CM Club: OFSTED considers it a confidentiality issue to tell me how many 'CHildcare on Domestic Premises' registrations there are in Norfolk

[Katymac]

I can't work out why

I don't want to know who they are? Or where they are? Just how many there are

How bizarre

That is naughty Nick

I'll just have to go with a press release - any insightful & clever wording?

Looks to me like someone just didn't bother reading your email asnd just fired off a standard one back to you.

I reckon it would be worth sending another one stating this is not the information requested and you expect the correct information to be given to you within the statutory time frame (the clock is still ticking for them).

If they don't do this, you can complain to the Information Commissioner. As you should, because they are being feeble.

I did

"Hi

Sorry this doesn?t answer my question, I am after statistical data on the number of registrations for ?childcare on domestic premises? (not child minding) that there are in my area; to quote my original email:

?I am currently applying to become 'Childcare on Domestic Premises' when we get this new registration we would like to make a press release to the local papers.

Could you tell me how many 'Childcare on Domestic Premises' there are in Norfolk, and how many in the Great Yarmouth area so I can provide the press with the correct information??

The OFSTED search is limited to 20 miles & I think Norfolk is a bit bigger than that; the direct.gov site does not recognise ?childcare on domestic premises? as a category of childcare and I am not a ?parent? in the sense of your email. If you could provide me with this information I would be grateful."

It was perhaps a little brusk (is that the right word?)

When did you send this to them?

It was all on Friday so if I was too rude it's too late - I passed it by my dad before I sent it

But they do make me cross

I find the trouble with Government (be it national or local) is getting an e-mail to the right person. They all seem to use helplines/customer service departments to screen all e-mail. Only way to get through to them I find is to keep on sending time and time again saying the same thing and insisting on an answer. Eventually it gets passed to the right department and someone more senior gets back to you.

Found that when I was moaning to Surrey FIS about the PKHD. FIS responded initially with just normal helpline staff... then I got it to FIS manager and eventually Head of Early Years got hold of it and responded and we got it sorted, well sort of... they tried to get Tribal/Direct-Gov to remove the Vacancies field. It got removed... not sure if pressure from Surrey helped, but I think it might have.

Not sure if COI could get the answer to the question. They may only deal with media though. Could be worth a try. Your regional office is in Cambridge - Tel: 01223 370 780

Hi Katy

I can't understand why Ofsted won't tell you the figures because I believe you can find them from Ofsted's own quarterly statistics on childminder numbers which you can find here.

When you open the document, click on the 'Providers and Places' tab. Then click on the cell containing 'All England' which should open a drop down list. Select 'Local Authority' and then click on the cell below the text that says 'If a region type is selected above, also select a specific region from drop down box below'. Another drop down list should appear and you can then scroll down to 'Norfolk'. All of the numbers now change to the values for Norfolk which should show there to be just 1 childcare on domestic premises currently registered with Ofsted. If you know where that 1 registration is then you should then be able to figure out how many are in Great Yarmouth.

Hope that helps and, if it does answer your question, why can't Ofsted point you in the right direction?

PS If anyone is interested, the latest figures show that the number of childminders has fallen again this time by about 850. This is now the 11th successive quarter that this has happened and nobody in government seems the least bit concerned.

I think Katy wants current data, thats the problem. Ofsted website is even behind, as I think Katy said she knew of 2 existing in Norfolk, yet Ofsted Inspection Report system only produces 1 entry.
I'd go with the FIS figure as their new computer system shoukd be using live data from the PHKD.

Just to let you know - they stiffed me on the charge both the inspector & "someone" on the phone told me it would be a £30 fee - they asked for £200

The introduction to the quarterly figures says "All data has been extracted from the Regulatory Support Application as at end of 30 September 2009". If anyone queries the figures (and I'm sure nobody will) Katy can just refer them to the relevant web page. After all, if you can't rely on government figures, whose figures can you rely on?

I got a lovely reply.....Hmm I wonder

"Thank you for you email. I?m sorry that the information supplied to you previously by colleagues was not useful. Ofsted publish data about the extent of early years childcare provision on a quarterly basis via our Web site. The latest report is entitled ?Registered childcare providers and places in England as at 30 September 2009? and is available at the following address:

www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Documents-b y-type/Statistics/Registered-childcare-providers-and-places-in-England-December-2008-onwards

The data is presented in an interactive table, showing figures for the number of providers at national, government office region and local authority level. Norfolk is listed as a local authority area, and the data is split by provision type.

You also asked for data about Great Yarmouth. We do not hold reliable data on the town that providers are located in. There are plans to carry out a data cleanse in the future, but at present we can?t aggregate data at the level of town. I?m sorry if this causes you inconvenience."

Which is very nice

Least they got back to you.

What's with Great Yarmouth? Are they a unitary authority (or whatever the term is when they do their own thing rather than link in with county council).

How are you getting on with writing the press release? Do you even need to actually say this figure you are after - given that parents probably have no idea what that provider type is anyway, come to think of it not sure I know the difference either!

Great Yarmouth is where I officially live

Not well

Me either

Sorry - I was my way out to guides

Umm not doing too well on my press release tbh - I'd rather phone