What are the rules?

[Nicola Carlyle]

What are the rules on locking your front door? Just wondered really. I have lots of mindees popping in and out through the week and although they all seem fine and not bothered by the front four at all I just wondered if there were any guidelines/rules that I should follow on doing this. I have a little one who is starting to walk/cruise and while he isn't interested in the handles if doors etc at the moment I do worry he may open the door in a few months time and get out. Us it good practise to lick your doors at all times or is this not needed. I'm thinking I'm going to have to start locking it soon. Also - how do you all feel about parents letting themselves into your house?!!

[charlottenash]

My personal opinion but I don't think it's a requirement however you have to be seen as risk assessing so the fact you see it as a risk means it needs sorting:

I have a suction hook thing (£1 shop) which I stick high up by the door and I double lock and hang the keys there at all times. Also have this for the other 4 doors leading to outside.

I wouldn't be happy with anyone letting themselves in even parents.

My mindees and my 4yo son aren't interested either but it only takes the once. What worries me is of we're in the garden, and my 4yo was to go upstairs to the toilet and come back down and someone was to knock at that exact moment, would he answer it? I doubt it but I can't be 100%!

[Minstrel]

You must lock your door! If parents can just walk in, what's to stop a stranger?

You must protect children from getting out and others getting.

I'm genuinely surprised you are asking this... (No offence intended)

[Rick]

Never LICK your doors :laughing:

You should really lock the front door to safeguard your children from escaping and from intruders. Parents will never walk in my front door! Key stays out of reach of children but in my reach so I can get out in an emergency.

[cathtee]

I lock my front door for piece of mind, you never know when a lo will dicide to open the door even if they never have.


Parents letting themselves in :panic: What do they think it is? their own home, I don't think so, it's mine.

[Nicola Carlyle]

You must lock your door! If parents can just walk in, what's to stop a stranger?

You must protect children from getting out and others getting.

I'm genuinely surprised you are asking this... (No offence intended)

I guess I don't just assume people will walk into my house in the middle of the day as it is MY house and the thought has never crossed my mind to just walk into someone else's house especially a strangers! I get the whole safeguarding thing but having never come across it, it genuinely never crossed my mind. My own children have never been bothered by opening or closing doors therefore I yet again have never come across it. I also grew up knowing that my home was my home and it feels very peculiar "locking people in during the day". The only time the door was ever locked was when we went out or went to bed! I'm sure this must be the case for most people. I'm asking really because I have a parent who quite often let's themselves in with a very quiet tap which I do find odd but then has to lock the door after them because their child is adamant it's home time and opens the door to leave and run outside. I have never come across this and all my children know not to open the door if there is a knock but to wait. The more I think about it I can definitely see why this would be a safeguarding issue, I mean what if I'm in the middle of a nappy change, helping a little one at the toilet etc then of course I don't want anyone else to be there who shouldn't be. I just never actually thought that a child would take it upon themselves to open the door and walk out having never come across this as a child/parent/childminder. So forgive me for asking what seems to be a very stupid question. But then I guess if I didn't ask any questions I would never know the answers to anything.

So I'm taking it I tell patents I will now be locking all children inside the house while we are there due to safeguarding. Ask them to be patient if I don't answer straight away as there could be a million and one reasons why I can't!

[Nicola Carlyle]

Never LICK your doors :laughing:

You should really lock the front door to safeguard your children from escaping and from intruders. Parents will never walk in my front door! Key stays out of reach of children but in my reach so I can get out in an emergency.

Oh dear just re read and of course I can't see any reason why it would ever be considered good practise to LICK your doors!!! Lol

[Rick]

A stranger could walk in at any time. Why take the risk, just lock the door!

[charlottenash]

Also when you lock it, put keys out of reach and next to the door to stop the fire hazard of the keys being lost and your trying to escape. :)

[blue bear]

My friend got reported by an ex parent for having an open door policy, the ofsted inspector turned up and let herself in to make the point, my friend got an action to improve.

The guy who runs the health and safety courses says its illegal to lock your doors when working because it's an added safety risk. So you can't win whatever you do!

I do lock my doors and have key hanging up high.

[bunyip]

You must lock your door! If parents can just walk in, what's to stop a stranger?

You must protect children from getting out and others getting.

I'm genuinely surprised you are asking this... (No offence intended)

With respect, I don't think it's quite so obvious as it seems.

