min qualification requirements

[misshardbroom]

I'm the Chair of our committee (sorry if you've heard this before) and today had to close the preschool because both of our NVQ3 staff were off sick and you're not allowed to open without one on the premises. Frustrating as we were still fine for ratios, and stressful because of having to be in preschool calling parents at 7.30am instead of having breakfast with my own children.

Spoke to the council's early years lady later in the day who said it was worth phoning the Ofsted helpline and asking for special dispensation to open with an NVQ2 in charge. She didn't seem to think this would be a problem given that we were talking about covering a couple of days sick rather than this being our long term staffing plan.

However, Ofsted gave me a flat refusal, said no way could we do this.

Obviously I have to do as they say even if it means closing again tomorrow but I wondered whether anyone else has experience of this, and what the staffing qualifications are like at your preschool.

What a nightmare - it's this type of thing that makes being Chair a hassle!

Our three staff are all Level 3 qualified.

Ofsted were right to say no.

You need at least 1 level 3 qualified member of staff on site.

This is so weird! I've just come on line to ask the very same question! Our pre-school leader was off most of last week as her son was ill and she had no-one else to care for him as nursery would not take him.
Then this week she has called in sick and says she has to be off for 1 week.
Our poor NVQ2 assistant had to deal with a school work experience girl, a placement student and about 14 children!
She was helped out by one of our parent's nanny who has an NVQ4 but she has been used so often and for NO XTRA PAY! That she has quite rightly put her foot down and is not helping as the parents who employ the nanny employ her solely to care for THEIR children.
We are trying to contact an agency for them to supply us with an NVQ3 person, but we won't know until the morning.
This will mean that the school will have to close but we only have a few in as its a rising 5's session.
But our chair is getting really fed up, especially as next week the pre-school manager and assistant need to leave school early due to training so we will lose an hour's session. And they are both going on a training day at the end of the month so the pre-school will have to have a supply NVQ3.
If this was any other type of employment they would be having a dissiplinary by now!

I think in the future we will have to only employ minimum NVQ3 but of course that will cost more!

im not sure if its the same now but about 4 years ago you had to be NVQ3 or equivalent with atleast 3 years experience SINCE qualifying! both nurseries i have worked at now i have had to remain on sight from open to close as although we had other nvq3+ staff they were all newly trained!

Not making it easy are they?

I completely understand all the reasons why you have to have a minimum NVQ3 on site... but I was surprised that Ofsted flatly refused to allow an NVQ2 (who, incidentally, has finished most of her units towards level 3) to cover for a couple of days sick leave, especially as our Sure Start advisor had recommended I phone them as she thought they would agree.

Ripeberry - is the training your staff are going on absolutely essential... could they be told they have to postpone for the sake of keeping sessions running considering recent closures? I know what you mean about the nanny, we have a parent who is an NNEB and I feel as though we've really taken advantage of her goodwill this term.

I'm confused by this as we do open one day a week without an NVQ3 member of staff - both the council and OFSTED know this and were happy about it.

you see, this is my point!!

doesn't really seem to be any consistency in how the rules are implemented. Our Sure Start lady told me that she had known Ofsted agree to it previously, and had even let it go in a situation where a setting was being inspected. Is it any wonder people get confused?!?

The training is Makaton (last 2 parts) and some kind of EYFS training to do with Emotional development, but they need the leader and one member of staff, well that will be ALL of them!
Our Chairman is saying they can't go and our leader says that they HAVE to attend.
And we've only just managed to sort some other problems out last week about her (the leader) demanding more resources out of non-existent funds.
We did have to close today and we have got an agency pre-school leader for tomorrow and maybe Thursday and if its for the two days it will cost us £105!

Aarghhhhh! The agency person this morning did not turn up! Had a car crash! Ok though.
Had to collect another agency person myself as they don't drive (20 mile round trip).
But at least they are not charging us!
Our our chairman last night said things couldn't get any worse!

oh Ripeberry, I do sympathise with you... but I have to admit the trials and tribulations of your preschool make me feel a bit better about ours .

Hope your agency person turns out to be OK!

I have had similar converstaions with Ofsted in the past.
They used ot allow someone working towards Level 3 to ocver if they were named in the contingency, but seem to have stopped that now.
WE have had to close in the past, and it is a pain, but nothing can be done about it.
The only other thing I can suggest is ocntacting your nearest preschools/nursery, and seeing if any of their staff could do emergency cover for you.