Childminders Club: Re pets

[lrkids]

At my pre-reg inspection I did not have any pets and told the inspector this. I am now getting ds a rabbit who will live outdoors and a guinea pig who will be indoors (in a cage) over winter.
Do I need to inform Ofsted of these changes or not?
I know that the mindees are not allergic to either and obviously would make all new parents aware that I had pets.

TIA

Ps HellyBelly I will email you when I get chance, rushing around like a headless chicken atm

You need to have a pet form which all parents sign, i dont think you will need to tell ofsted, i am sure that they would have been asking to tell you to tell the parents.

You will have to make sure that they are regulary checked over by vets and wormed/flead like cats if they need worming. Does that make sense? You have to be seen as a good pet owner and i would tell parents this when you meet them that they are checked etc, the children are not allowed to poke, the hours they come out etc etc.

I already had my cat so Ofsted are aware however I don't know what this pet form is? Jelly, I haven't read anywhere that says I need a form for a pet - can you point me in the right direction please?

lrkids - no probs, as long as you received the quote ok!

It is just a form that was given out during the pre reg course. I cant find it nor do i have a plain one because i do not have animals but you can get the parents to confirm that they have been told that you have pets.

Soemthings along the lines

Parents of xx

I have been made aware that hellybelly, registered childminder has a cat/dog/whatever and i sign that they are able to be around it or soemthing like that

Oh right, need to sort something out then. It's in my policies that I have a cat but I'll do a form if that's needed.

I assume you have a letter from each parent for any trampolines, high equipment etc?

No, we weren't told that either. Having said that, would that include those toddler trampolines? If not, I don't have anything high.

tramp, including any in the park that you take them too.

My authority does seem to be requiring us to have more documents that alot of others.

I'll check all this out with my local CIS (or should I be asking Ofsted - I'm easily confused! )

I know my course was over a couple of weekends but I'm sure they didn't mention all that?!??!!?!

Anyway, must go wake the toddlers up!

Bye for now

The letter for tramp etc was only just issued after a multi million payout for someone who got brain damaged/damaged in some serious way for failing off a swing or high play thing.

I dont know the details but we were told to protect our back.

The CIS wont know as it doesnt have anything to do with them. Ofsted will say iot would be good practice.

When i had my inspection it was covered there as well.

I have to say helly your authority seems to have missed off alot of important stuff including training where as i get alot which is a shame as we are only a few miles apart. Do you ever get a newsletter?

Before i stopped minding i bought a puppy i rang ofsted and they told me I had to put it in writing -when i got the dog and what breed it was and i had to send it to them.This was only september hope this helps.

And mine said not to worry about telling them only the big changes.

I passed my inspection in September and told the inspector I had a rotweiller, never had to sign anything. She also saw we had a trampoline, swing and slide and nothing was mentioned. Nothing in our ICP either with regards to pet/tramp/slide forms.

I wonder why mine is saying it but nobody elses is. I find this a bit worrying that there is a real lack of consistancy.

I agree jelly but I don't necessarily think it's my area that's slack, more that yours just happens to be on the ball!

Either way there is a real difference which is a shame.

I agree!

Same goes for this birth to three matters - Katymac thought sounded good and not too much work whereas Theprisoner thought lots more paperwork.

Speaking of which - anyone know anything for sure?

i havent heard anything,i am trying to get on another course.

You don't have to have all these forms. Just as we have to have written permission to take the children out, seek emergency medical treatment etc., you can make parents aware of just about anything else you can possibly think of if you want to!!

We are now encouraged to have written policies, as you know. All you need to do regarding pets is just state that you have them, that children won't be left alone with them etc.

With regard to garden play equipment, I just state that I have swings, slides etc., that it is regularly checked for damage, that children will be supervised and so on. It is stating the obvious really, but is what OFSTED will want to see.

If you want parents to sign something to say that children can touch/feed/play with your pets, or play with certain play equipment, then just do it - whatever you do, it isn't wrong, you are just covering your back.

Theprisoner - that all makes sense. It's just to cover our backs in case they sue us for something. I did wonder why we would HAVE to have all this! I won't panic too much then

Don't forget that if you need to panic, you'll need written parental permission ...

PMSL!!

LOL the prisoner!

I have no pets any more but I still use a pet form which states I will notify parent if I decide to get any pets/I may take children to local pet shop/zoo etc/I may look after my neighbours dog/fish etc while they are on holiday.

Parent signs to confirm:

• they have no objections to pets visiting the premises
• their child has no known allergies to animals or
• specifies those animals that child is allergic to or fearful of.

HTH