The fire officer who looked over my premises said, "whenever you lock people out, you're locking yourself in". Yes - I can get the key in an emergency, but can the lo's if I'm incapacitated. I wonder how many children die trapped in fires when their carers are incapacitated? I wonder how that compares with the incidence of total strangers walking in off the street to take a child from under a carer's nose? And remember we're meant to have the lo's in sight and hearing throughout.

As far as EYFS is concerned, the regulatory requirement is in 3.53:-

3.53 Providers must ensure that their premises, including outdoor spaces, are fit for purpose. Spaces, furniture, equipment and toys, must be safe for children to use and premises must be secure. Providers must keep premises and equipment clean, and be aware of, and comply with, requirements of health and safety legislation (including hygiene requirements). Providers must have, and implement, a health and safety policy, and procedures, which cover identifying, reporting and dealing with accidents, hazards and faulty equipment.

The key phrase is that "premises must be secure".

Interesting that the following paragraph deals with safe egress:-

3.54 Providers must take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children, staff and others on the premises in the case of fire or any other emergency, and must have an emergency evacuation procedure. Providers must have appropriate fire detection and control equipment (for example, fire alarms, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers) which is in working order. Fire exits must be clearly identifiable, and fire doors must be free of obstruction and easily opened from the inside.

I hate to say it, but with multiple staff and proper fire doors, I do think this is one area where nurseries may well score over home settings like ours. :(

[hectors house]

I have a front door and a porch door - parents let themselves into the porch and tap the door to be let in - but sometimes if I have a child who has been unsettled in the morning, I unlock the inside door (just before parents are expected) so they can come in and see their child playing happily - as recently had a child who would go to pieces while I went to door to unlock it and I didn't want parents to think child had been upset all day. Parents are sometimes amazed that children CAN sit nicely with me on the sofa for a story - as it isn't something they witness at home.

[caz3007]

A mindie of mine let himself out of his own house at 7am and was wandering the streets in his PJ's. Luckily he was seen by someone who knew me from toddler group and bought him to my house as she connected him with me, so luckily it all ended well. Mum made sure she double locked her front door after that and so do I but my keys are on the back of the door up high.

[sarah707]

Ofsted will action you if you do not lock your door! They have done a number of times... so you need to come up with a system that works for you, keeps Ofsted happy and ensures you can get out in an emergency.

That should form part of your emergency planning :D

[rickysmiths]

This is why I hate modern UPVC door because you have to lock them to stop little ones from escaping. They should be banned.

Give me a good old fashioned wooden door any time. I have Yale locks that dont'r need to be locked to stop people coming in and don't need a key to get out in an emergency. Mind you a small child would have to get a chair to open the door.

I keep the keys in my French doors while I am working I put them in and turn them once so they can't just be pulled out but then I know their are there in an emergency.

You have to be very careful where you keep door keys from an insurance point of view. Insurance Companies do not like them on hooks by the door or on the door.

You should also have a lock or bold or both on any garden gates to stop people wandering in and little ones getting out.

[rickysmiths]

I have a front door and a porch door - parents let themselves into the porch and tap the door to be let in - but sometimes if I have a child who has been unsettled in the morning, I unlock the inside door (just before parents are expected) so they can come in and see their child playing happily - as recently had a child who would go to pieces while I went to door to unlock it and I didn't want parents to think child had been upset all day. Parents are sometimes amazed that children CAN sit nicely with me on the sofa for a story - as it isn't something they witness at home.

Oh no I couldn't have that at all. What if you turned round one day and it wasn't a parent that had come in?

[Mouse]

So I'm taking it I tell patents I will now be locking all children inside the house while we are there due to safeguarding. Ask them to be patient if I don't answer straight away as there could be a million and one reasons why I can't!

That's exactly what I tell parents.

My front door is always locked with the key on a high hook next to it. I tell parents that if they knock & I don't answer the door straight away, they just have to wait. I tell them that if I'm in the middle of a nappy change I will not leave it to let them in!

I think you need to look at the key points associated with either locking the door, or leaving it open:

a) a stranger could get into the house

b) a child could get out

c) you could all be trapped inside

d) Ofsted don't like unlocked doors

e) parents can just walk in

In my mind the chances of a stranger walking in, or everyone getting trapped inside are far less likely to happen than a child letting themselves out. For me, that is the biggest risk, so the one I do everything to avoid.

