mia
Silver Member
Posts: 26
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Post by mia on Nov 19, 2007 22:10:25 GMT
Bit of an odd one i know but an important one i think.
When we had our pre meeting with the child care co ordinator we were discussing ratio. She informed us that if one of us leaves the room even if it is to go to the kitchen to make lunch which incidently is connected to the room where the children would be waiting that we would be out of ratio.
Surely it cant be this ricdiculous...what happens if one needs the toilet? or one has to put some down to nap? What do childminders on their own do when its lunch and loo time etc??
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Post by rubybubbles on Nov 19, 2007 22:13:27 GMT
oh not sure there sorry??
If I popped up to the toilet are they now saying I'm inbreach of reg? Whatever next??
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Post by rubybubbles on Nov 19, 2007 22:15:37 GMT
Oh I also put the children to sleep in seperate rooms upstairs ekk they're not with me!! Honestly this really is not on?
I would phone up NCMA and Ofsted about this one I'm really confused!! I've always left mindes down stairs if I nip upstairs, get lunch, ect!
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Post by angeldelight on Nov 19, 2007 22:16:12 GMT
Cross your legs all day ?
Wet yourself maybe ?
It is all getting really stupid if you ask me
My advice - I would agree with whoever and then do what I consider to be be safe when I am alone
Do what we all do - make sure children are safe and quick dash to the loo or whatever
Angel xx
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Post by jo on Nov 19, 2007 22:19:43 GMT
What planet is she on? :oPeople like that put prospective mindees off. As long as you are in their sight or hearing of them you are fine. If that was the case you would have to have an assistant , or two. Obviously risk assesments will already be in place as well ensuring you can keep the child/ren as safe as possible- stair gates, plug socket covers, baby monitors etc, and you would make the times when you are out of the room as brief as possible. I would even put a child in a pram or cot if need to, to ensure they are safe in some situations. Its common sense isn't it?
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Post by smartimartie on Nov 19, 2007 22:23:58 GMT
I agree with Jo.
In sight or hearing!! My bladder just would not hold out for a 12 hour day!
I think this tutor is having a laugh !!
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Post by carolinel on Nov 19, 2007 22:27:55 GMT
madness!
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Post by charleyfarley on Nov 19, 2007 22:39:32 GMT
Incontinence pants that's the answer, maybe
Carol xx
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Post by angeldelight on Nov 19, 2007 22:41:59 GMT
Good idea Carol imagine that haha
Angel xx
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Post by helen1980 on Nov 20, 2007 10:04:48 GMT
Incontinence pants... Maybe we could claim them as an expense though!
;D
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Post by mel on Nov 20, 2007 10:15:59 GMT
I agree that we just need to use our common sense. I wouldn't leave a baby on the floor with 3 year olds running around if I was going to the toilet but two 3 year olds on their own engrossed in a game is a different matter.
I am increasingly thinking I will tow the line for ofsted when they are here and use my own discretion at other times. As long as parents are happy with the service they are getting from me and I am confident that I put the childrens safety first, that is all that matters.
Mel x
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Post by kelly on Nov 20, 2007 11:27:43 GMT
You would have thought that the co-ordinator would have explained that common sense goes a long way in our world!! Of course she is correct you are not supposed to leave the children unsupervised. But when you've got to go you've got to go........
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Post by miffy on Nov 20, 2007 22:01:15 GMT
Do these people get paid for spouting such rubbish?  Whatever happened to common sense! I think Mel's right - I'll give the answer I think they want, then do my own thing. Miffy |
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Post by bubbly on Nov 20, 2007 22:10:02 GMT
A woman on my ICP course said her Ofsted inspector asked her what she did with the children when nature called. She said she left the children in the room for literally seconds. The inspector wasn't impressed and suggested she put a travel cot in her lounge to place the kids in when nature called. I guess that's one solution if we all live in mansions with huge lounges (but if we did we wouldn't need to work!)  |
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Post by lizzy on Nov 20, 2007 22:14:36 GMT
i think these people should do our job first and get some experiance of it before telling us what to do.
jane
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mia
Silver Member
Posts: 26
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Post by mia on Nov 21, 2007 12:12:53 GMT
I can see this has sparked quite a debate, am glad i'm not alone in my concerns.
We have our first inspection on Friday and i will put this to the ofsted inspector and let you all know what she said... it would in our situation be a case of one of us watching all children and the other either cooking, toilet break or putting down nap time children. So surely one with a group of children with one literally next door in kitchen with meerly a stair gate between us is better than having to hire an assistant just for food times!!
Not sure i like the idea of inconcitnence pads just yet...although i suppose there will always be nappies to hand. :0)
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Post by june on Nov 21, 2007 12:59:19 GMT
mmm I agree , they are like social workers who tell Foster Carers how to care for the children (how would they know ? They very rarely have kids themselves)
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mia
Silver Member
Posts: 26
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Post by mia on Nov 24, 2007 9:29:46 GMT
Right...had ofsted pre reg inspection yesterday...which am proud to say went extremely well. She was really lovely, and it was all very informal. So much so that she was with us for about 4 hrs because we occasionaly digressed to other conversations!
The question part does seem to take for ever, but mainly its common sense stuff.
Anyway, back to the question in hand....she said it was extremely unrealistic to think we could both be in the room at the same time the entire whole day, and she wasnt sure where our co ordinator got her information from. in fact she was surprised by a lot of things we had been told previosuly . for instance the ofsted lady told us if we had an assistant they could do school drops and pick ups with written permission. We were told in no uncertain terms that an assistant who was not a registered childminder could not be alone with the children. This new information makes an incredible difference to what we can offer.
Also, we were led to believe that even though both of us had a crb done just last year, we would have to complete another anyway. This is also not the case, she meerly typed our disclosure details into the computer and we were good to go.
She thinks it will only be a matter of a few weeks before we have our certificate...
...so all in all a very succesful out come.
thanks to all for support and good wishes.
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Post by helen1980 on Nov 24, 2007 10:00:59 GMT
Thats good to know about the assistant, i was told on my pre reg info session that an assistant couldn't be left alone with the children at all. This from a ncma coordinator and previously a childminder. Thanks for the info.
Helen
XX
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Post by bubbly on Nov 24, 2007 10:15:09 GMT
It seems as though every inspector requires different things and we, as childminders, are being pulled in all directions! Wouldn't it be nice just to be issued with a set of approved guidelines which applied across the board? My pre-reg inspector was lovely but I may not be so lucky the next time. My son's ex-childminder told me there are some real dragons out there. Well, I'm off shopping today for those incontinence pads ;D ;D  |
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Post by linda on Nov 25, 2007 10:58:57 GMT
My assistant can have sole responsibility for the children in our care and that is fine as part of my registration she has been with me for 9years and is not a childminder in her own right she does have all the appropriate training ie first aid child protection ect.
My assistants name has always been on my contracts all the parents know her she does most of the school pick ups the ones in walking distance i do all the car journeys ofsted have never had any problems with this.
Lindax
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Post by jmoff on Nov 25, 2007 19:36:34 GMT
Hi
I was told by my co-ordinator that in case of fire I could climb out of my bathroom window with the children, which is on the first floor...I don't think so...and she had been a childminder herself!
Jana x
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mia
Silver Member
Posts: 26
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Post by mia on Nov 25, 2007 20:34:42 GMT
Thats hilarious!!!!!
Sometimes you have to wonder dont you.
Thank god for those of us with common sense!!
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