CM Club: This is all I need

[KatyMac]

Apparently OFSTED have decided that if more than 3 of us work together we are a nursery

Previously we were told that 3 childminders/assistants working together at a time

I am completely devastated

Oh no Katy. I've seen some of your threads and know you have worked very hard to establish your CHILDMINDING business. But, I don't really know what this means for you. Are there things a nursery has to do that childminder doesn't?

Yes & we can't do them

Sorry ofsted is not being nice to you at the moment, how much more damage do they want to do to a lovely lady and all her mindees.

Ofsted aren't helping mothers make choices are they, we will end up all giving it up and only nurseries will be left soon.

That's terrible, Katy. If you don't mind enlighting me, I'm interested to know what this means you would have to do that a childminder doesn't.

So sorry to hear that.

Is this a solid 'rule' of just one of Ofsteds random things - as I am sure that there are three CM's who work together in the next town to me?

oh no Katy
what changes do you need to make?

2 people present with the children at all times

So no school pick-ups (as I would need an extra person at home & an extra person in the car)

Plus planning won't let us be commercial in our house so if we aren't a childminder we will be closed

Plus the medication issue becomes more complicated

Oh I don't know it's the staffing/panning issue that concerns me

It's a new thingie with Spetember 08

"Registration of childcare providers from September 2008"

Crap crap crap

That's rediculous! Can you go on a childminders chat site (if there is such a place) and get a list of childminders who work in group of three who are classed as childminders and send the list to Ofsted to establish that this is a practice which they allow, and then ask them why it is different for you?

I am obviously not a childminder. But, as a parent, I object to the way they are treating you.

But, what if you are aready registered? Surely there shoud be some protection of existing businesses?

This is my childminders chat site

There are so many really good minder on here

Don't be silly - OFSTED just do what they like - why should the fact that we have been like this for 4 years and been given Outstanding mean they can't close us down

What a shambles. Maybe you should report them to a reuptable news source (like the BBC reporter who recently uncovered OFSTEED, Mark Warner, etc.)

Blooming heck Katy what is with them?! So, what you have until September to reduce your childminding business or close completely?

Gee - how great of them.

I don't think it would work reducing it - the reason we work like we do is because of our health problems - none of us can work more than about 25/30 hrs a week - so that's it basically

Could I sue them under the disability discrimination act I wonder

Well you would certainly have a case of letting you continue or you will need to be on benefits!

This is the bit

Childcare on domestic premises
The definition of domestic premises remains as above. But if you provide childcare or work with three or more people on domestic premises after 1 September 2008 then the Childcare Act says that you are either an early or later years childcare provider or both: you are not a childminder.
Some examples of this are:

• a childminder who employs three or more assistants to work with them.
• three or fewer childminders who work on the same premises and employ assistants to help them which makes the number of persons who work together four

If you fall into this category you must meet the requirements for childcare providers rather than childminders. You should check the welfare requirements in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the requirements for the Childcare Register to make sure you follow the ones for early or later years providers and not for childminders, as there are some differences. Your local authority can help you do this.

The question is- is it 3 at a time or 3 all together?

so it counts as you plus 3 others?

could you scale back a little ?

I'm a parent and followed your trials with interested and would be gutted for you to have toclose now after all this time.

chinup KatyMac!

Yes Katy, exactly. And I suppose they can't answer that?

So, what is thee combination you have? 1 childminder plus three assistants?

It's you and DH right, so just one other assistant? I wonder if it could be you, and 2 others or DH and two others?

Hang on, surely that is meant to cover full time assistants? If none of you work 'full' hrs, surely 2 of your assistants should count as 1 or some such??

Arn't you job-sharing effectively?

Um 5 childmninders (each working between 24-30 hours) plus 3 assistants (each working less than 10 hours)

But we job share as we are all a bit poorly or have other commitments

There are only 3 of us at a time normally - the only exception to this is when we have a child with SN who needs one-to-one then we are 4

We already knew the 121 for SN children was going to have to stop - which we were getting ready to fight anyway

Then surely this is allowed! If you can get the extra one approved for the SN. I think any combo of three would be fine. You fight for this!

Well the network no nothing.....OFSTED are talking about "Early Years Provision within a domestic premises" which isn't childminding

So I am on hold to NCMA