CHILDMINDERS & PARENTS - step this way.......opinions needed on OFSTED and their paperwork and inconsistancies!!

[bloodsuckingLOONEY]

A lot of us on here have moaned away about OFSTED and how they are getting worse and worse. Good childminders all over the country are quitting because they've had enough of the endless paperwork, training etc etc.

I want to get as many opinions as possible and send this thread to OFSTED as I feel very strongly about all this (yeah, yeah, probably hormones but still, felt like this before!)

So.....if you're a childminder....tell me what you think - I know a lot have said but please put on this thread.

Parents - what's more important to you....that we care for your little ones in a home environment, show them love and attention, play with them, take them out in the community etc etc or that we make sure you sign the attendance register, put posters all round the house, have 'wash your hands' signs in the toilet and 'no smoking' signs on all walls of the house, spend time writing endless observations as we go through the day etc etc.

I could have put it a lot better than that but I'm really tired, my eyes are getting blurred! I was going to wait until I was fresh tomorrow but I thought I'd strike whilst I feel so strongly!

ALSO....CHILDMINDERS.....what do you think of the INSPECTORS/INSPECTIONS? Fed up with them all saying different things and making you not know where on earth you stand? Fed up with some inspectors saying they'll never give out an 'Outstanding' grade just because that's them? Fed up with phoning up and being told one thing just to get into trouble for that info not being correct?

Give me all your thoughts as I really do want to send this to OFSTED but we need LOTS of you to come forward!!

Thanks, I'm off for my dinner now

[bloodsuckingLOONEY]

TP - it's crazy isn't it! FFS, all this happens when we mix children as friends and stuff, I just don't see the problem. Oh.....guess what.....I DON'T wear gloves when I change nappies!!! Sorry, but how horrible must that be for the child. As far as I'm concerned, it's to protect ME and therefore I'll take that risk thanks - I treat them like I treat my own!!!

Mo - oh no.....I must always be spreading disease, I don't think there's a day that goes by that the babies don't get raspberries blown on their bellies!!!

mymatemax - thanks very much, another very well put post from another PARENT.

OFSTED if you are even bothering to read this.....have you noticed that not ONE SINGLE PARENT are happy or feel the need for all of this????!!!!

[Katisha]

It may or may not be the intention but all the increasing bureaucracy is taking away parental choice by stealth. As someone said earlier I choose my CM on the basis of character, reputation and my trust in them, not on the basis of their abiity to keep records, hold certificates and do paperwork - leave that to the sort of childcare businesses who have staff and secretaries...

Have you sent it to Ofsted yet - are they at all likely to be reading it? Could you do an edited version, missing out the MN chatty bits and request a reply?

[bloodsuckingLOONEY]

Katisha - off to bed in a mo as feeling a bit sick and very tired. Before I go.....was thinking of printing it off with some kind of highlighting of key comments. I'm not sending it yet, would like more comments so thought I'd wait to see how it looks by the end of the weekend. I will then post recorded delivery to OFSTED and my Local MP and request a reply - will need some help putting a good covering letter together though! Not sure how to go about the other local MP's - any suggestions?

[SpooKAYsamuels]

I wholeheartedly agree with evrything on this thread!

I love childminding - looking after the kids, going off on adventures to the park/beach, trip on the train, etc. The kids are treat like my own. and have lots of fun.

Parents often make me feel bad for holding them up with signing attendance registers, permission slips, etc. Even my mum of the baby I mnd thinks the daily diary I do is unnecessary, she pops in any time of day to see me and baby and will often stop for a chat at the end of the day, this makes her far more reassured than a diary that frankly could be completely made up!

I find all the paperwork tiring and stressful, my last inspection was fine and I was graded good, but was told I should tell mum of 4yr old mindee that she should not give him a doughnut to eat at my house! I pointed out he had a balanced diet ( balanced meals, only drank milk and water, ate fruit and veg etc) and I would not be telling a parent what to feed to her child!

I a provide a home environment not a nursery, I am not a social worker/ health visitor / pen pusher. I enjoy working with children and the only reason I consider quitting childminding is all the paperwork.

[london11]

Inspector 1:- why are there NO scissors in your first aid box? surely they are an esential item?

Inspector 2:- why ARE there scissors in your first aid box? what if you are dealing with an emergency and another child picks up scissors and hurts themselves/you/another child?

Inspector 1:- the knife block at the back of the kitchen work top in a kitchen closed off with a gate should be locked away in a cupboard.

Inspector 2:- no comment on knife block or kitchen in general.

sure I will think of some more!

