If a nanny says they are Ofsted Registered, do you assume they meet all the conditions for registration?

[nannynick]

Sorry long title, wasn't sure what to title this message thread.

Just did a quick bit of research (and it was really quick) and found the following inspection reports:

Action: First Aid
Action: Insurance and First Aid
Action: Training

Ofsted check a random sample of Home Childcarers every year, think they aim to inspect around 10%. The above are just three of the inspection reports and it shows to me that there are people on the register who do not meet the requirements for registration.

Ofsted do check some things at initial registration but they don't seem to ask for all documents. So someone can tick a box to say they have insurance, yet not have it.

I would hope that when interviewing nannies parents are asking to see documentation and not relying on Ofsted registration alone as meaning that someone meets the conditions for that registration. However I do wonder if parents know what sort of things they should be looking for when they interview a nanny. If you have interviewed an Ofsted registered nanny recently, did you ask to see their documentation in addition to Ofsted registration certificate?

Most parents just want their nannies to be Ofsted registered because of the childcare vouchers so they don't really care about the paperwork - other than the First Aid.

I see what nannynick is saying but I kind of agree with what chippingin is saying. Why does it matter to the employers whether the nanny has got insurance? ofsted check the crb and first aid dont they???

If you want it for reasons chipping says then they have to have up to date reg with of sted and a reg number to let you pay them with vouchers ( the voucher co I use checks this and won't let you pay if reg not up to date) .

But I do ask for info on the stuff you say you need for ofsted .

But also I think ofsted for nannies may become less usual as the relief on childcare vouchers is harder to get

Problem is, Ofsted are finding that some people don't have the first aid training (two of the reports linked to had First Aid as an action).

Parents may well just want someone who is registered... but if that person is registered, yet does not comply with that registration, then what happens when they are found not to meet the conditions... is the registration removed, thus the parents can't then use childcare vouchers?
Ofsted I presume give a certain time period by which the nanny must meet the conditions but after that time period expires, then I would presume that Ofsted aim to deregister them.

If you want to use vouchers, you should make maintaining an Ofsted registration a condition of employment.

Some of the things can't be checked as part of the registration process - insurance for instance. There is no point having insurance before you start work, so if you can't start work until you are registered you won't have any insurance!

In theory they would aim to deregister, and 'Please read the Requirements for the Childcare Register which accompanies this letter carefully, as you must meet these requirements in order to remain registered.' from your links would support that...

Also first aid is a common 'issue'. People ask on other boards all the time if they need to renew if it expires during a registrationperiod (er, yes) and what happens if you don't (if you're inspected you get told off).

When you register you declare that you mery the requirements so you should have insurance in place at the time of registration.

When you register you declare that you meet the requirements...

Amazingly, this is no longer true - check the current forms and you will see there is no such declaration.

... the wording is now 'I will' not 'I do' as follows:

"I want to be included on the [relevant] part of the Childcare Register as a [childminder etc.]. I confirm that I will meet the requirements of this register when caring for children [of the relevant age]."

Hmm, Ofsted's website is weird. The links in my OP no longer go to the same place as they did yesterday!

So they can be found later on, I've located two of them...
VC373230
VC377722
You need to search inspection reports and enter the URN above one at a time to pull up the inspection report data.

Interesting MrAnchovy, so Ofsted are now happy for people to meet the requirements at a later date. Suppose that does make some sense in that once registered, an insurer may give a discount on insurance due to someone having an Ofsted registration number. So someone may hold off getting insurance until they have their registration certificate.

When did that change?!

That's just asking for trouble.' I will at some unspecified point in the future during the period where I am caring for relevant children' - it's not even by the time I start to care for or before starting to care for.

It's WHEN caring for children, so if they have children with them then they must meet the requirements. Least that's how I read it.

If we were to be pedantic there's nothing which explicitly states you have to have it before you start caring for the children. 'When caring for' implies at some point during the time they are in your care...

To be watertight it would need to be 'at all times when caring' etc.

It makes much more sense only to need those things when you are caring for children, especially in this market or a nanny could be paying for a first aid renewal, insurance etc when looking for a job just so they can stay legally registered. I think its meaning is pretty clear when you read it through.

If insurance or first aid expires during the year after OFSTED registration has been renewed many nannies may not think to renew it if noone is checking, especially if they are looking for a new job. They may be hoping the new employer will pay when they bring it up later! So yes, Nannynick makes a good point that documentation should be checked. Also, I think there are quite a wide range of childcare courses that satisfy OFSTED's training requirements and I believe some are very short so may not be as wide-ranging as parents expect. And, I think the CRB only gets renewed every 3 years so it would be more reassuring to see a recent one although that may only be easy to get if you are employing the nanny through an agency.

Someone asked why employers would care about insurance. Well, if the unthinkable happens and your little one ends up in a wheelchair or needing round the clock care as a result of the nannies actions that insurance payout might come in handy. I doubt many nannies would have much in the way of spare funds to pay for a big negligence claim and its the employers' family who would ultimately lose out.

Ofsted are not renewing CRBs - if someone commits an offence Ofsted I think get notification, as the new system which was due to start but is now abandoned was for CRBs to be continiously updated.
So even more relying on the Ofsted registration certificate, as paper CRB will be many years old.

I would advise parents to ask an Ofsted registered childminder to see their insurance certificate and First Aid training certificate as well as Ofsted registration certificate. I am a new childminder, and was shocked when reading up some local childminder inspection reports that there were childminders who were not up to date with their first aid training. As a parent, I would have assumed it was all a condition of registration, but now I can see there's no way Ofsted can keep on top of it, and it's totally up to the parents to double-check everything.

Hello sorry to butt in! Ive just registered myself on ofsted to be able to accept vouchers. Ofsted say you need insurance but do not require any evidence of it (I already had it for my own benefit anyway) they did however ask to see copies of first aid certificate and BTEC certificates. They also carried out a new CRB on me even though mine was only 3 month old :)

Hello sorry to butt in! Ive just registered myself on ofsted to be able to accept vouchers. Ofsted say you need insurance but do not require any evidence of it (I already had it for my own benefit anyway) they did however ask to see copies of first aid certificate and BTEC certificates. They also carried out a new CRB on me even though mine was only 3 month old :)

Hi there
I'm an ofsted registered nanny and I've just asked Ofsted about my CRB as my registration is due for renewal in August, they have told me my CRB is ok as they are told straight away if someone has committed an offence. I had an inspection in January, which went really well. I have several CRBs as I volunteer on Saturdays and do some nursery work while I'm waiting to start my new position. I don,t know why we have to have so many, especially when I have an ofsted one, when they regulate schools, nurseries etc. Sorry this is a bit long winded but also some parents have looked a bit bewildered when I've shown all my certificates and policies, etc, as they are mainly just interested in paying with vouchers which I have found a bit odd.