[little chickee]

I keep my front door locked at all times, when i'm working and when i'm not.
I do however leave the keys in the door. I was always told that its the safest way in case of an emergency.

[clareelizabeth1]

Ok so I live in the middle of know where and I do leave my door open all the time. I am normally in the room or the garden so no one could walk in while I am minding. I also have CCTV.

When mindies arnt the door is still always open but the guard dog is out so always have some sort of protection. Dog always warns even when lock up that someone is coming through the gate so I am never surprised.

[ziggy]

Many years ago when i was a nanny a crawling child pulled himself up on front door, pulled handle and crawled out, his 2yr old brother alerted me to the baby crawling out onto a busy main street!!!!!

I have locked doors ever since, sorry but not worth the risk.

If i'm doing nappy change parents will wait, if i'm in garden I can hear cars in drive and know parent has arrived.

I leave key high up above door so i can find it in an emergency.

Wonder how many mindees over the years have been trapped in house because minder has locked door and not been able to unlock it due to fire, illness etc. Not any to my knowledge but please tell me if i'm wrong.

On a funnier note, man came to read electricity meter when i first started minding and looked a bit concerned as i locked front door as he entered house :laughing:

[wendywu]

This is why I hate modern UPVC door because you have to lock them to stop little ones from escaping. They should be banned.

Give me a good old fashioned wooden door any time. I have Yale locks that dont'r need to be locked to stop people coming in and don't need a key to get out in an emergency. Mind you a small child would have to get a chair to open the door.

I keep the keys in my French doors while I am working I put them in and turn them once so they can't just be pulled out but then I know their are there in an emergency.

You have to be very careful where you keep door keys from an insurance point of view. Insurance Companies do not like them on hooks by the door or on the door.

You should also have a lock or bold or both on any garden gates to stop people wandering in and little ones getting out.

I glad you posted this RS as my door is a wooden one and the same as yours and i was getting confused. I shut my door and one one can get in and i dont need a key to open it from the inside. So there is no need to double lock it with a key as i do at night time then :rolleyes:

[AliceK]

Many years ago when i was a nanny a crawling child pulled himself up on front door, pulled handle and crawled out, his 2yr old brother alerted me to the baby crawling out onto a busy main street!!!!!

I have locked doors ever since, sorry but not worth the risk.

If i'm doing nappy change parents will wait, if i'm in garden I can hear cars in drive and know parent has arrived.

I leave key high up above door so i can find it in an emergency.

Wonder how many mindees over the years have been trapped in house because minder has locked door and not been able to unlock it due to fire, illness etc. Not any to my knowledge but please tell me if i'm wrong.

On a funnier note, man came to read electricity meter when i first started minding and looked a bit concerned as i locked front door as he entered house :laughing:

:laughing: Oh I know. I do this all the time. I have an old fashioned wooden front door with a big bolt at the top. It's second nature for me to lock the bolt as soon as I close the door so whoever comes into my house gets locked in. I have had some worried looks in the past.

xxxx

[chriss]

I must admit that I am surprised that the question has been asked. It wouldn't cross my mind to have an unlocked door with a child in the house, even just my own. Kids are unpredictable by nature, so it would surprise me more if they didn't try n get out. And as a parent, I would not be happy to just walk into my childminders home, cos Id be thinking how unsafe that was.

[Zoomie]

Before I was a childminder, my DS2, who was just 3 at the time, opened our front door, crossed a side road, and walked up to the local school, looking for daddy who had just taken ds1 to school.

I happened to be in the bath, and on getting out, discovered the front door wide open. I only had a towel on, so went to the street to see if I could see DS, couldn't so went back inside to get some clothes on. In my mad panic I couldn't find a single thing to put on, and was still flinging things about when DH called from the front door, guess who found me at school. I was so relieved.

My door is always always always locked now (although DS2 is now 12 so is allowed to unlocked and opened the door).

[yummyripples]

I mind from my conservatory so my front door is always locked. The conservatory doors are always unlocked to allow us access to the back garden but the garden gates are locked between 9 and 5. The gates are open between half seven and nine and then again between 5 and half past to allow parents to come in. I do worry about strangers coming in the garden when the gate is unlocked but I daresay if someone wants to get in they would jump over the gate, fence or wall.
I prefer this open access because I feel that it's safer than leaving the children while I open the front door.

[charlottenash]

The electricity man came today Ziggy and I got that EXACT look when I locked the door haha!!

