CM question.... advice plz

[lottiesmummy]

I'm a childminder and I'm not allowed to do over night care...

What time would that be after? is it 7pm... was wondering as the little girl I currently look after was picked up at 7.30pm a few nights due to dad stuck in traffic (meant to be 6pm), but I was told I have to call social services if this happens (and no-one else can pick her up) as I'm not allowed to have her after 7pm if not able to offer overnight care... anyone else heard of this?

[lottiesmummy]

aahhh ok my chilcminding buddy said after 7pm, thanks for that, at least I know now, couldnt find info anywhere

[ayla99]

Found the email from Ofsted, it says:

"Overnight care applies when a child is being minded past their usual bedtime. So if a child?s usual bedtime is 7.00pm and the parent has asked you to put that child to sleep, then this is classed as overnight care"

[lottiesmummy]

thanks for that everyone, Its not something that the NCMA or OFSTED mentioned to us in our meetings or inspection, thats all

[dmo]

i work from 7.15am till 8.30pm each day
think overnight care is what it says overnight which means them sleeping at yours but there not so dont worry
our job is not a 9 till 5 sort and parents have different hours to cater for so thats what i do

[ayla99]

I asked Ofsted about this - they told me you can care for the child up to their usual bedtime and there is no specific time you have to close. So I've put in my handbook "I am not currently registered for overnight care, please ask if you would be interested in this service. Please do not book childcare beyond the child's usual bedtime".

Yet you do not need to register if you only provide childcare between the hours of 6pm and 2am, during which most bedtimes occur!!! (U imagine this was to prevent the need for registering all babysitters, but the phrase doesn't refer to the location of childcare.)

I would not contact SS in the situation you describe - unless I couldn't get hold of the parent or their emergency contacts and didn't know when or even if child is to be collected.

[saltire]

It's a new one on me, but then i'm in Scotland. I am registered to have mindees up until 8pm at night. This is stated on my registration document

[nannynick]

Great question... has the regulator given any hint?

Early Years: Safe and Sound says that Childminding isn't 6pm to 2am. If that's right, then if the child isn't saying beyond 2am, it may not be overnight care. Hmm, would like to have that clarified.

If you ONLY cared for a child between 6pm and 2am, then you aren't a childminder. But if you provided care from say 8am till 11pm, you would be a childminder, but would you need Overnight care resistration. It's a tricky one.

Not heard of the 7pm ruling, anyone heard of it, or read it anywhere?

[ThePrisoner]

Technically, if a child is not collected and there is no-one else who can (perhaps other relatives), then we are supposed to contact Social Services. In this particular circumstance, you knew that the dad was on his way, and I don't think that SS would be too interested if you'd rung.

I think that, in most circumstances, they would listen to you, and tell you to keep the child rather than put them into temporary care!!

I had children later than 7pm a couple of years back when all the parents got stuck in a county-wide blizzard. They were all on their way, and it wouldn't have occurred to me to ring SS for that. In fact, most of my childminding friends were in the same position - if we had all phoned SS, there would have been mass panic (and no-one could drive anywhere anyway!!)

I have got written permission from parents to hang onto their child if there was an emergency, which my network co-ordinator has said is OK.

Several of my minding parents don't have family nearby. The parents have said that if, God forbid, they were involved in an accident and couldn't contact me, at least their child would be in a safe and happy environment, with someone that they love! This is one of those "worst-case scenarios", and I do have phone numbers for family members in an emergency, but some of them would take hours/days to arrive.