CMs - cross over time and going over numbers

[Liz79]

Hi there.

You know how a CM may have so many children of a certain age at any one time? Are you allowed to go over the numbers for say 10 mins while there is a cross over with children being dropped off/collected?

thanks

I have had it in the past where someone has broken down or train was delayed etc and there is a crossover. I rang Ofsted and they said that they realise these things happen in life as long as it was not a usual occurance and then I would need a variation on my certificate. They do understand as long as you keep them informed and you don't have oodles of kids there.

Thanks. When I dropped DD (12.5m)off yesterday there were 3 other toddlers (one is CMs own) and an 8 year old. She is only meant to have 3 under 5 and is it 2x 5-8s? She can have more if her assistant is there but she wasn't. She said there's a couple extra at the minute because its cross over time. Thought that was fair enough but the same combo of kids was still there when DH collected DD 3 hours later what should I do?

I'd have a chat

Make sure the assistant wasn't there when you DH picked up first

I have had the exact opposite from OFSTED (than thebumcleaner) - there is no excuse for being over numbers unless there is a life or death situation......they told me to make the parent dropping off to wait until the other child was collected (pretty impossible really)

Good luck sorting it

Ofsted have told me that if one child is not picked up, then the next can't be left with me until I am within my numbers.

My overlap was after school so no mum dropping off, so maybe different. I was told that you had to think of the welfare of the child first!

For about 15 months I had a 1pm drop off and 1pm collection. I used to get VERY stressed worrying that the collecting mum would be late - which she sometimes was.

If your Childminder is over her numbers then her insurance is invalid. If she has a variation re her numbers from OFSTED, then she is of course not over her numbers and the insurance would be valid.

Going over numbers is a big fat NO WAY except in the exceptional unforeseen circumstances of a dire emergency. After which, the cm should notify Ofsted as soon as possible to provide an explanation of the circumstances. An Ofsted Inspector gave me an example being a childminder accompanying an injured child in an ambulance. She said they would consider each situation/complaint's individual circumstances - the cm would be expected to have acted in the best interests of the children under the circumstances they found themselves in.

Don't know how experienced your childminder is, but some childminders would have been used to a more flexible approach under Social Services before Ofsted got involved. Ofsted told me they don't legally have the flexibility to give the permissions that Social Services used to do. But I know that having done things flexibly for many years, some childminders don't view this as such a problem as I do. If your childminder is of that viewpoint, you may wish to look for other options.

Crossover time is most certainly not an emergency - every Ofsted Inspector I've ever met would take a very dim view of this. Insurance providers do not accept verbal permission from Ofsted, either - if we go over the numbers on reg. certificate the insurance is invalid so written permission from Ofsted is always needed.

I don't like confrontations so if it happens again I would probably start off by mentioning how stressful she must be finding it not having been able sort out her numbers problem yet. What with the insurance problem as well as Ofsted to worry about. DD loves it here/we value you blah blah but its really worrying me that Ofsted could take away your registration. What exactly are you doing to sort it out?