To wonder why nursery needs to see ds's red book?

[Wanderingwondering]

Message from nursery today that according to ofsted guidelines they NEED to see he children's red books.
This is apparently so they can 'ensure your child's needs are fully met and to ensure that your child has the best possible chance of meeting their full potential'

I've got nothing to hide but there is quite a lot of my personal information in there-breastfeeding issues etc and I'm not sure I want to share that level of information!

Has anyone else had this request?

teenandtween my DS is 18 and his is blue. DD's in their twenties never had a book at all.
OP I would say you have lost it.

Both DCs have been through nursery and I have never been asked for their red books, nor have I been asked about their immunisations. I would seriously question where this has come from, and no way would I hand the red book to someone who is not a healthcare professional.

Lavender - Thank you. DD2 is 11 so that might explain it.

I think it would reflect badly on me to say I've lost it.
I work with children with special needs and agree that sometimes the birth history can be enlightening but I think that is a question that could be raised more sensitively and, with respect to nursery workers, someone with more expertise in the area.

I've never had to show the red books for all three of my children. My eldest has AS, it was picked up at nursery without having access to his red book. I have no idea why our national insurance numbers and utility bills would be relevant to a nursery place, I'd be refusing to provide those. That's taking irrelevant and intrusive information gathering a tad too far in my opinion.

There is no friffing way I would give a nursery my NI number or DHs. Or NHS numbers. On what basis is required to ensure that children meet their full potential?

This is nonsensical. If nurseries have any genuine concerns, they can contact health visitors or social services as required.

My DH's practice has quite a lot of child protection involvement. He is completely bemused as to how the parents or guardians' NI numbers could possibly assist with this

Separately, as a lawyer, I'd be really concerned that NI numbers etc weren't being kept securely.

Agree re: utility bills too. Why on earth is that needed? Are some nurseries now under the mistaken apprehension that they are covered by the money laundering regs etc

It's called 'excessive processing' under the Data Protection Act, what they are trying to do, and inappropriate.

Why do you have to prove your residence to a private nursery?

And surely if it's a nursery attached to a school, then they can just use the checks that are utilised when school places are being applied for?

FWIW I had terrible mastitis with DD and she ended up going to Oxbridge and having a brilliant career. Clearly there is a cause and effect that any good nursery would need to know about there ... NOT

The National Insurance Number may be about whether you are eligible for the Early Years Pupil Premium, the nursery gets additional funding if you are.

Exactly boffin - loads of clients decide that they are suddenly going to ask employees/job applicants for a shit ton of random info. When you ask them why they want it, they have no clue. Or just think it might be useful. Again, when you ask why, they don't really have any idea.

Not sure why you have to proof residence for a nursery. But No i would not be showing my red book for any reason including immunisations. I also wouldn't photocopy the page required for this. Is the UK going the same way as the USA, ie no nursery or school place unless immunised. Also would not be giving my NI no or utility bill.

Go in with the book, ask them what they want to see. If it is jabs, take the page out for them to photocopy there and then and tell them about the one jab missing from the page. If it is not jabs, say sorry, I am not prepared to share this sort of information with anybody but the paediatrician, the GP and the HV.

I'd refuse and provide them with the specific information they needed.
In the same way I was asked for my weight and height to do a job for which it wasn't relevant and I refused.

At best, I'd ask what they wanted to see and find that page for them. I would not be happy to leave it with them or for them to rifle through it. I don't have anything to hide but equally they do not have a right to see it.

And I detest people who make out things are compulsory when they're not.

I think they used to see them for early years funding. Perhaps it's to do with centiles and early health measurements.

The Integrated Review doesn't require the red book to be shown though, does it insancerre?

My nursery takes part in the integrated reviews but they still don't ask to see red books. They give reports to be put in the books for the HV and have close ties with the HVs in the area. The nursery doesn't need the majority of the info in the book though.

There is a requirement, brought out last year, to bring together the 2 year progress HV check, 2 year Early Years progress and any parental concerns in order to identify children that need early intervention (and to generate data in Childrens outcomes and planning that can affect this).

I guess one way of doing this is to look at red books, although it seems pointless to see a load of info about breastfeeding, reflux, weight loss, pnd etc - a more effective (and surely better practice) would be for the setting to talk to the parents and health visitors and combine this with their own observations

DS2's discharge summary is tucked in the back of his red book. It includes details about me, including a statement that I was consuming 10 units of alcohol per week - not true. I may have said 1 to the midwife, though it was more like 1 unit every 3 weeks, & I'm assuming it was a typo. I thought about getting it corrected at the time but the hurly burly of newborn/toddler wrangling got in the way & now I think I should have as it's going to be on our records for time immemoriam.