowledge and experience from my head into it, collaborating and collecting and seeking answers for questions I can't answer to ensure I provide up to date information you can rely on. It's an ongoing project and this leads me into my first pledge...

'Stickler for Details'

Pledge One - The Hub is a community created for connection, and as much as I will add lots of content, the 'hive mind' is needed too! Members are actively encouraged to post freely across all of the Hub's Collections and Spaces and do not need to wait for 'admin approval'.

Pledge Two - I am a stickler for details and sharing information directly from the 'horse's mouth. I detest misinformation and scaremongering in the childminding community, so all the content I share within the Hub is accurate and to the best of my knowledge. If an issue ever arises, I will look into it as quickly as possible!

Whilst I do have extensive knowledge and experience, and I am an avid researcher, I absolutely do not claim to be an expert in childminding and quite frankly, never would! I only share what I believe to be accurate and true, and if someone asks me something I don't know the answer too, I will always be honest about that and do my best to find out!

Pledge Three - One of my favourite parts of working within the childminding community is 'chatting' with members and I spend as much time as I can doing this! But at the same time, I am also monitoring content to ensure there is nothing inappropriate that goes against the Hub's membership rules. I am responsible for the content that members post (see Pledge Six) and anything that does not comply will be removed and could lead to a person's subscription being cancelled.

Pledge Four - Honesty and integrity are important to me and it's how I accidentally built my reputation as a trusted childminding source through social media. I say 'accidentally' as I never set out to achieve that; I experienced the isolation and vulnerability that comes with childminding and thought others must feel the same, so I set about seeking solidarity and over time, established a whole community.

AI is sometimes used for research purposes and to support written resources, but every single sentence is fact checked, edited and carefully reviewed by me to make sure it's accurate, relevant and worthy of the Hub.

Accountability and Evolution

Pledge Five - Childminders are a unique breed collectively, but individually they come from all walks of life and career experiences. Different opinions are always welcome within the Hub, but making things personal is an absolute no no! I will always handle any situations that arise fairly and I will take appropriate action if needed! I hope that is just a 'chat' with the members concerned, but if I have too, I will remove a person and cancel their subscription.

Pledge Six - The Hub wouldn't exist without Mighty Networks and using them means that I have to follow all their policies and ensure members are doing so too! I do this to the best of my knowledge and skill set to ensure the Hub operates within the law and the terms of my contract with Mighty Networks. I am accountable for the Hub's content, hence why I am strict about membership and monitoring! If I have any doubts about a person trying to join, their application will be declined. I reserve the right to refuse membership to anyone, or cancel a membership, and my decision is final.

Pledge Seven - Prior to the Hub's launch, I set up all the Collections and Spaces, before adding introductory content to each, to explain what the function of each space is. This was to 'get the ball rolling', so members can post in any space from day one, even if I haven't gotten round to adding content there yet.

I will post across all spaces as often as I can and I actively search the news and government policies etc. to ensure I am sharing the latest information and keeping members up to date!

Some areas of the Hub may looks sparser than others, but over time they will fill up with the contributions from members and myself! The names and intentions for some Collections and Spaces may also change as the Hub evolves and I respond to what members need!

Pledge Eight - My own knowledge and experience comes from the childminding system in England, but I have been learning about how things are done in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland! There are of course many overlapping areas, but some of the more technical information and statutory requirements are different within each country.

If there is something that a member needs, for their specific country, they can get in touch with me and I will get onto it! This work is ongoing as I do my utmost to ensure the Hub is inclusive for childminders across the whole of the United Kingdom!

Availability and Communication

Pledge Nine - The Hub is available for members to access all day everyday, but I have boundaries in place and I am not available to respond to messages 24/7! However, I know that the majority of childminders deal with their admin tasks first thing in the morning, during nap time (if they're lucky), or of an evening, and so I try to pick up messages as often as I can!

I don't keep standard office hours as that doesn't work for my family and let's face it, things have changed a lot post covid! I endeavour to approve memberships and reply to messages (both inside and outside the Hub) as quickly as possible, but at busier times this may take a couple or days or so! If there is a reason I need to close for three or more days (holiday, illness or emergency), then I will do my best to make that clear so people understand why they maybe waiting!

Pledge Ten - There will be no mithering or chat bots! People aren't added to mailing lists and sent nonsense by me, and I certainly don't pass on information to third parties without express permission! I contact people for genuine reasons (usually because they've been in touch first) and conversations are held with me directly! I don't have a customer service team to handle enquiries, they are all answered by me as I 'wear all the hats'!

Pledge Eleven - I don't have a crystal ball to see how the Hub will grow, but I am of course hopeful that it will do well and support as many childminders across the UK as possible! If it's becoming too much and I am unable to give my best to everything, I may temporarily pause new memberships! If I am in the position to take on staff, they will be selected carefully, have a DBS check and must share my values and exceptionally high standards for the Hub!

Pledge Twelve - I am not responsible for the content of external websites that are shared within the Hub by either myself or members! Links are monitored and if they are discovered to have changed or be broken, they will be updated or removed!

Collaboration and Sincerity

Pledge Thirteen - The businesses that partner with the Hub are handpicked because they are run by lovely people who champion childminders and share the Hub's values. Wherever possible, I will also secure a discount for Hub members and occasionally, I may financially benefit from a collaboration too and I will always be transparent. Personal financial gain will never be the reason I choose to partner with a business, but it maybe a consequence of it.

Pledge Fourteen - I will share my own childminding paperwork within the Hub (from childmindingpaperwork.com) and will offer a 10% discount for all active members. On occasion, I may create content that offers a greater insight into my packs to provide support to childminders and I will also benefit financially from packs sold.

There are other great organisations out there that sell paperwork and I do not 'hold the monopoly' on childminding paperwork within the Hub, but I am proud of my work and will talk about it. It's my plan to eventually bring my paperwork under the umbrella of the Hub and have it all as one business!

Pledge Fifteen - If a business asks to send merchandise for testing or promotion, I will consider the benefit to the members of the Hub and make a decision based on that. Through my social media group, businesses sometimes asked if they could send me free products to review and promote, but I always declined and instead purchased resources I liked and shared them instead.

Now, I no longer childmind, I don't have mindees to buy resources for, so it makes sense to accept some resources from businesses and arrange for them to be sent out to members who can test and review them in their settings!

Pledge Sixteen - What you see is what get! As I mentioned at the start of these pledges, I've tipped my head and heart into this and it's personal! This created a obstacle when I was trying to get the Hub out, as the self doubt crept in, but I finally accepted that what other people think of me is none of my business!

I am a normal working mum with no gimmicks or agenda, who had an idea and made it happen with a lot of hard graft. I've learnt so much from making mistakes, finding solutions and persevering and I am proud of what I have created, but also understand that the Hub and I will not be everyone's cup of tea!

I hope so much that the Hub is a successful community that provides much needed information, support and connection to those that embrace it!

Sam's Pledges

​'Stickler for Details'

Accountability and Evolution

Availability and Communication

Collaboration and Sincerity

'Stickler for Details'