CM Club; Childcare student placements with childminders - help please!

[blodwen]

I have a couple of childcare students on a placement with me for a few weeks after easter. What do I need to do /have to be legal with Ofsted? Obviously they will not be left unsupervised with the mindees.

i would have prob phoned Ofster b4 offering the students a place not sure how we stand

Write to Ofsted asap. Don't bother phoning them, head office always tell you to put things in writing first.
I would guess that they already have very recent CRBs?
I am looking into employing a Modern Apprentice and will be contacting them myself soon.
Do you have to pay your students?

If they are under 16 & therefore canot have a CRB, then no action needs to be taken (apart from informing the parents in writing)

If they are Older and have a CRB it cannot be used for your setting unless it was taken out for your setting - so as above

Either way no sole charge (watch your toilet breaks) and no nappies/toileting

Agree with Katymac, no need to inform Ofsted though you can if you so wish.

The college the students attend may have obtained CRB checks - certainly back when I did my NNEB training, the college obtained a Police Check (as it then was). However, even if the students are CRB checked, do not leave them alone with children as they are not included in ratio.

Childminding Guidance (2004)
Standard 2
"Students on training placements are not included in the adult to child ratio. The amount of supervision any student needs depends on whether the student is vetted and their competence and experience. A student cannot have sole charge of children."
Standard 13 - Child Protection, Signs of Abuse
"You need to ensure that any co-worker, assistant or student also knows what to do."

In the guidance to the standards it also states that:
'Occasionally, students may be placed for longer periods, for example a year or more. In such cases you could treat the student as an assistant and apply to OFSTED for a variation of your registration to alow you to care for additional children when the student is present.'
I am looking to have an apprentice for a couple of years - so at what point could I ask for this variation? Would I have to wait until a year of employment had been completed, or could I apply as soon as induction and competence in general duties had been achieved?

I'd go for competance

Thanks everyone. I have spoken to Ofsted this morning and they have asked me to send them the names of the students and the dates they will be with me. The students are not CRB checked, and will be supervised by me constantly.