Nannies & Childminders - Ofsted is checking First Aid Certificates

[nannynick]

In my post this morning I got a letter from Ofsted. They appear to be checking First Aid Certificates of those people registered on the Childcare Register, where Ofsted has not seen the certificate first-hand. Therefore if your First Aid certificate has not been seen by a Childcare Inspector, then do expect to get a letter. The letter gives you 10 working days to send them a copy of your certificate - they do include a pre-paid envelope.

How odd

sounds a good idea to me

definately a good idea -thats the one thing lots of CMs manage to ignore for a while!

Odd though - there is bound to more where that came from!

Yes, it makes you wonder why they have decided to do this. Perhaps they have realised that the current system isn't very good in making sure that those who are registered are actually meeting the requirements.
Good thing though, as will help make sure that people are complying.

i think they may be doing this as when i was a nanny, and ofsted registered, having the ST Johns All Ages First Aid Certificate was ok but its not ok if you are a childminder. you need the Early Years one. when i spoke to someone at ofsted on the phone she told me my old one was ok, but its not. so less than 10mths after completing the all ages course i had to do the Early Years one. i think they are just checking as theres been alot of confusion.

i got my letter from Ofsted asking for a copy of my certificate this morning too.

Nannies had to have an Early Years one too when they moved from the CAS approal scheme to OFSTED. Everyone registered with OFSTED has to have the 12 hours paeds certificate now. Hopefully they won't change their minds again!

Thanks nannynick I got a letter asking for this this this morning in the post too. Was a bit confused bacause it said they are still processing my application and can't go further without seeing my First Aid cert - but I got my cerificate of registration last week!!! Confused!!

I got this letter too! How odd, in a good way. There is an email address on my letter, do you reckon we can email a copy?

my nanny is being hounded by Ofsted for an inspection. Is there anything I can do to make it easier for her? She is registered purely so we can use Childcare vouchers. All a big pain in the neck!! She is renewing her first aid certificate but is there anything else they are likely t ask her or look for? anyon else been inspected recently?

i got that letter yesturday too

ill send it when i get round to it!...

i am ofstead registered, and my boss wont pay me with busy bees for a few months!

My nanny is also being hounded. The only reason why she is on their "voluntary" register is so that we can use our childcare vouchers. We see it as being our responsibility, not hers, as she would have no difficulty in securing work without it. Most adults are quite capable of looking at a First Aid Certificate, for example.

She phoned OFSTED to check whether it was necessary, as she as misplaced her certificate, which is due to expire this July.

They told her that it was. They also told her that they had a record of having seen her certificate. They then told her that she still had to send it in again anyway.

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo. To recap. OFSTED wants to see a copy of a document that THEY have a record of having seen already.

The arrogance of these people. When she told them that she had lost her certificate, offering instead the summary that they are given on the day, while she waits for SJA to send her a copy, the woman on the other end of the phone said, "oh, you will need to book yourself onto a new course immediately". Even though they HAVE IT ON RECORD THAT THEY HAVE SEEN HER CERTIFICATE!

How generous they are with other people's time and money. Do OFSTED have any idea of the real world? A First Aid Certificate lasts for three years. If she did this, we would be coughing up just over every two years. Plus the hundred odd quid every year for registration that we didn't need, having worked together and been happy together for two years prior to this system coming in.

Quite how this protects children is utterly beyond me.

Nowearefour, what do they mean by an inspection? Surely not along the same lines as childminders?

It's bad enough that my children are subject to the paperwork of EYFS at preschool, without them having to follow it when they are playing with their own Lego.

Do we have to let these people into our own homes??????

Nowearefour, what do they mean by an inspection? Surely not along the same lines as childminders?

It's bad enough that my children are subject to the paperwork of EYFS at preschool, without them having to follow it when they are playing with their own Lego.

Do we have to let these people into our own homes??????

Oops, sorry.

Does anyone know what will happen if an Ofstead reg. nanny thought her first aid was up to date, but then recently found out it ran out last year, and she has been paid using vouchers, what should she do? Will she be in trouble?

