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Original poster

SEF

35 replies

TheIronLady · 10/01/2010 15:52

I completed sections 1, 2 & 3 yesterday and it took me 6 hours .

How long did it take you to complete yours?

I am going to tackle the remaining sections possibly tonight or during the week, just can't believe how long it is taking.

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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RosieGirl · 10/01/2010 15:55

I started mine before Christmas, and usually am the type to dig in and get it done, but really ran out of steam, and am now finding it difficult to carry on. I did hours and then couldn't work out how to cut and paste as it didn't seem to let me (if anyone knows pleeeeeese tell me)

Original poster
TheIronLady · 10/01/2010 16:04

I also had this problem and was absolutely fuming that there does not seem to be a facility to cut and paste. I wanted to cut and paste into a word doc so that I can print out in tiny print and keep for myself.

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onadayliketoday · 10/01/2010 16:37

I have decided not to do mine again. I spent hours and hours doing it for my last inspection and although it was submitted a week before the day the inspector hadn't read it. Now I'm told (correct me please if I'm wrong) that I can't access my previous one and I will have to start all over again rather than update it.

Original poster
TheIronLady · 10/01/2010 16:41

Hi, You should be able to access your previous one, I am sure that I have read it on the part where you log in.

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onadayliketoday · 10/01/2010 16:59

I may have a go then. But as it is two years until my next inspection I won't do it yet.

pudding23 · 10/01/2010 17:19

Took me over 2 weeks to complete mine. Today I updated my submitted form to add changes that have happened and have found out that they have added three extra parts ubder leadership, I cant submit the changes I added until I complete the three new sections!

pudding23 · 10/01/2010 17:20
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leeloo1 · 10/01/2010 19:49

To cut and paste you need to use the hot keys (so hold down Ctrl and c to cut and hold down Ctrl and v to paste).

Still plodding through mine - have pretty much finished up to section 3 (its taken weeks!) but am hoping to cut and paste from there to do the other sections.

RosieGirl · 11/01/2010 20:35

leeloo1 thank you sooooooo much I have just had a go and manged to do a bit of cutting and pasting - I may actually be bothered to finish it now.

navyeyelasH · 11/01/2010 20:56

sorry to hijack but..

I'm a new childminder and have been open for nearly 4 months - I have my first inspection soon. How important is it that I do the SEF do you think, given I'm trying to sort out 100million other things too?!

leeloo1 · 11/01/2010 21:34

Rosiegirl - you're most welcome! Its not the most user-friendly form, so I wrote it (what I've done of it anyway) in MSword and then cut and pasted it in.

Glad I saved you some time anyway... now I just have to make myself finish the darn thing... (inspection on 25th Jan so need to get moving!)

Original poster
TheIronLady · 11/01/2010 22:32

navyeyelasH, I have heard from childminder friends that if you do not complete prior to the inspection, you could be asked all the questions on the day but most importantly it is good practise to evaluate 'your' practice - I am trying to complete mine before I have my inspection at the end of month and cannot imagine being asked all those questions while playing with 3 under two's!

Once you get started it sort of flows. Although saying that, not sure how I will find section 4 onwards as that is what I will be tackling next over the weekend.

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Original poster
TheIronLady · 11/01/2010 22:34

Glad it works RosieGirl, I am continuing mine at weekend and will need that facility!

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navyeyelasH · 11/01/2010 23:35

[throws self on floor and has a massive tantrum]

Thanks The IronLady, I suppose I had better at least look at it. I spent ages filling out pre registration inspection booklet which they didn't even glance at. If that happens again I might blow a fuse

leeloo1 · 13/01/2010 21:32

Arrrrrgggggh! Losing the will to live! Have spent couple of hours writing Section 5... went to paste it into the box on the Evaluation form and realised they've subdivided it into those 8 helpful categories. Bstrds!

Serioulsy how do they expect people to fill this damn thing in???

I just want to cry. Was hoping to get it done tonight but its not going to happen now.

underpaidandoverworked · 13/01/2010 21:58

Mine took about 15 hrs to complete - I found it best to complete the 'easy' parts first then go back to the 'hard' bits

I printed off a copy - so if cant access will just have to type all over again.....

leeloo1 · 14/01/2010 07:49

Mmm, thanks but sadly have done the easy bits and only have til the weekend to finish the whole thing as am being inspected a week on Monday.

I just don't see how most of the points in Section 5 relate to me...

Ambition and Improvement
My ambition for the setting is to have enough children enrolled to be able to pay the bills - currenly I don't and I find that this is a challenge to the motivation and productivity of the provision. I communicate ths aim by advertising in local children's centres and online.

Do you think that covers it or are they looking for something more ambitious?

Katymac · 14/01/2010 07:52

I am fairly sure you can 'post' it incomplete (as long as there is something in each box) the go back & update it as you have time - so the inspector has 'something' iyswim

RatherBeOnThePiste · 14/01/2010 08:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

leeloo1 · 14/01/2010 12:33

Oh thats worth knowing, thanks, I may well end up doing that!

Does anyone answer 'less than 4 hours'??? Can't imagine it unless they'd given very superficial answers - even updating a previous one would take longer I'd think. I haven't been counting the hours as such, but must be 20-30 easily?

RatherBeOnThePiste · 14/01/2010 14:44

4 hours is absolute nonsense.

The best thing to do is to write work in progress in any boxes not completed and just keep submitting it, don't wait until it's done. You can keep editing it and resubmitting it.

I was advised that something is better than nothing.

Good luck

leeloo1 · 15/01/2010 15:31

Finished my SEF!!! Finally! Huge relief and but that its so many hours of my life I'll never get back.

Have left stroppy comments in the feedback form, about the length of the form - hopefully if enough people do that it'll have an impact?!

The time taken to complete bit says:
1-2 hours 2-4 hours 3-4 hours more than 4 hours

Katymac · 15/01/2010 17:19

I have to copy mine from my word document into the on-line service

That will take a while

Then I have to do a new one for my new registration

taytotayto · 15/01/2010 18:53

sorry to crash this post but can i just say that thereseems to be more paper work involved in CMing than there is in nursing. Do you guys have to spend alot of time in the evining and weekend doing work? i could never do it. you are all so dedicated.

onadayliketoday · 15/01/2010 19:25

taytotayto,
Yes, loads of time is spent on paperwork. As none of my children nap I can't do any during working hours, so it all gets done (or not) in evenings and weekends. That's when we have to do all our training too, as there is nobody to stand in for us when we do that, and we can't just take time off for it.

As a single parent with no local family I have to only do the compulsory training now as there is no one to care for my DD whilst I'm out. Because I can't do lots of training I've been forced to resign from the Children Come First Childminding Network as well. This means i no longer get any support from the Council Childminding Team.