Good Childminders?

[jodyfay]

Hi, first time doing this so I am going to place this on here and the local mums net too, I don't know if thats the right thing to do?!
I am a first time mum, my son is 5m and I am looking to place him with a childminder when I return to work.
I was going to place him with a nursery but have changed my mind at the last minute, so I am now all confused!! I would really appreciate any help whatsoever when picking a childminder even if you feel like giving any tips on what to look for with a good childminder that would really really help.
Also if you know of or could reccommend any good childminders in the Aldershot/Farnham area that would also help
Thank you
One Confused mum!!

Hi Jodyfay

From Alibubbles.

How long have you been working with children?

What training have you had? Any qualifications? Are you part of a network, achieved a quality assurance qualification, look at registration certificate, insurance details, business use for car. First aid must be no more than 3 years old, food hygiene certificate, Certificate in Childminding practice or NVQ 3, Contracts and record forms

Do you enjoy being with children and why?

Can I look around, see the rooms and outside play space? If there is no outside play space - how will you make sure my child gets the chance to play outside?

Where will my child rest?

What kind of food and drink will you give? Can I see a menu?

What will my child do all day?

How do you encourage good behaviour?

Will my child be with a regular group of children? How old are they? How will their timetable fit in with my child?

How will you make sure I know how my child is getting on?

What hours is she open?

How much does she charge?

What about when my child is sick, holidays, days off

What do you do in an emergency?

When was her last Ofsted, can you see the report?

Top 10 Quality Pointers

When you visit possible childcare options, look for these Quality Pointers:

Are the children calm, safe, happy and busy?

Do children play and talk together?

Is the childminder listening to the children and answering them carefully?

Is the childminder friendly and proud of her work?

Is she joining in joining in with what the children are doing?

Are there lots of fun activities planned to help children learn and play? Can children plan some of these activities themselves?

Are there plenty of clean toys and equipment for children to use?

Is the premises clean, well kept and safe for children with a fun outside play area (or will the child go to parks and other places regularly)?

Do parents have plenty of chances to say what they want for their children?

If there are other things you want to know, don't be afraid to ask. Good childminders expect you to ask questions and will be happy to answer them.

Always take up references. You could ask for names of other parents to talk to about the service

Listen to your child and find out more if he/she is unhappy
Always trust your own feelings about your childcare - you know your child best

Find someone local, so your child gets to know other local children... also has advantage that once your child goes to school, the Childminder (CM) may be able to take/collect from school.

Aldershot is Hampshire, Farnham is Surrey, so depending exactly where you are you may find that some streets in your local area are Surrey, others are Hampshire.

So contact both authorities for a list of childminders with vacancies.

Hampshire: 0845 603 5620 [email protected]
Surrey: 0300 200 1004 [email protected]

There are internet search sites as well, such as childcarefinder.direct.gov.uk but it may not list all childcare providers - so best to contact the local authority for the current vacancies list.

Excellent advice by all except I'd ignore the OFSTED report.
Some outstanding childminders are excellent at paperwork ( which is all that OFSTED are interested in ) and frankly not that warm towards the children; and some are rubbish at paperwork but your child will love.
By the way, I got a good, so not biased in a bitter "I got unsatisfacory" sort of way!

I would actually want to see the report. They might be good because they have paperwork issues, which is fine by me, but they might be good because there were failings in other areas. They might be satisfactory because they've not been registered long, they might be satisfactory because they were missing a vital piece of training eg 1st aid lapsed and they couldn't get on a course before but had one booked.

The OFSTED report can be very informative if you read it all. I agree that a grading tells you next to nothing though.

I would suggest visiting local toddler groups, so you can see the cm's in action!
The ones who ignore the kiddies and sit drinking coffee are the ones to be ignored.
The ones who keep a close watch, but at a bit of a distance, who smile warmly at the kiddies and who offer hugs are the ones you should approach.

Ofsted reports can look good on paper, but go with your gut instinct.