A friend of mine has discovered her first aid has run out - when rang Ofstead they just told her to book herself on a new course. And she hasn't got any insurance which they haven't queried - ofstead never even asked about my insurance i just ticked thebox that said I had it! (which I do)

well i was wondering the same thing. they have hounded my nanny into agreeing to an inspection in MY home but they have not asked permission from me to come into it. i do not want to feel like MY HOUSE or MY CHILDREN are being inspected! apparently they asked her questions on the phone which showed they had not thought the whole thing through. she seems to have been unlucky. she has insurance and a course booked for renewal of her first aid anyway. but i cant believe it. do we really have to pay for an ANNUAL registration of OFSTED? that kind of wipes out the tax benefit of using hte vouchers pretty much for me!

Childminders have a grace period where they can renew their 1st Aid, presumably nannies get the same. And OFSTED will only have a tick saying someone has seen A 1st Aid but it might not be THE 12 hour paediatric one they want.

You as the employer have to agree to the inspection in your home as far as I understand and could theoretically refuse an OFSTED inspector entry.

Childminders are no longer allowed a grace period - new minders cannot get registered without their 1st aid certificate, and existing CMs will be in trouble if they do not have a current certificate (which I guess would not be discovered unless they were being inspected).

With regard to what happens at the inspection, a nanny has posted on NannyJob about what happened when they were inspected.

nannynick you are always just SO helpful. thanks so much. i will show that to my nanny. i still cant believe they will come and ask these kinds of questions. if they asked her to wake my sleeping child i would be SOOOOOOOOO cross. they have NO right to ask a nanny to ask them to do that. that is why i have a nanny so my children can stay in their own routine in their own home. harrumph !

Ofsted do not have power of entry to a private home. They are an invited guest.
If your nanny does not want to do something the inspector says, they can refuse. All the nanny needs to do is prove that they meet the conditions of registration.

so if i refuse entry to the inspector it cant stop my nanny being registered then? i looked on the ofsted website for details about it but there is nothing on there. i would be very interested to read something official on it- i would have thought they would have sent me something about 'why we ened to inspect your nanny' or something. i think they are getting too big for their boots ! hard to police what goes on in someone's own home and clearly the parents will be careful in who they choose - but it seems they are checking if the nanny can check up on the parents????

This is important can someone please answer nowwearefour's question?!

Also, does anyone know where this is all going (i.e. does NannyNick know?) Are they putting updates on the OFSTED website?

Back in the nanny market

Cheers in advance

Think nowwearefour's question could be very tricky to answer, if indeed there is actually an answer.

How has this register of nannies come about?
Well... legislation wise it is the Childcare Act 2006 (c.21) which under 32(5) says:
~~ Begin Quote ~~
The second Part (?Part B?) is to be a register of all persons who are registered as childminders or other childcare providers under Chapter 4 (which provides for the voluntary registration of persons providing early years provision or later years provision in respect of which they are not required to be registered under Chapter 2 or 3).
~~ End Quote ~~

Section 62 of that Act refers to what conditions need to be met in order to be registered. It includes checks on:

• the premises on which the childcare is being (or is to be) provided.
• the arrangements for childcare on those premises.
• any person who may be caring for children on those premises.

Section 66 (1) has a 'catch all':
~~ Begin Quote ~~
The Chief Inspector may impose such conditions as he thinks fit on the registration of a person under this Chapter.
~~ End Quote ~~

In the Explanatory Notes to the Childcare Act 2006, it says under section 78
~~ Begin Quote ~~
156. Subsection (3) clarifies that the Chief Inspector may impose a condition on registration requiring a provider who operates on premises which are not his own to obtain the necessary consent to entry.
~~ End Quote ~~

Therefore my guess is that if entry to the premises was refused, the Ofsted inspector would go back to their office and file a report to the Chief Inspector who could then impose an additional condition on that individual carer's registration that they are to obtain the consent to entry. Then if they failed to that, I would suspect that they would be de-registered - thus parents no longer able to use Childcare Vouchers.

Links:
Childcare Act 2006 (c.21)
Explanatory Notes to the Childcare Act 2006

Disclaimer:
I'm not a lawyer, so please seek professional legal advise if you intend to not comply with Ofsted's requirements.