[milliec]

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[tobysmumkent]

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[tobysmumkent]

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[Megsdaughter]

I got told, that i couldnt get a higher grade then good for Eduction as I only had two terms of curriculum, instead of a years (had only been accredited two terms) even tho she said it was the best written curriculum and obs she had seen!

The Education Dept Inspector who came was so annoyed as she thought it was brill.

[StrawberryMartini]

I have recently required a hamster as some of you know (he is now proudly called Hamish ). I phoned Ofsted thinking I could just let them know over the phone that I had a new pet. The lady said I had to write a letter to them, giving detail of risk assessment, where the hamster was to be kept, etc. etc.

IT'S A FRIGGIN HAMSTER!

[Mum2Luke]

I have put another post regarding the EYFS which comes into effect next September 2008.

I look after a 4 yr old and a 20 month at the moment, I have done this job twice, once when my daughter (now 14) was 1 yr old and all we had was a quick look over from our Under 8's team and no paper work at all. I re-registered when I was expecting my 3 rd (now 5) as I wanted to stay at home while he was little. I had a 'good' mark for my last inspection as I had done everything I should have done to prepare. The inspector suggested put a stairgate on the kitchen but we now have a new kitchen and my dh doesn't want a stairgate where it used to be as it will ruin the cupboard.I was 'reccommended' to do the NVQ Level 3 but what for? I am losing the baby as his Mum is having another and not returning, the 4 yr old only comes after school 3 days a week so what am I supposed to do with no children in the day? I havent had a single call for months - because there are 3 day nurseries on the doorstep and more childminders are being registered but why? There are not enough children for existing ones.

I am also considering leaving the profession, I need something to fit in with school as I've no family near to help. I blame OFTSED for their stupid rules and regulations which confuse everyone (namely first aid issues) and force us good cms to leave as we are fed up.

[ThePrisoner]

Don't we have childminders who have posted previously about the inspector being very unhappy that children have not had access to all toys/activities at all times? And someone who had one box stacked on top of another so that the children couldn't access the bottom box by themselves (cardinal sin).

I rotate all my stuff on a weekly basis and everything not being used is stored in our (half-converted) loft. My risk assessment has assessed that allowing small children to climb the rickety ladder and hunt amongst the layers of fibreglass insulating wool might be a bit dangerous, but perhaps I will get parents to sign a disclaimer when they arrive each morning.

[bloodsuckingLOONEY]

I'm disgusted at what I've just found......I went onto Facebook thinking of starting a new group to see if we could get opinions from other childminders about this....I came across a small group of people who work at Ofsted and this is what they put in the group description.....We work at Ofsted - We're awesome ... We own you

You know what.....it really makes me wonder if all this crap is happening because they just love the power!!!!

[ThePrisoner]

Can you do a link?

[ThePrisoner]

No, you can't - my dd just told me.

[ThePrisoner]

So onto my next question - I would really love clarification about medicating children in our care.

It is ridiculous to suggest that parents should sign permission forms each morning on the off-chance that their child might develop a temperature. It is also not possible for me to contact all the parents unless there is a real dire emergency, and they trust me to use my judgement (and have signed general "permission" forms to say so).

We all know that this is a situation where inspectors have given individual CMs very different answers, and some of us have got into trouble for it. I have been told (not during my actual inspection) that parents have to leave work and come to my house to medicate their child themselves (really helpful when they don't work locally).

[hennipenni]

Another inconsistency here.

Inspection one: No comment made about highchair kept the door in the hall, absolutly fine, not mentioned at all

Inspection2: Pulled up about said highchair in the hall behind the door. What happens when you give child freedom to go to the toilet on own- what if highchair falls and shuts door so child gets trapped? says inspector. All well and good I say, but said child in question is 6 months old! I then go on to say well, why is it that it's considered a hazard now but it wasn't last time? She couldn't/wouldn't answer that one. And it went down on my report as an action.

[hennipenni]

By the way, now that mindee is old enough to have a little independence toilet wise it has been moved, that was something I had managed to risk assess myself.

[bloodsuckingLOONEY]

I've set up a group on Facebook - please join!!! We need to FIGHT BACK!!!

Link here

[bloodsuckingLOONEY]

here's the link to the OFSTED workers group who I said were disgraceful

[hennipenni]

Oh and another one. I was told that parents must sign attendance book- which they did but every other minder at my group have been told that they don't have to sign in as long as the minder writes times of arrival and departures down.

And another thing, will I be penalised because I keep my toys in a locked she in the garden and only get out what the minees would like to play with that day? Or should I get every single box of toys out etc and end up with my health and safety as well as mindees being compromised?

[hennipenni]

Oh my gooness they live near me

[bloodsuckingLOONEY]

Let's get em sacked!!

[bloodsuckingLOONEY]

Back to the OP.....more comments welcome