[CLL]

Doors always locked here. I don't know anybody who leaves their front door unlocked. Even if kids are not in the house we lock the door, we watch too many crime dramas to leave them open!

I am also surprised that in your Ofsted inspection she didn't action you for this.

[JulieA]

I had an action on my first ofsted report as a safeguarding issue. Not for not locking the door, but for leaving the key in it. I was told the key should be removed and hung on a hook nearby. I explained that the fire brigade advised to leave the key in the door, just slightly pulled out, to aid a quick escape. I also said that as the child I was minding was only five months old, unable to roll over, never mind scale the stair gate, reach the handle, hold it up, turn the key and then open the door to escape, was infant extremely unlikely! I was trying to demonstrate that I had assessed the risk. When the inspector left I let her 'escape' and she couldn't manage the stair gate, never mind the front door! :laughing:

[karen m]

I have a Yale lock on my front door even though it is upvc . My patio doors have a key which depending on the children I have is either left in the door or put on my unit next to the door

[murrayspud]

I have a "locked" front door which is a wooden door with a yale lock which enables the door to be "locked" but do not need a key to get out in an emergency. My back door is always unlocked to allow access to the garden space, and I have a carabiner on the gates to keep the gates closed and secure. Quite often adults cannot undo the carabiner! Our regular postman can take it on and off no problems and does that for me when he is on duty. During times when he is not on duty, we do not get post, but notes put onto the letters saying the gate is locked and did not have access, and the letters get delivered on another day!!!! If I am waiting for someone on an appointment they wait at the gate for me to let them in. I chose a carabiner purely for the security of the children while they are playing in the garden, for those who need to enter, and to assist in controlled access to the property. If I was in a situation where we needed to leave the boundary of the property, I would not have to think about padlock keys or a combination in a panic or rush, I can undo it with one hand. If for some reason I was unable to get to the gate the garden is quite large so there would be plenty of space to get out of harms way in an emergency for the children.

[kellyskidz!]

I always lock my front door and have key on a high hook next to it, but my back door is usually open.
Before I get shot down lol, it leads into my garden which has very secure high fences and a padlocked side gate. I feel that no one can get in, but if there was a fire, and i was unconscious or some other horror, that the children could at least go out into the garden, which is very long and so would be away from the house. It was a surprising question to be asked but thinking of new cms on here, they may not know if doors should be locked or not (although hopefully they have been advised properly)

[Jods]

Front door is locked with the key on the inside - the internal porch door is a yale lock. Back door is left unlocked but you have to come through a gate, which is locked, and the side door like wise x

I have a lovely mum but her main paranoia is her ds being snatched, so not only do I have this, I ensure its double secure x

but at weekends everything is unlocked left open, but my children are over the age of 10 and are in secondary school college etc x

[Nicola Carlyle]

Great advice really. As a new childminder (registered October 2012) I can't thinking anywhere I have ever seen this rule written down! It has never came up in discussions on courses etc so of course I'm unsure as to what the rules are. But this then brings me into my next question of if its a hit day like today and I have low level windows (about my tummy height) should I also never open these when the children are here? How do they then get to cool down and be comfortable without getting to hot, i do have vents but they are useless in summer. Should i be worried someone may climb in the window etc?I do get that this may sound obvious to a lot of you but it's not to me. Sorry if I'm beeing a pain. x

[Jods]

I live in a bungalow, I tend to stick to the top windows, if I do have a lower large window open I ensure nothing is dragable to be climbable - and I have window restrictors, which mean the window can only open say half a foot, so cant be opened wider from inside or outside. If you go through your risk assessments (you can do one about intruders alone) it should all slip into place and you will understand what is "safe" and what is not so hth x

[Mouse]

Great advice really. As a new childminder (registered October 2012) I can't thinking anywhere I have ever seen this rule written down! It has never came up in discussions on courses etc so of course I'm unsure as to what the rules are. But this then brings me into my next question of if its a hit day like today and I have low level windows (about my tummy height) should I also never open these when the children are here? How do they then get to cool down and be comfortable without getting to hot, i do have vents but they are useless in summer. Should i be worried someone may climb in the window etc?I do get that this may sound obvious to a lot of you but it's not to me. Sorry if I'm beeing a pain. x

All our windows have restrictors on them so they can only open a certain amount. It's enough to let a lot of air in, but not enough for a child to get out (my concern is much more about the child escaping than a stranger getting in).

