registering for overnight care? any tips please!

[eleanorsmum]

Ok, having looked at the finances of my new job i may need to take on overnight care to make ends meet. I have just spoken to ofsted who said to put it writing to the inspection support team and they will consider it and then sedn out a variation for it.

firstly, does that sound normal way of doing it? and secondly, what should i cover in my letter?

my thoughts so far are
own seperate room
own bedding
apropriate bed ie cot or bed/ bed gaurd
stair gate acroos room if required
access to bathroom - safety and for persoanl use

anymore pleae?

Baby monitor
Fire evacuation
Would you check on them during the night
Wash stuff - toothbrush, etc

I had to have a fire safety check to get registered, but that was about 100 years ago!

Annex B of the National Standards gives info about overnight care.

That is the usual way to apply to have your conditions of registration changed! For certain things an Inspector might need to come out to see you eg. if you haven't been inspected lately and want to increase your numbers, where space might be an issue. I wouldn't imagine they'd need to do that for a request for overnight care though.

Under EYFS the overnight care bits are scattered through the welfare requirements eg:

"For childminders providing overnight care, required ratios continue to apply. The children must be close by and within easy hearing distance (this may be via a monitor)."

"Where children stay overnight, it may be appropriate for the Fire Safety Officer to inspect the sleeping area." (It probably wouldn't hurt to check with your local Early Years team to see if they recommend this for childminders providing overnight care - you'd probably get a free safety check from a hunky fireman! )

"Where children are staying overnight, they should each have a suitable bed or cot and clean bedding."

I have toyed with the idea of providing overnight care and have often wondered if the child has to sleep upstairs if there is room for you and the child to sleep downstairs?

The reason for asking this is because I have loads of room downstairs plus a bed settee for me. I know that Ofsted would never agree to registering the upstairs of my house due to huge spaces between the spindels (sp?) on the staircase, big bedroom windows that open wide enough to fit a horse through and an open staircase leading to the attic on the landing.

When I discussed it with OFSTED they were happy for me to sleep downstairs with the mindee as long as DD had DH upstairs so she was safe in an emergency