Direct Support

Through our childhood practice and administrative professional network, CALA can provide direct group support by phone, email, or face-to-face including:

• Termly Newsletter – sharing sector best practices, news and upcoming events
• Process and countersign PVG applications. Subsequent storage and disposal of certifications and identification
• Access to a network of CALA Members (e.g. nurseries, daycare, schools, childminders, and other Third Sector Organisations) with a wide range of experience in Early Years Learning and Childcare
• Representing the views and interests of CALA members locally and nationally (by going to national and local meetings we are representing and advocating for our members’ interests)
• Safeguarding Information & Guidance, for people working with and for children and families in Highland

Training

• Competitive rates for local training deliveries tailored to your needs (can be delivered in associate school group areas)
• Termly Training –  a blend of face-to-face and online training (often free or heavily discounted for members)
• Access to complimentary Childcare e-learning vouchers/e-books

Web-based

• Advertise vacancies online
• Submit articles for CALA’s termly newsletter, sharing sector best practices, news and upcoming events
• Provide content for CALA’s social media accounts such as local events, to encourage online engagement with parents, carers, practitioners and the local community

Members Zone Access

• Access to policies, procedures templates, and committee information
• Access to CALA’s Practitioner Portal 

Finance

• Payroll services at additional cost subject to availability
• Support, advice and information

Please note that membership benefits vary depending on your membership type. To see which benefits apply to each membership type – CLICK HERE 

CALA membership runs from 1st April to 31st March each year and is open to:

• Early Learning and Childcare Settings (including OSC) – from £45
• Baby and Toddler Group – £35
• Childminder – £35
• Individual / practitioner – £10

Please note that not all of the benefits of membership are available to every membership level. For a breakdown of which benefits apply to each level: CLICK HERE

Yes! CALA Childminder members can benefit from:

• Access to support and guidance 
• Guide you through the Care Inspectorate registration process
• Link with partners such as the Care Inspectorate and the Highland Council to discuss childminder training needs
• Provide business support – advice about finance, grants and other matters
• Answer any general queries and concerns
• Local, relevant (and mostly free!) training events
• CALA’s online presence – for information sharing, website, Twitter & Facebook
• Local presence and contact with childcare, finance and admin team
• Child protection information and specialist support from Child Protection designated officers
• Locally based knowledge and procedures in place
• The possibility of joining a network/ community of fellow childminders to share news, concerns or ideas
• As a CALA Childminder Member, you will also be able to download a wide selection of templates and documents including appropriate policies.

Please note: a few of the documents are available only once relevant training has been undertaken.

Here’s some recent feedback we received from one of our childminder members:
“I would highly recommend CALA. Such a helpful organisation and they have offered me and other Childminder’s lots of information and free courses.”

1. By signing up for membership for Care and Learning Alliance (CALA) services, you agree to support the values of the company.
2. CALA reserves the right to refuse or terminate membership at the company’s discretion. You have a right to appeal this decision in line with the company’s policies and procedures.
3. CALA reserves the right to update or change services as appropriate.
4. By joining CALA, members agree to provide current and accurate information to the company. If any information is found to be deliberately misleading membership may be suspended or terminated.
5. CALA members have a responsibility to inform CALA about any changes to contact information or circumstances which may affect their membership.  All information that is no longer required will be removed in line with our GDPR Policy.
6. Payment for CALA membership is due within 14 days of membership renewal or initial membership, after which period membership benefits may be suspended. Unless you contact CALA to discuss this further, your membership will be terminated after 14 days of non-payment.  Your details will be removed from our database in line with our GDPR Policy.
7. By taking out CALA membership you agree to receive the CALA Blog and other CALA correspondence that may be relevant for you. You may unsubscribe from either at any time by clicking on the link within the relevant email or by contacting the CALA office.

Website

Access to and use of our website and other services provided by CALA is on the following terms and, by using the website, you agree to be bound by these terms and our privacy policy, which shall take effect immediately on your first use of the website.

If you do not agree to be bound by all of the following terms please do not access, use and/or contribute to the website. You may wish to regularly check CALA Terms and Conditions as they may change from time to time.

Training

1. Bookings and cancellations – in the event of adverse weather or low numbers of bookings we reserve the right to cancel events at short notice. We will use your booking contact details to inform you of a cancellation. Where possible we will re-schedule the event but will offer a full refund (where you have paid for training) if this is not appropriate.

2. Cancellation by attendees – please telephone or email the course provider as soon as possible and at least 24 hours prior to the course to let them know if you cannot attend.

3. Payments for training – where required you should pay for your course at least 3 days in advance of the event date by Worldpay, Stripe or cheque as appropriate. Refunds policy – only under exceptional circumstances will payments be refunded.

4. CALA Online learning modules are offered to the general public at the advertised rate. CALA members may be entitled to reductions in charges per module or to free training. Only specific categories of membership may entitle the user to these benefits and these may be withdrawn at any time.

5. CALA seeks to ensure that all information provided either on the website, via training modules or courses is accurate, helpful and current. The information provided does not constitute legal or professional advice and we cannot accept any liability for actions or consequences arising from its use.

6. CALA cannot be held responsible for information provided by third parties; either provided on the site or accessed via links from the site. The inclusion of links to other sites or parties does not constitute an endorsement from the Care and Learning Alliance.

Termly Newsletter

1. By submitting articles for publication in CALA’s newsletter you are agreeing to the public sharing of your information on the website and email marketing. Items are subject to editing and publication at the discretion of the CALA team. Some articles may not be published due to the volume of items or if deemed inappropriate.

2. CALA does not include children’s names within web entries and goes to considerable lengths to ensure that appropriate permissions are always in place.

3. To participate and contribute to certain parts of our website e.g. the Members’ Zone or Newsletter, you may be required to register your details. Any personal information supplied as part of this registration process and or any other interaction will be collected, stored and used by our privacy policy.

4. All contributors to the website or Newsletter should conduct themselves professionally and appropriately ensuring that objectionable behaviours such as racism, bullying or other forms of harassment are avoided.

General

1. In accessing CALA online materials we take no responsibility for the smooth, uninterrupted, error-free running of any systems. However, if you come across any system-related issues please inform CALA as soon as possible and we will endeavour to rectify these promptly.

2. It is the responsibility of the web user to ensure they take necessary measures to ensure internet security and protection from viruses, etc.

3. All material contained on the CALA website, Members’ Zone and the E-Learning Zone, unless otherwise noted, is copyrighted and constitutes the intellectual property of CALA. You are not permitted to copy, adapt or use our information for any purposes, non-commercial or commercial, without receiving prior written consent.