[fionamadcat]

My door is always kept locked and has been since 1 of my mindees let himself out and ran across the road to mum's car. Mum was picking him and his little sister up we were chatting about the day and were just coming out of the playroom and he had opened the door himself and ran across the road. Luckily no cars etc but I do live on a road that has reasonable traffic. Door had been locked before mum arrived and I hadn't locked it behind her, didn't think I needed to! I lock everyone in now even delivery men!

[Rubybubbles]

Many years ago when i was a nanny a crawling child pulled himself up on front door, pulled handle and crawled out, his 2yr old brother alerted me to the baby crawling out onto a busy main street!!!!!

I have locked doors ever since, sorry but not worth the risk.

If i'm doing nappy change parents will wait, if i'm in garden I can hear cars in drive and know parent has arrived.

I leave key high up above door so i can find it in an emergency.

Wonder how many mindees over the years have been trapped in house because minder has locked door and not been able to unlock it due to fire, illness etc. Not any to my knowledge but please tell me if i'm wrong.

On a funnier note, man came to read electricity meter when i first started minding and looked a bit concerned as i locked front door as he entered house :laughing:

I always lock the door if anyone visits lol, it's the look on their faces!

[tinyp164]

Our doors are always locked and the keys stay in my pocket at all time...just incase we need to evacuate. I'm forever locking parents in when they collect but they are used to it now and don't mind.

I have to do it this way as I have a minded who is not allowed contact with one parent, therefore if this parent finds out where minded is and the door wasn't locked they could come and collect and I would then hav serious issues to deal with.

Lots of people have give great advice and tips here so I would recommend you looked into ways you could make it work for you :)) x

[bunyip]

Of course, all of this works on the false assumption that a locked door represents an impenetrable barrier to anyone who really wants to get in and do harm.

My preferred method of keeping my premises "secure" (ie. the actual regulatory requirement) would be to defend the children with my life against intruders. If anyone broke in, I'd probably rip off their arm and hit them in the face with the soggy end. But that's probably 'not nice' in Ofsted's books. :mad:

I was going to suggest that we really should all have front gardens which are inaccessible from the street and with high walls/fences and locked gates, even if we never use them with lo's. After all, EYFS says we must keep our premises secure, and "our premises" must surely cover the entire property (like schoolplaygrounds, etc.) .........er............but...............er, well..................then I saw this:-
BBC News - Five-year-old boy walks home after being locked out of school (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-22945501)

:p :p :p

[hectors house]

My street is 90% OAP bungalows and we live in one of the few houses - I think that anyone who had done any surveilance in the area would be more likely to break into one of the bungalows rather than a home with 2 noisy dogs.

[PixiePetal]

I live in a Victorian detached farmhouse with garden all round in the middle of nowhere! Front door is old and wood and has a Yale lock for daytime. Back door is old and wooden with just a latch to lift in the day cos DH needs to come in and out (yet to find a child who can manage to open it). I had a chain fitted up high so I can secure it easily with no need for key to find - also keeps DHs Aunt out when she 'pops' in to see me :rolleyes: As she has lived in a cottage on the farm for over 50 years calling in on MIL when she lived here it has been hard to get it through to her that she can't just walk in!

I warn DH when the chain is on or undo it when he is due in for lunch, by which time we are all at the table with a view to the door

[mumof3]

What's a carabiner ?

[chriss]

What's a carabiner ?

not a clue lol

[lisbet]

Carabinas:
Walking & Travel (http://www.outdoorandcamping.co.uk/carabina-3-piece-set-ys-additions-wa034/?gclid=CK_EkNqN8bcCFRHItAod6ywAWw)

Could I please ask you all for advice about my door set-up?

I have it so that it can't be opened from the outside, but can be opened from inside, but the LO's can't access this because I have a stairgate in my hall blocking off the stairs/ door/ catfood/ shoes (aka all the fun stuff from a toddler's point of view :laughing:)

Does this seem okay to you all?

I have the option of locking it with the key too (which I keep in the front pocket of my bag, by the front door) or the chain.

I have just had the call about my first inspection so I am trying to dot all I's and cross all T's! :panic:

[chriss]

As long as the children cant reach the door to open it then I think thats absolutely fine :)

[Memina]

I never lock my front door! You can't open it from the outside without a key but from the inside you can.

The lock is quite high and my 7 yo son can just about open it.

I dont even allow parents through the threshold let alone letting themselves in.