Equiptment

[Carly2]

Hi

I have recently given up my job and I have my three days training course on childminding and preparing you for Ofsted inspection on 12 October.

I need to start buying little things like more toys, safety equiptment and a travel cot. What kinds of cots do you CMs use? I have just had a look on Argos website to get a quick idea for prices etc and there is a travel cot on there for £29.99! Would this be acceptable to Ofsted? I am on a budget (without sounding horrible) as Im not working at the moment so I dont have any money coming in. What other things will I need to buy? Will I need high chairs and pushchairs and baby bouncers?

Thank you x

I was given a travel cot & I bought a 2nd hand highchair.
I made do with toys I already had and made a list of toys and other equipiment (potty/toilet seat)I would like to buy with the ages next to them for my inspection. Inspector was happy with this.

Oh thats good, I will make a list.

Can I ask how long it took for you to get registered? My course isnt until 12 October and I dont have any money coming in at the moment but I feel if I get another job I wont ever do my childminding and it is something I have wanted to do for a long time just due to work commitments I didnt have time to go on courses and things? I want to get registed as fast as poss

it could take a fairly long time i am afraid you have to do you course then get your criminal record check done (these take forever) then get Ofsted checked before you can start. i would say a coulpe of months. with regard to equipment i would go to an NCT sale and get the stuff there.

Have you looked into if you will receive any start up grants? Try your local childminding network, surestart, and early years team. It is a bit of a postcode lottery with grants, but worth a try. I agree I wouldn't buy too much as you don't know what ages your first mindees will be yet, would just write out what toys and epuipment you would buy for each age group, say under ones, tots, 5-8s, 8s and up. Also write a home safety plan of what safety measures you intend to impose when you begin minding (ie safety gates where, socket covers, fire blanket etc). Also look into toy libraries in your area, as these can be great. I have recently bought the cheap folding high chair from argos and it's fab, as long as things are safe, clean and good quality it doesn't matter how much they cost or if they were second hand.

As long as ofsted can see you are thinking about it and have all plans in place they should be happy!

Why not get a temporary xmas job carly2 to tide you over? I know what you mean about never getting around to starting it with other work commitments, if it's something you really want to do then keep going for it.

Yeah, I might have to get a temp job to keep me going .

Will have a look round for some second hand equiptmet etc and will ask about a start up grant on my course in October.

Thank you for all your help guys, this forum is really useful!

I think the only thing I wouldn't buy second hand is a car seat. Otherwise it's ebay or freecycle!

Car Boot sales, send all the new girls I mentor out to them,

The only things I would buy new would be Car seats, everything else second hand till you really get going.

I have just bought a new double (a Marco Sky £93.00 of ebay) and I have only ever had one other new one!

Carly if you would like a help with policies and such I have some I give to my new mentees to use as a template, would you like them?

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