Possibly obtuse question about CMs' Ofsted Inspection reports

[saadia]

Can anyone help? I have been reading up on these inspection reports and as far as I can see the only identification is a number, so how do I know which CM in my area they refer to?

it is to protect us as we live and work at home
sometimes you can do a postcode search to give you better idea all cm's will have a copy of their own report for you to read

thank you LesbianMummy1, do you know why they are posted on the website then as I thought they would be for prospective clients?

Ofsted did try to get things changed quite recently, but following discussion the decision was made to keep it as it is. It's a pain I feel, as for other businesses you can find where they are located.

Your local Children's Information Service may be able to help you cross match an identifier with a provider... but they may not, Data Protection Act may get in the way. Worth a try though.

it is for you to look as well but because we often work alone we are vulnerable. a nursery has an address but more often than not there is not a person living there

all childminders know there unique number and can give it out to you when you register your child I have had parent come round to register her child and leave paperwork on top of her car while she strapped her child in the car seat then drive off forgetting luckily a nearby worker found it and phoned me concerned that she had my name address phone number and personal details and I was glad she had found it not somebody else. She was by the local social services office when she found it and could potentially have caused all sorts of problems if they put our details on the web we could face this more often

Yes I can understand about the matter of confidentiality and security, I will get CM's number. nannynick thanks for that I will try the local CIS.

x-posted Sazzles, I will give them a call and see.

Google Cache of: Outcome of the Consultation

"We intend to make more information accessible about childminders in the future. We have yet to decide on how best to achieve this whilst balancing the opposing wishes of parents and childminders."

So things may change in the future... but there will be further consultations about it.

For now, you need to contact your local Children's Information Service, who can provide a list of childminders. Then you can visit those childminders and obtain inspection reports from them.

when i phoned up last year, the cis provided a list of childminders in the area (but no ofsted number on these, just last inspection dates).

I then typed in my postcode on ofsted sites, to get local childminders. i was then able to tally up the two pieces of information, from the inspection dates (blooming long process!).

took ages and probably a bit of a cheeky way of doing it

lol likessleep, that's the sort of thing I would do.

Also the Ofsted website lists childminders in distance from the postcode entered - so if you already know their postcode, enter that... and the top entry is likely to be their inspection report (though there can be more than one childminder per postcode).

But if you consider all you need to claim Childcare Tax credits is the OFSTED number (& they don't check to see if you are going to that childminders) it's all bizarre

Customers can't find you & fraudsters can use your number

that's a good idea nannynick, it is a strange system Katymac, particularly as, if I was a CM with a good report I would want people to know.

Believe me.......everyone I meet knows I have had Outstanding twice

It's not the fault of Childminders that the Tax Credits system can be so easily abused. Given it is tax payers money they are spending, I feel they should be carrying out far more checks as to if a claim is legitimate. Are they not checking at all that the childcare being provided is actually being provided by the childcarer named on the form(s)?

No Nick

In 6 yrs I have had one check

They won't even take information from us when families leave & we try & inform them