dreadful ofsted inspection

[africanprincess]

Hi all,
New on this discussion board, so please bear with me!. I have been childminding now for 5 years. At my first inspection, i received a good (which was then the highest grade). I have since gained great experience by being part of the local network, running a weekly drop in, training and looking after different children/families.Last week monday (after my dd had spent 4 hours in hospital after falling), I received a phonecall from inspector at 5pm to say she will be visiting over the next 3 days (either tues, weds or thurs). I finished the drop in on tues to find her waiting for me (less than 24hrs notice). To cut a long story short at the end of her stay she gave me a satisfactory for nit picky stuff such as "putting 2 babies in a travel cot together, as one of the baby sleeps there (in a sleeping bag), they can cross infect! another was that i should have plasters in first aid box (on our course we were told no plasters). I am looking to contest her decision, can i do so, any one had any experience?

same here phone call monday 6pm to say they were coming turned up 9am tues morning
my inspector nic picked me

1. boy had a bottle of juice which mother insisted on him having but i was down graded
2. over 8's play out on front with parents signitures i was down graded
3. she said my menu was to sugery
4. she said parents should not sign my regsiger

when report came it read horrid so i phoned ofsted and was told to put it in writting which i did
got a letter to say they would look into it

my horrid report is on the net now nothing has changed i have phoned but they said it is policy to put the report on the net even if i am queistoning it
anyway my inspection was 9th Jan

Why would they downgrade you for a boy having juice?

I'm used to having my inspections done by the Care Commission, so not sure I'm looking forward to moving down south

why shouldn't parents sign register?

cause juice was in a bottle

she said registar was too hard to read as each child had their own page for the month and it was easy for the inspector to look at a proper registar
she said parents dont even need to sign the registar so i would change what you do

In a bottle like a bottle of oasis type juice, or in a drinking bottle?

Also the register thing, that's just weird.
When i lived in England the last time i fell out big time with the OFSTED inspector, she had just started, as it used to be Social Services that did it.

bottle as in a babys bottle
boy has fits caused by heat and he wont drink out of a cup he is 15 mths

register thing is bollocks but if i did change the next inspector would ask for the parents signitures so i cant win

dmo do you use MCNA register I was told YOU HAD TO HAVE A SIGNATURE, so that there was no dispute when the child was with you!

Sorry dmo, was having a thick moment!

The OFSTED lot certainly seem to be a lot stricter than the Care Commission, and have dafter rules as well.
I sometimes theink that the rules they try to enforce are great for bigger childcare places, but not for childminders

NCMA lol

thats what i use NCMA ones (knew what u meant )

Maybe we should put out a call for nannynick see if he can find out what the legal is.

Your scaring me! Have my first inspection next week!

Star I live in a Army Quarter, CM lives 2 doors down in EXACTLY the same type of house with same garden. I wasn't even asked about the garden gate (how it locked) other CM got downgraded cos it wasn't locked in the winter when she didn't use the garden!

I was told it was OK not to have front door locked, as long as the gate was on the door into the hall, she was downgraded, we both operated open door policy to parents, (we live behind the wire, you can only get on to camp through a manned gate by showing ID card)

We had different Inspectors, who seem to have their own criteria!

my inspector sat on her big fat behind at my dinning table and told me how it was done
she didnt go upstairs, in the kichen or outside.
makes me so

anyway star on a lighter note you will be fine just be yourself

The register is regulatory, so if parents dont sign then expect an ACTION! I had written to them (ofsted) to say that I was expecting my daughter (who is 2 next month), "lovely" inspector said there was no record of this (know it sounds obvious, but ALWAYS keep a photocopy of correspondence)..called me a day after inspection to say she had found the letter, but I should have written to them when my daughter was born! She also said I shouldnt be upset with the outcome (i cried!) as she never gives out "outstanding". I am thinking of giving up and becoming a nanny..lol!

why did you put 2 babies in a travel cot together?

I put one in the travel cot, so she was safe, whilst i went and got the other one from upstairs (where my kitchen is and after lunch). The one that i put in the travel cot..for the most a couple of minutes, is not the baby that sleeps in there..the baby that sleeps in there sleeps with her own sheet and a sleepin bag. My point is that they share toys, floor space etc..so therefore cross infection is a bit far fetched!

at my last inspection I was told a lot of cms are getting disappointed as, having got a good last time they are expecting to get at least that this time. She said that many childminders are not acheiving the same grade because the inspection is different (we didn't have 5 mini-grades last time, for example).

I agree with not putting babies in a travel cot as part of your normal routine but if you had to attend to an injured child/answer doorbell/use wc or whatever you have to make the best arrangements you can to ensure the children's safety. With the plasters - have you got anything in writing from your first aid course that you could send to Ofsted? Have all your mindies parent's declined permission for their use? Plasters were on my list of items to include (nov 05) but we were told not to use them without written permission. So its reasonable to keep them in a separate box. (Don't forget if you are injured someone else may use your kit to treat mindies).

I am getting really worried about it. I only have one mindee 14 months, and my DS 12 months. Although I know that they are perfectly happy and entertained through the day, I am worried that what I do won't be upto Ofsted's standards.

Also someone mentioned a menu? Do you have to have a set menu that you follow religiously cause I kind of decide what I am going to cook for lunch on the day (but give parents a few examples in my portfolio)?

And does the inspector look at your portfolio?

I am already not sleeping cause of this!

I was super stressed before mine but it went well. I got "good" for everything. I think I have one of the better inspectors as every time I've seen her she's been really nice and helpful. I hope I always have her and she stays nice!!!!!

Meant to add.....

africanprincess- have no exp with contesting an ofsted decision but good luck!!

star1976- Good luck with your inspection and don't worry about it! As long as you meet the national standards you'll be fine. Have a read through them, I'm sure you're doing exactly what you're supposed to be!!

My inspector has given me about 4 weeks notice and sounded nice on the phone. Trying to lull me into a false sense of security perhaps?????

Osted inspectors. Pah! I'm a teacher, don't tell me about ofsted!

ATM if 29 out of 30 kids work hard, enjoy the lesson and learn everything, and 1 child doesn't, the lesson is unsatisfactory!

All the children have to learn in every lesson. So if one of your kids gets dtiched by their boyfriend and are too upset to work, tough shit, the teachers lesson is unsatisfactory.

They expect perfection

blimey thats ridiculous if you change sheets 4 babies!
i thought you had put 2 babies to sleep in the same cot together!!
what will ofsted want next?!!! its ridiculous!