Can you go over numbers in an emergency?

[Picante]

If so what qualifies as an emergency?

The particular example I'm thinking of is if I need to take care of my nephew when my sister goes into labour - it would take me over numbers for under 5s...

I don't think that is an emergency - I mean, you know it's going to happen - just not when

If a child couldn't be collected because a parent was held up by the snow earlier in the month & you had too many because of that - I think that would count as an emergency. But normal traffic delays would not be an emergency imo

it would be an emergency if she had a plan for who was to take the child when she went into labour but for whatever reason that person couldnt take the child so they had no choice but to drop him at you as you were they only person avaiable and then go straight to the hospital.

Thanks - yes xox that's the kind of scenario I'm thinking of.

The circumstances cheryl has described may be an emergency for your sister, but would not count as an emergency for you.

I think it has to be an existing mindee. Either yours, which are not picked up for some reason, or another minder who you are the emergency backup for and they had to rush a mindee to hospital. The emergency would only last until the children's parents could collect them. I don't think your situation counts .... I don't think, but what do I know.

There was a gas leak at school & I took extra children home as it would be safer at mine (even if I was over) than at a school with a gas leak iyswim

So ... you were like the emergency backup for the school then.

Not really - I just took extras (whose parents were on their way) because it wasn't safe. They were all over 5 anyway & actually I didn't go over my numbers because we were met at the gate by parent who had arrived, but I could have been.

The only ones I ended up with were DD's friends anyway & as I was within numbers they just stayed to play.

But I agreed to over my numbers as they were all standing around in the grounds as far away as possible & it just wasn't safe.

i would assume as the child is your nephew and not a mindee then he wouldnt count in being over numbers

All children are included in your numbers - whether your own, family, mindees or just friends 'to play'

i knew your own child was included, so does that mean you could never have a mindees friend over for a playdate from nursery etc as then would be over numbers?

never understood why cm's are not allowed more than 3 under 5, (unless special permission granted) but nannys can

Yep - unless another child was absent

I'm not sure I really understand either - except that in the 50's & 60's some childminders women could have up to 10 or 12 children strapped into highchairs or in cots (2 or 3 to a cot) & they regulated to stop that.

Nannies are always different as they are direct employees

i use to have after schoolers friends come into my garden to play with them. as i wasnt responsible for them i never even have thought that would make me over my numbers as there parents were local in the surrounding houses.

i really think that if you did take you nephew as a complete unexpected emergency and ofsted turned up for an unannoced visit i think they would understand as long as you were trying to get a hold of some1 else to try and take him. and i think as long as all your parents are happy and not the moany sort that would pick you up on every little thing then they would understand and i doubt they would report you

cheryl - surely if the child/ren were in your house then you are responsible for them?

Simply from an insurance point of view they would be your responsibility

Children in your home while you are childminding without another adult present to be responsible for them are your responsibility. Unless they are over 8 when the rules are thrown out of the window imo

well they werent in the house just the garden i wouldnt have thought i was watching them as if they fell or something i would just checked the were ok and taken them straight round to there mums where as minded children i would have brought in and dealt with myself. plus my after school children were allowed out the back unsupervised as i was in the the babies i dont see the difference in my mindees playing the the public park right next to my house basically in my garden with there friends than them actually being in the garden. and insurance well if it was my childs friend in the garden and i wasnt a childminder there would be no insurance if something happen to the child so the parent really wouldnt have expected the insurance as there child wasnt minded. plus im in school so we dont have the over 8 rule therefore it would be harder to keep 8 - 12year old in the garden with none of there friends when there are just outside in the street playing and could easily come in.

& childminded children should be in your view

If a 'friend' fell in your garden as a childminder you would be liable - if a childminded child went missing from the park as a childminder you would be liable & very probably negligent

oh they were in view as my livingroom looks directly onto park use to annoy me that children playing on swings could see straight into my house. plus consent forms were signed.
i find that really unfair that a normal parent wouldnt be penalised if something happen to say my daughter if she was playing at her friends but yet that parent could try and penalise me if something happened to her daughter even though i was childminding her. i think thats really rubbish for mothers who are childminders.

ment to say wasnt childminding her child

That's life I'm afraid

There was a parent who was penalised for letting a child get hurt at her child's birthday party on a bouncy castle, so even 'normal' parents are liable.