My cm has given me notice because the new ofsted stuff is too difficult ....

[poptot]

can anyone explain why

what exactly does she mean by too difficult?

I don't really know I'm in a bit of a state, I burst into tears when she told me as it has such an enormous impact on everything. She just said all the paperwork etc was getting too much

how long have you been using her?
in my limited experience(im qualified but not reg yet), theres not that much paperwork..must be more to it?

Where areyou can we find you a MN childminder?

TBH I'm too upset to even think about it I feel so silly but I'm so worried about leaving ds anywhere else. I just don't know what to do, just feel like I|'ll have to give my notice in at work even though I totally can't afford to. What a mess. This is just the last straw today.

where are you..there a some god cm on here that may be in your area?

sorry not god..good

poptot - dont make any decisions when you feel like this especially about handing your notice in.

I have found that a lot of the "older" childminders do find the new rules/paperwork/policies etc a bit too much to cope with. the impression I get from talking to them is that they set up years ago when everything was less strict etc and they really just feel too old and set in their ways to start following more complex guidelines. They are of the opinion that they were good enough then and they should be now.

I'm very part time and find the paperwork a nightmare. I can't even put suncream on a child without having written permission first.

It's probably not just the paperwork that's the problem though. Is she having a difficult pregnancy? I really feel for you, childcare can be such a nightmare.

it's a crazy situation imo, i work on playschemes and can't even get onto an NVQ because we don't offer enough 'play'. i really feel for childminders who have been doing this job for years - i remember my ds first playgroup having to shut because of ofstead. he was really happy there. they change rules every couple of months. people aren't left alone to do the job properly anymore.

Thanks for all your messages, need to pick myself up and starting looking now, it's just so hard starting again and I feel sick at the thought of someone new looking after ds and not understanding him or him being unhappy, can't bear it. Have been lucky as have been able to go work in the last year with total peace of mind re dc, feel that has now come to an end and am worried I won't be able to do my job properly.

I havent been a cmder for long (one week actually!) but I have looked after sick children (Im a nurse) and the thing that always struck me is how incredibly adaptable children are.

Evesmama - sorry, think you are in for a bit of a shock about how much paperwork is involved such as training and training literature, reading of ncma literature and amendments, records (which include observations, attendence register, accounts etc) permissions for everything (local childminder was even told lately had to have permission to wipe childs snotty nose in case she uses a tissue already used on another child and cross infection occurs), policies and procedures, weekly menus, newsletters, documenting activites done to tie in with birth 2 3, planning etc...etc...etc.

I agree that this wouldn't stop me from childminding but I can understand why someone who is about to have a new baby might find this a bit much.

Poptot - sorry, also meant to add sorry you will be losing your childminder but I think children are much more adaptable than we give them credit for.
Good luck.

I am a CM and due a baby in September too and just gave notice on my mindee. I find it's not the paper work- I can do that sat down at any time... it's the physically going to the park, hauling myself up to take him to pre school etc... And then I have DD (who will be 2 in Sept) I'm just too tired and soon I will be snappy and not doing my job properly so feel best to give up now. Maybe this is how she feels, and doesn't want to say incase you feel its your kids rather than her situation.

I'm one of many "older" childminders in my area, and we are certainly not "too old and set in our ways to start following more complex guidelines." Many of the newer minders are just as phased as anyone else with the paperwork side of things.

I'm afraid that lots of minders are giving up because of "paperwork" and red tape, and I'm afraid that there is a lot of it.

We have to have written permission to do everything - and an individual form for each child even if there's three in the family. We have to have written contact details, medical information, emergency contacts, addresses etc. Parents have to sign forms to say that they've seen our official documentation, which includes our ...

... written policies on every subject you can think of ... mainly behaviour management, sickness, child protection ... and the rest.

We have to fill in contracts (the NCMA ones are three pages long). We have to record the exact time children arrive and depart, record accidents and incidents, record existing injuries. We keep business accounts and records of payments. Some of us issue bills and receipts. We have to have a written record of all names and ages of people living in our household, and a written record of the name/age of each mindee.

If there is anything that concerns us about a minded child, we should keep dated, written records (for possible use at a later date).

I do daily diaries for my under 5s (not essential, but something that we are now encouraged to think about). Ofsted like us to have written plans (almost essential if you want a decent grading now).

And let's not forget the Birth to Three and Foundation stuff (for over 3s) that we have to demonstrate that we can work towards. This can include planning and written observations.

I know many childminders who are intimidated by all of this, it is very daunting.

I currently have 15 children every week, and other children that come during school holidays. I have occasional one-off minded children, and placements from Social Services. Believe me, I know about paperwork!!

Rant over ... God, I've forgotten what this thread was about ...

Poptot - I'm a childminder, part time, but am wondering whether to continue at the moment. Yes, there is a lot of paperwork/permission forms, record keeping. I'm also Accredited so have to keep "education" records and planning. None of which I mind. (altho' it takes a lot of time).
What has changed the way I feel recently is my Ofsted inspection, which feels like it is unduly critical, and it seems very difficult to get anything reworded. So, I have a DS with severe autism, take mindee to special needs nursery twice a day, include him on social events with disability groups etc etc. And we use signing, etc etc. But I was criticised for not doing enough to raise awareness of disability. Basically it came down to my not having "disabled" dolls to use.
It's this kind of "tickbox" assessment that has put off other minders that I know, and I can't get my head round the fact that if I show a prospective parent my report, they're going to think I'm incompetent, and can't support my own disabled child adequately. Let alone theirs.
I really enjoy the small amount of minding that I do, but am doubtful that the frustration/demoralising effect of that criticism makes it worth all my time...
Has your minder had similar recently, is this why she's giving up?

At my last inspection, a couple of years back, I told my inspector that I'd been finding it hard to find stuff that "reflected disability" (or whatever term it is that Ofsted use).

However, I informed her that I have a lot of experience of minding children with special needs - Down's Syndrome, severe sight/hearing problems, Aspergers, autism (relatively mild), and profound multiple disabilities, amongst anything else you can probably think of.

Many of my minding children have grown up using Makaton signing (we have a child long-term who uses it).

All my minded children muck in with everyone else, and the "normal" children (sorry for using that term) accept totally any children different to themselves. They're all children.

You know what ... after giving this lengthy spiel to the inspector ... she still wanted to know whether I had books, jigsaws, dolls in wheelchairs ...

i stand corrected..i see the paperwork IS worse than i thought..apologies

EvesMama - don't worry, by the time you get into the thick of it, Ofsted will change it all around anyway!!

Poptot - sorry, I didn't mean to start one of my rants on your thread. Unfortunately, as I said, I know of many minders who are jacking it all in because it sometimes feels like we've lost the "playing" bit of caring for children. I really hope that you can find someone else, if that's the path you choose. How old is your child?