Staff at the National Childminding Association believe in what they are doing which helps explain why they are so happy and contented at work. Employees report high levels of engagement with the charity; belief in its values gains an 86% positive score with 85% for strong principles underpinning it. "People often choose to work for charities to achieve a common goal — in this instance the wellbeing of children. We aren't just a decent employer, we're a decent cause," says chief executive Liz Bayram. Accountant Carol Barrett is among those who prefer to work for an organisation that does good. "I'm a mother myself and my mother is a childminder registered with the NCMA. I'm 100% behind it. I would recommend working here because of what they stand for," she says. Although established in 1977 solely for childminders — who look after other people's children (often as well as their own) in their own homes — the association now encompasses nannies as well. The staff fill a wide range of support roles, with the common objective of helping home-based carers to deliver professional, flexible childcare. Home-based childcare is certainly not glorified babysitting: all childcarers are registered with Ofsted and considered part of the "early years workforce". There are 75,000 registered childminders in England and Wales, almost 50,000 of them on the books of the NCMA. An estimated 120,000 nannies work in the UK and 18,000 childminders care only for children aged eight or over. Childminder Peter Stiefel left his job of more than 20 years as a City banker and began his new career in 2004, which he practices with his wife Claire. He says: "I decided to take up childminding primarily to spend more time with my own children by working from home. Also the mundaneness of the daily commute, the office politics and the futility of punching keys on a keyboard from nine to five quite honestly made it an easy decision." Many employees began their careers as childminders and through working with the NCMA as volunteers in local groups and committees gained the skills, knowledge and experience necessary for a job with the association, bringing a wealth of on-the-job experience in the process. Career progression is a strength, as Pat Evans, development manager for Wales, testifies: "I've always enjoyed working for the NCMA, I've been there from the start as a childminder. "My personal development has been great, from being a childminder to being a committee member and then a member of staff. It's very much an empowering organisation for personal development." The 81% positive score for personal growth shows most employees agree with her. The association has 40 separate offices, which can make liaising between them hard. Strong leadership and transparent communication contribute to making sure everyone feels a part of the larger organisation. The chief executive attends regional and local events and the senior management team are readily available to all levels of staff. A flexible working policy allows job sharing, home working, compressed and reduced hours, flexitime and term time-only contracts. Holiday allowance is above average, starting at 25 days per year and rising to 30 days with length of service. Three types of portable pension schemes are available and the association gives 6% while employee contributions are entirely voluntary.