Am so hacked off with FIS - how do CMers cope with all this bureaucracy?!

[navyeyelasH]

Long story short I am a nanny and I'm changing to be a CM. I have 3 sets of parents who want full time care and who would like me to start in September.

Despite making enquiries about this is March its unlikely that I will be registered by September due to the way my local Family Information Services is run.

Every time I call them I feel like I'm talking to that woman off Little Britain, "computer says no"!

First of all I had t wait 3 months to get on an ICP course even though there was a sooner course. I couldn't get onto that because I hadn't done the two previous briefings, one of which is called "is childminding for me?". I work as a childminders assistant currently, I have done the EYFS training, I've also done the SEF training. But they wouldn't let me do the ICP as I missed that briefing. Now am I getting my arse in my hand here or was it stupid of them to not let me on the earlier ICP course?

Now I'm 4 weeks into the ICP course, I want to get my Ofsted stuff sent off but they don't release the ofsted forms until you have finished the ICP course - I have 5 weeks of the ICP left and probably around 12 weeks till Ofsted register me but for some insane reason I'm not allowed to get on with the ofsted side of things until I have finished the ICP. Can anyone explain to me why that may be?

It feels like they don't want any new CMers and try to make this as complex as possible; if I find the system this silly so early on is this a sign that CMing is not for me?
I am utterly fed up, but this -big- little rant has helped.

Well done if you got this far!

We don't

We whinge on MN

So looks like I fit in already Katymac!

Can anyone think of a way for me to get the Ofsted forms before I finsih the ICP course? Also is there anyway I can get someone over to my house to check out floor space and the likely number of children I will be allowed (will be working with another CMer probably).

Am just so right now. Is there someone I can complain too about how ineffective their systems are if someone who is not the norm (ie. Not a mum with no childcare/ofsted experience) comes along.

What a pita for you, I don't know why councils all have different rules, it's crazy, have you tried getting forms from Ofsted, don't know if they still send them direct or not, it's a bit nutty because you can register as long as you complete ICP within 6 months. Quite honestly, I try to ignore the waffle and just get on with it, you never get the same answer twice.

I think you can get the majority of the forms from the Ofsted website here: www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Forms-and-guidance/Browse-all-by/Care-and-local-services/Childcare/Reg istration/Forms-to-complete.

It's stupid - no wonder most people find the proces totaly confusing. I don't understand the login in it, they want you to become a CMer after the course has ended, but they don't want to give the forms out until the end of the course - how STUPID is that?!

atworknotworking, you said it's nutty as, "you can register as long as you complete ICP within 6 months". Do you know if there is somewhere more oficial I could find that info?

Family information services are point blank refusing to give me the forms, could someone in another part of the country get the forms do you think and then send them to me?

Just a bit deressing as I'd be full if I started in Sep - but they wont take this into consideration! Far easier for them to let me start with no-one lined up and potentially not fill the spaces which then in turn might mean I have to rethink the whole CMer thing.

i think the 'as long as you do an ICP within 6 months' was before EYFS, now i think it has to be done before you can register, but ti thought you could still start the process. you can get the forms direcly from ofsted, you could give them a call 08456 40 40 40. when you talk to them you could try bending the truth and saying that you have finnished the course, but forgot to pick up the forms?

it all sounds like a pita, for you, i hope you manage to register before sept

Whereabouts are you, navyeyelasH? Our local council (Windsor & Mhd) can send you the Ofsted forms, get you CRB checked and you do the first aid course, apply to Ofsted yourself, then you get priority on the council's next course so that you complete it within six months of registration. I have the same situation as you, have kids lined up and want to get going asap.

Leonifay - tried it they said FIS are the ones who send out the forms! So GRR.

GBR - thanks for the info, the really really annoying thing about this is that Ofsted have done a CRB on me in Feb 2009 as I'm on the voluntary register, I already have a first aid cert AND I have a food hygiene cert. The only thing that is stopping this is the fact that FIS wont give me the forms.

Do you think if I rang a different FIS for a different area the forms would be the same - or am I just asking for something to go wrong and delay things even longer?

Another area mightn't send you the forms, they'd know from your address I presume. Maybe try your FIS again - I asked was there any way to speed up the process as I have people who want to start asap, and they told me they could send me the application forms before the pre-reg briefing and course - this was however on my third time of ringing, I got a different person each time, luckily they seemed to improve as I went along!

The link that squirrel42 gave worked. And there are either pdf or word documents that you can print off and complete.

Different counties work differently. We did our course over 2 long saturdays and we were told we had to finish it all before sending our forms off but other childminders sent theirs off before we even did the 1st aid or ICP. By the time we did our exam for ICP they were ready to start as OFSTED has been out by then. Whereas mine took extra long as i silly waited until everything was done and ended up registering 9 months from my 1st briefing date

Thanks Eva, I didn't notice the link by squirel but it says on there, "This form is only available as part of a childminder application pack, which you can obtain from your local Family Information Service (FIS)"

I have already printed out the other forms and filled them in, it's just the application I need! ARGHH

Actually is this the application form does anyone know? www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Forms-and-guidance/Browse-all-by/Other/General/Declaration-and-consent -form-for-all-individuals-connected-with-a-registered-provision-form-EY2

Oh no scratch that - the ey2 form would be for others in my house. I got excited then!

I need the EYC form.

I would call Ofsted directly and ask for it.

limonchick I did and they said they never send them out FIS are the only people that have them. I mailed a letter to FIS to confirm in writing that given my situation they wont send the form; I think that's all I can do?