Yes frakkin, but wouldn't it be even more informative to visit the setting yourself and make the judgements that ofsted made for yourself? I'd never fully trust an ofsted grading. Not ever.

I know people work really hard for outstandings and it is most definitely something to be proud of. But parents need to go to the cm, meet the cm themselves and decide based on what they see and feel and like/don't like.

I also don't speak as a bitter person. I'm a teacher in a school with an outstanding rating. I just personally wouldn't comb through an ofsted report but that time would be better spent actually seeing for myself and meeting the cm and seeing her home/activities...etc.

'They might be good because they have paperwork issues, which is fine by me, but they might be good because there were failings in other areas'

If they are Good they do not have paperwork issues or failings i any areas!!!!! They are GOOD! It is AMAZING to be graded Good by Ofsted, and only 6% of all childminders currently have an Outstanding grade. And satisfactory is as it says, satisfactory - who wouldn't want to be totally satisfied? Ofsted grades are not useful - but interpreted like this i.e. that Good is actually 'Failings' they are very damaging to cms.

6%? My cm is "outstanding" rated. And she actually is outstanding. But I seriously doubt the one day visit from the ofsted inspector was able to see even half of the ways that she is, indeed, outstanding.

I am very pleased for her.

I just don't think it is anywhere near as important/valuable information as an actual visit, discussion and parent's own observation is. Not even close.

Okay failings is the wrong word - it was early this morning! What I meant was they might be outstanding as a CM but there was a reason OFSTED didn't think so. It might be a reason I agree with, but it might not. Given OFSTEDs history of being slightly over-zealous there's every chance I wouldn't give a monkeys but I'd still want to see. For example one of the markers from good to outstanding is the specific welfare requirements of children in the EYFS. I'd want to see a CM who is otherwise good (which in itself is an achievement, don't get me wrong) proactively addressing that. I couldn't care less if they didn't get outstanding because their files weren't colour coded.

Paperwork issues I meant 'ideological' issues with doing the vast amount OFSTED want to see to get outstanding if it detracts from spending time with the children, not actual issues like missing/inaccurate paperwork. If they have actually failed in any area they wouldn't have passed the inspection. As I said, in my eyes a really truly good CM would be acting on the areas identified as not being outstanding in their last report to improve or have a good (in my eyes) reason why not. It's another tool to inform a decision but one I feel shouldn't necessarily be discounted. To that end I'd be looking at past inspection reports too to see professional development as well as taking up references however I'd not even consider doing that for someone I wouldn't be happy to leave my child with in the first place.

It all depends what people are looking for in a CM. What I consider important is not what others would consider important but if you look at various OFSTED reports they can be very illuminating.

Personally I'd only look at OFSTED reports after seeing the CM anyway. In fact I'd expect them to volunteer to show it to me. I totally agree it's not a substitute for a personal visit or a gut feeling that you 'click' - I never said it was. All I want to see is what an impartial adult with a checklist thought because it's a roughly level playing field with set criteria and I wouldn't want the OP to dismiss them as totally unimportant. The grading, yes. The report, no.

just to put it in perspective frakkinnakkered any childminder with lapsed first aid (or any other aspect where the welfare requirements are not met) is automatically graded inadequate.

Satifactory means that a setting has met all the welfare requirements satisfactorily.

I agree that aceandskill point where people regard that Good is actually 'Failings' is very damaging to childminders indeed.

I totally agree about visiting a local toddler group. You can really see the 'good' CMs and the ones who can barely keep an eye on them all or are more bothered about chatting. I know some that used to leave their charges outside (the building) in buggies when asleep!! Others are great and only have the number they can easily manage and are around when hugs etc are needed.

Actually I've read reports where the 1st Aid has lapsed, the CM has been booked on a course and has been given a satisfactory (instead of a Good or Outstanding) because of that. I was quite shocked they weren't given an inadequate category 1 but I suppose it would be unfair to do that to CMs who were booked on a course that through no fault of their own wasn't available before their 1st Aid expired.

