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View Full Version : Visits by DO'S...anyone not have them



nipper
12-02-2013, 10:46 AM
We have had a lot of restructuring going on in our local childminding support teams, well I use the word 'support' very loosely. Maybe this is the wrong thing to say, but I had my last visit a year ago before my Ofsted inspection. They seem very good at emailing me details of courses but nobody comes out to see me. I find this quite worrying. Should I get in touch and ask them to pay me a visit. To be honest I'm not actually sure who I would need to speak to as they have all had their jobs re-titled/re-assigned call it what you will . Or should I keep quiet?
Imagine the phone call..."Hello, I'm a childminder and I'd like somebody to come and visit me please."

helengreen13
12-02-2013, 10:51 AM
Hi, I often have visits from my DO. Some I initiate to talk about things and sometimes the DO phones and make an appointment. We have a really good relationship and she has been extremely helpful and supportive to me. If you would like to see your DO I would call and make an appointment. X

catlyn
12-02-2013, 10:57 AM
ours is leaving next month...but tbh I only ever saw her if I went to her or rang for anything.....when she leaves her post is going as well so I fear as there is no one to replace her we will have very little (if any) support at all

AliceK
12-02-2013, 11:04 AM
Nope, none here. She came once 3yrs ago just after my first inspection (very helpful - not!) nothing since. I'm happy, I don't need anyone taking up my time thank you :blush:

xxx

Maza
12-02-2013, 11:07 AM
I had one just before my Ofsted visit three years ago but nothing since. I'm happy with that too. I come on here if I need any help. :)

rickysmiths
12-02-2013, 11:24 AM
I have never had a visit from one in the nine years I have lived in Herts!

eddie
12-02-2013, 11:26 AM
I get one every 3 months - it's part of the network agreement and because I provide funding for over 3's. Thought you were local to me Nipper?

Mrs Scrubbit
12-02-2013, 09:28 PM
No I have never had a visit from one either x

winstonian
12-02-2013, 09:52 PM
We dont have anything either :(
Hooray for the forum :clapping:

Cottonsocks
12-02-2013, 09:58 PM
Used to have the occasional visit & chat. Lovely lady but never really needed her for anything apart from advice when applying for planning permission to increase numbers. What a nightmare that was and the DO was no help at all as nobody else in the area had done it. Her post was refused funding recently so the nearest is 100 miles away now, not that it matters to me. I have the forum instead!

noreenismail
12-02-2013, 10:15 PM
I've tried to get mine to see me but was told they wont come out as I received a good in my inspection.

chezzagriff
12-02-2013, 11:52 PM
Whats a DO?

blue bear
13-02-2013, 03:21 AM
DO is a development Officer or worker (DW) , they are local authority staff, in our area they support childcare settings, this is nurseries, pre schools and childminders. There has Definetly been a drop in support from DO's in this area, we used to have setting. DO's and childminder ones, they got rid of childminder only ones and brought them together as one post.
It's making sense to me now with the new proposals,there won't be any lea support for childminders will they? If you want that sort of support in future, you are going to have to join an agency and pay for it.

mrstom
13-02-2013, 06:49 AM
We're quite lucky as we have quite a large dedicated childminding team (six of them looking at their latest newsletter) although I am aware that they had a round of redundancies last year.

The head of the team has been out to me three times in the last year (at her request) to see how I'm doing and see how ready I am for my first graded inspection. She's been really helpful. As new minders we also have the option with signing up with a local outstanding graded 'mentor' for the first year which has also been a great help.

I appreciate that I'm one of the lucky ones in the LA lottery and I would hate to lose the support we have :(

thills
13-02-2013, 07:32 AM
I don't think we have them here! Was supposed to b assigned a support childminder, but had nothing and I got sick of asking! Between this forum and the few child minding friends I have I can usually find the answers to my questions :)

oxfordshirecm
13-02-2013, 07:57 AM
I'm from Oxfordshire and never had a visit from my DO. I am now on a network and my co ordinator comes every 6 months or so- although not quite so why as I never gain anything out of her two hour stay.

nipper
13-02-2013, 08:11 AM
I don't think we have them here! Was supposed to b assigned a support childminder, but had nothing and I got sick of asking! Between this forum and the few child minding friends I have I can usually find the answers to my questions :)


Same here, infact the other chidminder I was assigned to hadn't even been told that I would be contacting her:panic: I gave up in the end and then I found childminding forum...:clapping:

chezzagriff
13-02-2013, 03:20 PM
We have childminder networks in Liverpool. Every area has its own network in the local sure start centre's