Registering to be a CM but Ofsted have queried my health declaration...

[OopsDoneItAgain]

So is this common, or have I got something they really don't like in my health record? I was honest and declared I am on anti-depressants for recurrent (but now controlled) bouts of depression, have mild arthritis in my neck and have seen a physio for the latter.

Anyone with any experience of this who can reasure me I hope? Maybe its fairly standard for Ofsted to ask for more info...? TIA for any help.

they are both conditions that I would expect a childcare agency to investigate further

depression and arthritis can both affect your ability to care for children

provide them with GP's report on your fitness and level of control and it should be fine

I guess my query is because my doc knows the depression is controlled now, and that the arthritis is mild...so I assumed that would have gone in the report. Im not sure what else the doc could say on the subject.

Ofsted have an occupational health service who do the checks for them - I believe your declaration form gets looked at by a nurse first, if it's boringly normal it can be approved straight away but if you have anything that might affect your ability to care for children it then gets passed on to a doctor who might want to get more info from your GP or arrange a face-to-face appointment with you so they can be sure you're "medically suitable". If they are still concerned they can refer you to a specialist for a further opinion. The options are approved, refused or maybe "try again in 6 months/a year/etc" if it's something transient that could change over time.

They just want to be sure you're physically, mentally and emotionally up to caring for up to six under 8yos at once on your own, day-in-day-out. Can you carry a tantrumming tolder while shepherding another, a few six year olds and pushing a buggy? Can you run to catch a little one about to step in front of a car? Can you cope with the stress and paperwork of a housefull of kids? Certainly not everyone is up to that sort of thing!

What I do know for a certain fact, is that your taking antidepressants or having depression cannot be held against you. It goes against the law. It would be discrimination under the disability act (or something). If it is managed and under control, that will be good enough.

It wouldn't be a case of depression being held against someone - it's not "oh this person has depression so they can't be a childminder". The occupational health check is there to establish whether someone is medically capable of caring for several young children on their own. Most people with controlled depression can manage this fine and there are a large number of childminders on antidepressants or who have previously taken them, but some types of uncontrolled depression or other mental illnesses mean that people would not be capable of safely caring for three under fives all day every day.

Surely that's why you go to your gp for a medical check up and for them to asses whether or not you're mentally unstable.

I sort of thought that too mummalish. Sounds like maybe they want to meet me themselves rather than just take my docs word that Im sufficiently sane!