Childminders Club: Assistants

[Xena]

I'm thinking about asking Ofsted if I can have an assistant so that I can up my numbers. How do I go about this do I need to send them a letter? I have just sent them one requesting them to inspect part of my house they hadn't previously registered.

Yes - send them a letter

I got someones name and now I email everything

An assistant maynot necessarily increase your numbers (but it probably will)

What is the procedure for an assistant? I think I heard that an assistant can't be left unsupervised for longer than x amt of time nut surely if they registered in the same way as normal c/minders then they could have unlimited amt of time alone (i.e. when I am on holiday)
I have worked out the free sq foot of the house and it is 32sm not including settees and large funiture. That is also not including the conservatory I want to knock down, to create a covered out door area.

Are you thinking about an assistant - nominally no unsupervised care or a childminder - unsupervised care and working with you or as your employee

Well I was thinking the person I employee would need to do the 12hr course, first aid etc but be registered at my address. Would they then be part of my certificate or would they get there own but registered on my premises?

Anothe childminder (would not be an assistant) - could either work for you & have no contracts of their own or have their own children and pay you 'rent'

But to cover for your holidays they would need help as s/he wouldn't be able to cover then numbers you would both have

They would have their own certificate but be on your public liability

If I only take my holidays in the school holidays. Then there would be as many. All bar 1 of my current u8 mindees are teachers children.

What do you do?

So in the hols there would only be 1? -you'd be OK

I close for 2 weeks one in dec & one in Aug

sorry I meant about your employees are the assistants or c/minders? If they are cm's do you then display their certificate?

Sorry - I have 1 assistant and 2 childminder assistants, I do display their cert (c/mers) but they don't have any of their'own' children - they are all mine

Thats what I want to do but how do they feel?

I'm thinking of setting up a summer play club as well as expanding from sept. But I need to rival the local one that charges £18 per day.

My local one charges £10 for a 10 hr day - but I might send DD their just to get a break

The C/Mers I empoly can go & start their own /ming business if they don't loke working for me...and they haven't yet

I so with one of my mindees parents.
She is on a term time only contract with a retainer in the holidays. She also has a daily amt for days in the holidays as she said when she started that she would need some holidays (esp in the summer) when I just asked her if she knew what she needed over the summer holidays she said they had booked an au-pair why did I need to ask her she should have told me when she knew.

Unfair - how mean not to tell you - did you write anything in the contract?

No [stupid emotion] But contract is due to renew in sept I will put it in then.
TBH I am thinking of charging £22 perday for my play club, so if you took off her retainer she would only pay £15. So I will get her retainer and someone elses £22

Can I ask how you qualified for your sure start grant?

Can't do that Xena - if you take a retainer you must keep a place open for her to use. You can't take money twice for the same place.

You could chanrge a deposit for next term and reuse the place during the summer - but if it's a retainer she could ask tp use the place (NCMA are quite clear on that

I contacted the local council early years team and asked how I should expand to meet the needs of the area

I don't think I am going to fill all the spaces for the club as I am going to have an employee should it go to plan.

Planning is usually the worst bit - limits the number of children in the house

Sorry I'm really scared what do you mean planning?

Where are you Katymac wise one I know nothing about planning.

Sorry honey, children called (well my DD) then a network meeting

Have you got planning permission to run a business from home - some councils need it for up to 6 children others if you go over 6 - they charge you money for a "Change of use statement"

But they can limit your numbers cos of parking or access or neighbours

I don't have planning atm I only told my mortgage company that I intended to childmind. So I should phone the council to check if I need it. Do I just ask for planning?
BHell I'm so tired I seem to have endless paper work trying to get everything into order. On the upside playroom looks good and when I asked the children(inc my own) today what there fav things about coming to my house were and what there least fav things were the good only think of good things