Can I remind all childminders.......

[KatyMac]

....when on the phone to OFSTED to remember to request confirmation in writing

I was very nearly caught out last week, with advise on the phone being contradicted when requested in writing

PLEASE, please, please get it in writing -time EVERY

oh grrrrrr Katy

Oh I never act on phone advise

It's just so predictable

Quite right too. Email, or letter to back up what they say every time.

Ohhhh yes. That goes for anyone dealing with OFSTED!

I know but how many times do you read "I rang OFSTED & they said...." on here

It's worth stating

So how big is your file of OFSTED correspondence now and have you ever had the same answer twice?

I measure it by feet........occasionally usually accompanied by a third letter saying something else

Can't we just get the name of the person we talk to? They have to log calls like any call center.

Yes but how do they log it?

"Katymac rang up about assistants I said XYZ"

When in fact I made a complex & obscure query about using an assistant to collect a school age child

Which I followed up in writing, got a rely which said nothing, followed it up again, got a lovely reply with the info I needed, then got a phone call saying actually no the reply wasn't right - so my query is being sent to policy

They log it by what the call was about, not what they said apparently, and any referrals they make whch can be as obscure as their website or a specific form/guidance notes which is bloody helpful when your query is about the form/lack of guidance in the guidance notes.

I've tried referring to previous phone calls and they can never tell me what they said to me

Really we need nick - he used to work for the devil OFSTED.

omg I treat Ofsted like the inland revenue.. never ever raise head over the parapet and never ever call... thanks for the tip though.. typical mess that is Ofsted.. one hand not knowing what the other is doing.. no two inspectors the same.. what a situation..

I cant belive Nick worked for Ofsted!! thats a blatant lie.. his posts are far too sensible...

i'm too scared to phone them - if i do they'll remember i exsist! {overdue an inspection & totally unprepared!)

I always ask them to confirm in writing after being stung by their inept and incompetent advice.
I note down who I spoke to, time of call and I jot down notes and ask them to email me and also write. OR I email them and confirm that what I have been told was correct. Even then i have been given 3 different answers to one question - first info on the phone, email them to confirm got told that was wrong and this was correct advice xyz so I phoned and emailed back asking how THEY managed to give me the wrong advice and got another email back saying all the rest was wrong and this is what I needed to know.

I have put in a complaint about wrong advice on one occasion - it was 'investigated' and found to be all a-ok (rolls eyes).

When we were having our extension done I rang to say what we were having done.... got a letter back saying thank you let us know when its done..... had inspector round 2 weeks later saying I never told them... submit RA's.... said I already had but if they didn't know then why had they turned up here if they din't know??????? so re-emailed all RA's, got letter back saying ok thanks let us know when its done...... on my 'proper inspection' - start of this year the inspector said that I had't told them..... so I dug out the TWO letters and TWO emails...... she said their systems showed no records of any of this so I asked her if I had made up these emails and letters...... lord help us....

thebody - Nick left

I've got to ring Ofsted again today (3rd time) as I rang them on 17th June to tell them that my eldest is 8yrs old and my youngest will be in year 1 (out of EYFS) and I rang them on 16th July asking where my new cert was and they said they would send it the following Monday.....still nothing

That's Ok, when we moved house in April, I sent in a risk assessment, of new place (moved from a 2 bed house to 2 bed flat)

Certificate came back, saying no overnight care (as now dint have room????) and not to use first floor! (dont think our upstairs neighbour would be very happy if we did)

but the best bit was a phone call asking when I had got married ? DH an I have lived to together for 14 years! Replied that I had been married 11 years why?

Because they did not have record of my DH having a CRB and cleared to be living at my residence!

I replied, so why is he on my 4 Ofsted Reports, god knows how many variations, 3 house moves and notice of him being my assistant!

They decided it was when things changed from Council to Ofsted 10 years ago, his police check had not gone over, but that they had just noticed!

I was rather alarmed that they would stop me working, but they said no, that just to do a CRB for him, I asked if I would have to pay for this. No they said.

I was billed for it!