Either way that would all show up on a report.

And yes, failings the wrong word but please can we accept I meant 'failing to reach the Outstanding grade' rather than 'serious failing in service leading inadequate provision'?

I'm sorry if you thought that comment was aimed at you frakkinnakkered. The truth of the matter is that far too many parents are led to believe (through the media etc) that only Outstanding settings are able to provide quality care. And I think we all know someone who is outstanding on paper but leaves a lot to be desired in real life!

I am honestly surprised by the lapsed first aid issue. At my last inspection my inspector wouldn't start until she'd given me the schpeel about if my first aid had expired she would end the inspection with immediate effect and I would receive an automatic Inadequate.

Sorry, I was feeling sensitive yesterday you know when you feel the world is put to get you and everything you read on MN on any topic you've posted on is a direct rely to you? That was me.

Can't say I'm suprised by the difference between inspectors. Typical OFSTED right hand, left hand. I'm with your inspector on this issue, although I guess they need some provision for where it really can't be helped...

Ladies, thank you so much for your advice, it's all been amazing and I really do feel better about what to look for.
I have found a good website called childcare.co.uk where there are local cms profile available to look at and arrange visits with. It's been an interesting read!!
My only question is now, most of the cms just write 'OFSTED registered' and don't place their grade...is this normal? Hardly any write their grade. (I've not become fixated on OFSTED but at the same time as mentioned throughout the thread i would still want to know their grade?)

Nonono this thread is telling you to ignore the grade

Seriously. Go see the CM and let your judgement be formed, then see what OFSTED say. Don't discount CMs because of their grading before you've seen them and once you've met them look at what the report says, where they're good, where they're outstanding, where they're satisfactory and see whether a) you agree from what you've seen, b) CM is addressing those areas and c) whether they matter to you.

Well, I was graded Satisfactory by Ofsted, on my 1st inspection, was told by other CM's, that no one was graded as good on a 1st inspection.

I worked hard at getting all my paper work together etc together, and getting things in place.
Then had the Ofsted Inspector and her Manager turn up early,on the day.
(arrived at 9.10, was supposed to be there at 9.30, left at 13.25)
They proceeded to sit in my dining room (didnt move) for just over 4 hours, the manager was basically inspecting the Inspector, did not ask to see any paper work? We sat at the table with them, with me playing with said baby until his lunch, and sleep time.
They didnt ask to see me interacting with him in a way I would have liked to see if I was an Inspector.
They left while he was still asleep.
Sorry, but how can they 'grade' someone on that inspection?
As you can see I have 'issues', I belive THEY SHOULD ALL WORK FROM THE SAME GUIDLINES AND NOT 'GRADE' AS THEY THINK OR 'DONT' IN SOME CASES, SEE FIT.

Sorry 'guidelines'

as this seems to have turned into yet another bash the outstanding childminder thread I feel it is time I comment there are requirements which need to be met, Ofsted do not make the rules but they must police them. The Ofsted inspector may think you are wonderful, you might think you are wonderful, but if you fail on any one of the limiting judgements you will probably end up with unsatisfactory or if you are lucky satisfactory- no matter how well you do the job or how wonderful the rest of your practice is. Equality and diversity is a limiting judgement, Safeguarding is a limiting judgement and Capacity to improve is also a limiting judgement. Jodyfay only wants to find a nice childminder but yet again everyone is getting hung up on whether someone who tries to be os is really just pulling the wool over the inspectors? eyes. Now I don?t know about anyone else but the inspectors that I?ve met over the past few years have been doing their job for way too many years to let anyone bamboozle them with wonderful paperwork and no substance to back it up. Ok there is always the odd exception, but that goes for any profession, and there are always going to be one or two brilliant childminders who miss out because of (the odd dragon inspector) some small but important detail. Jodyfay wants a nice childminder, Shoshe has good advice, my advice would be to go for personal recommendation, gut feeling and the Ofsted inspection report (read between the lines, its all there if you look).