Navy here - they cancelled again!!

[navyeyelasH]

That's 9 dates we've arranged now and the same for the other childminder I work with! She was supposed to come and see the other CMer today at 9.30 but again cancelled at 9.45; she's ill, and did sound it.

Something weird is going on here! If she is ill I doubt she will be doing mine on Wed either.

This inspector has done no reports for over a year an a half.

I read at the weekend that the Ofsted Inspections are being privatised, so they'll soon sort out the inspectors.

Not sure yet whether it will be better, or worse for us though ....

HSMM as long as they turn up it'll be a step up for me!

ring them and complain navy, thats just taking the pee!

Some inspectors are coming up for voluntary redundancy and others will be outsourced later this year without having a say in the matter. That can't be very motivating but you'd think whoever arranges the scheduling for inspections could still sort something out in the mean time...

seems very werid

and very annoying

Definitely complain. You can't live in limbo forever - I'd just want it over and done with!

I want it over and done with too - it's the cleaning that I hate! Every night before I come I bleck the place within an inch of it's life I'm usually a slattern, plan a fun day in with the children, then they don't come!

Do you really think I should complain? Wont that make them cross?

This inspector was also ill more of less for the whole of Jan; maybe she has something serious?

Ring them and give them 2 dates that work for you and explain that under the circumstances you can not stay in on any more mornings as the children have now missed several outdoor play activities and toddler groups.
You could ask for another inspector but hopefully when she does finally turn up she will be very apologetic and not stay long!!
I do sympathise with you, that does sound like a nightmare.

Of course you can complain, don't worry about they being annoyed, it doesn't work like that. Believe me, I annoyed the hell out of Ofsted for half a year with letter after letter after letter......to the complaints department who were investigating the complaint against me. The actions I got were dropped in the end - it pays to be annoying!!

Also, you'd be complaining on behalf of the children as this is so unfair on THEM!

Poor you, you sound like you've been very patient but enough is enough. Yes, I knew Ofsted inspections were being taken over so did wonder if that was linked - doesn't make it right to keep cancelling though!!

oh no, NEL

how very annoying

When are they being made private does anyone know? I might just hold out until they are!

I don't want to complain what if she gets into trouble/loses her job etc? I think she might have something really wrong with her.

Maybe after my inspection I will complain though, esp if there seems to be nothing wrong with her!

I'm definitely not giving them a choice of dates now though or times, they come at 9 or nothing now!

Her bosses must know she's off work sick so you won't get her into trouble.

I'd complain but in a non-complainy way 'I'm sorry and I don't want to be difficult but I normally go to childminder/outdoor play/etc groups in the morning for networking etc etc but have been cancelling these appointments when I expect the inspector to arrive and the children have been frustrated waiting in the house etc etc. It must be so difficult for this poor inspector to be so ill but is there any way that another inspector could come in her place?'

They'll probably be really sympathetic (and glad you're not shouting at them!) and it should get resolved quite quickly.

Good luck!

ps privatisation not til much later this year I think, so don't wait for it to happen!

Outsourcing won't go through until September I'm afraid so that might be a bit long to hold out for!

Inspectors are given set lists of childminders and nurseries that are theirs to do within a certain timescale, but if she's on long term sick someone else should get allocated them. I guess a series of short weeks and days off here and there might not trigger the work getting handed off though.

Well she first called me in December so it has been going on for ages, but she was off sick for most of Jan and Feb.

Think I'll just suck it up, my actual inspection is on Wed you never know she might come!

How come you and the childminder you work with are being inspected seperately????

I also work with another childminder and we were inspected together on 1st feb 2010.

When i got the phonecall from the inspector i told her that i worked with another childminder and requested that we were inspected at the same time.

She was fine with this, although the other CM i work with had been allocated to another inspector so she had to 'steal' her from the other inspector.

She was here from 9.30am until 1.30pm and did both inspections in that time!

Much better than having 2 different inspectors at seperate times!

Sorry, I hadn't realised she'd been sick on ALL occasions. I do feel for her then but definitely don't just stay in. And make sure you tell HER when you can and can't do, sure she'll be fine under the circumstances. Good luck, I hope she comes this time!

Childmindermk, I asked if we could have the inspection together (the same inspector is doing both of us) and I was told that we couldn't. I was also told that we have to have seperate procedures, fire drill logs, fire alarm check logs etc.

I did query this with Ofsted and they said joint inspections were normally carried out and that we don't need separate policies etc.
rarely stay in once I know she isn't coming, but it's the mental shift from preparing the kids to being in to being out. IE pack away craft stuff/toys/whatever, do toilet, pack drinks etc into bag with a snack, put on coats, strap everyone into their car seats. It's just irritating when you have planned to stay in IYSWIM?

I think I will wait and see what happens on Wed then if she doesn't come, complain ina nice way.

Our inspector had no problem at all doing a joint inspection at the same time...and we have always had our inspections done this way!

She didnt say anything about needing seperate policies etc, but did ask us what we thought our individual strengths were. Foe example if one of us was better with arts/crafts, or one enjoyed the physical play with the children more than the other etc...but totally understood that as we spend every minute of our childminding day working together that we do things the same way, and that the way we do our risk assessments/observations etc were done the way we jointly chose to do them.

She did say that she needed to make our reports as different as she could, and would use different examples in each of them.

Obviously this was all ok as we were graded outstanding! And we certainly don't have seperate anything!

We did also make it clear to the inspector when she called that we wouldnt accept being inspected individually because of the disruption caused to the children due to missing out on outings to toddler groups, soft play, story times etc.

I hope you get your inspections sorted soon, but i cannot see why the same inspector would want to come out to you twice in a short space of time, when she could do the inspections together and at the same time!

I also think that when childminders work together they should be able to have the one report that reflects their joint practice instead of individual ones!

We would prefer to have one registration number, one certificate of registration to display, one report etc, etc! Would make everything so much easier!

ok quick update Ofsted rang today a different inspector is coming as the original one is, "going to be off for some time" poor woman.

We have three more dates but they are doing us together now! Just goes to show how inconsistent they are.

So pleased you can have your inspections done together now....maybe it was just the previous inspector and her way of doing inspections saying you couldnt have them done together!

Good luck, hope it goes really well for you both!