PLANS to axe an expert childcare support team have been described as "dangerous" by an organisation representing hundreds of childminders.

The Out of School and Childminding Team, which provides training and advice to the borough's 500 childminders, is to be scrapped as part of the council's cost-cutting redesign of children's centre services.

But Croydon Childminding Association (CCA) says the move will leave carers with nowhere to turn when confronted with complex child protection issues.

Chairman Lucy Giffen, 37, said: "After last year's redundancies there is a team of just four people covering 500 childminders.

"Now the rest are going as well, which will put childminders in a dangerous situation.

"What the team does is immeasurable. They provide us with training and support, even before you become registered.

"They also provide information and advice if you are worried that a child may have been abused.

"If you get rid of that level of support, childminders don't really have anyone to turn to. We rely on their expertise and losing it will leave us in a bit of a mess."

The council could not provide specific details of the proposed changes to the way it supports childminders.

It is understood the proposals involve scrapping the Out of School and Childminding Team, based at Leon House. Discussions with staff are due to close today (Friday).

Children's centres will be asked to provide support and guidance to childminders, as part of an "early years learning community" that links the services available to parents.

This redesigned structure will also save money, with some of the borough's 26 children's centres likely to close as the council attempts to save £45 million by 2015.

CCA is concerned the changes will threaten the high standards of childminding in Croydon.

Nationally, 65 per cent of childminders are rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted. In Croydon, that figure is 81 per cent.

Registered childminder Marion Brown said: "I believe Croydon childminders are currently some of the best in London because they have been supported by people who really know all of us, and the issues we face day-to-day.

"It would be a shame for parents and children to end up losing such an excellence service that we need even more in a time of cuts to services."

Childminders will be able to help to shape the way the new service is designed at workshops to be held in the summer.

A council spokesman said: "Improvements made over the last decade have led to very good Ofsted ratings, and it is our intention to see things improve still further – even in a time of deep financial cuts across the whole council."