Starting up paperwork

[kirstylou]

Hi,

I'm after a little advice on what I can start to put together now before I've been on the pre reg course. I'd like to be super organised and possibly get policies typed up and anything else I'm able to. Please could someone advise what I could be doing? Obviously I'll be sorting out my house, child proofing it etc. What files do I need? Presumably stationery wise I'd need folders for each child's LJ? Do I keep my policies in a file? What about daily diaries?

Thanks in advance :)

X

[gembo]

useful question and no ones replied :( if I could help I would lol x

[littlepumpkins]

I'd like to know this answer too, hope someone can answer soon. When is your pre-registration course Hun?

[Hayley-sue]

Hi, have you done any of your pre reg courses? I am newly registered. To be honest there's not slot you can do until you have been to the 1st course at least. I use folder for child's LJS risk assessments my policies and all certificates car insurances etc iv got a book for sign in, and a fonder for accidents n medication firm but every CM is different and do thing in different ways. The course will give you hands outs and different ideas too if you are going to start polices just be careful what you get off the internet and always adapt to you, but like i say you do get hand out that tells you what a policy should include, I joined childcare.com there are lots of useful guides on there I found I used then more then the handouts in some cases think it £20 a month but can cancel at anytime. I'm sure someone else will be along soon with more advice as I'm sure I have just waffled on! Enjoy you course :)

[rickysmiths]

Ok this is what I have after 19 years of Childminding.

1. Parent Information Folder for them to look at when they visit with a view to using my services. In it is:

A bit of information about me and what I offer and a few photos of my setting

Copy of Ofsted Reg cert

Copy of Ofsted Report

Copy of blank Contract

Copy of Parental Responsibility Form

Copy of Next of kin form

Copy of Contact, Emergency & Medical Information Form

Copy of Consent Form

Copy of my policies document

Complaints Procedure

Copy of Parents' Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage framework

Copy 'Guidance on infection controls in schools and other childcare settings by Health Protection England

List of Notifiable Diseases

Copy of Level 3 Diploma

Copy of First Aid Certificate

Copy of Safeguarding Training Cert

Copy of Public Liability Insurance Cert

Copy of Employers' Liability Insurance Cert

Copy of a Daily Diary Sheet

This is all in a 40 page Display Folder with the fixed pages in it.

2. Accident/Incident/medication Folder I use the Pacey one
3. Attendance Register I use the Pacey one
4. Accounts Book I use the Pacey one.
5. A Parent/Child Folder I keep all the original signed documents in this, the Contract, copies of any letters etc to do with the family regarding payment, copies of receipts issued etc.
5. Mileage Record Note Book a small pockey note book where I record all trips made for childminding and the number of miles.
6..Receipt Book I use the Pacey one
7.Risk Assessment Folder Has all RAs, CRBs, Car and house Insurance Certs and info, record of Fire Safety Visits, Evacuation Diagram, Record of Evacuation Practices, records of Boiler servicing etc
8. Child's Learning Journal and daily Diary These are done in different ways depending on the child and the number of days they are with me.
9. Planning Folder Loose Folder with 12 sections with activities etc to follow through the year.
10. Parents Feed Back Folder Has letters and cards etc written to me by parents over the years.
11. Ofsted Folder Any letters etc from Ofsted

I think that is all!

[CC24]

That is a great list. I am just finishing of my CYPOP5 course and hope to start getting paperwork ready.

[littlepumpkins]

Thank you Hun, I've just made a copy for myself. Do you recommend being a member of Pacey as the discounts are quite a bit so seems worth it to me but obviously I'm new to all this so any advise would be great.

[rickysmiths]

I am bias!! I have always for my 19 years been a member of Pacey because they represent Childminders interests at all levels and speak up for us even though they don't always shout about it from the roof tops.

It does cost to be a member but I feel this is a small price to pay for the representation. As a member you can get Pub Lib Insurance for £22pa and yes the paperwork is discounted then as well.

As I have said I am bias but I have used their paper work from the beginning and find it saves me reinventing the wheel. The accounts book is good if you have never done self employed accounts and i would recommend it for at least the first year so you can see how things work.

I have always used the Attendance Register and I have always got parents to sign each week with no bother because it is an expectation when they start with me so they always do it ! I think it is important to have a page per child you never know when you may need a copy, the signing to me is also important from a safeguarding aspect, by signing the parent is confirming the exact hours their child id in your care and so with you so it can help if an allegation is every made, by signing the parent is confirming the actual hours and this may help you if a parent is always late or early in issuing an invoice for the additional hours. It has once helped me when a complaint was made by a parent and I was able to send a copy of the attendance sheet to Ofsted and blow the parents complaint out of the water, if they had not signed the sheet and so been informed I could not have used it. It made 17 years of parents signing very worthwhile. Though I know some don't agree with me, interestingly I interviewed a couple at the weekend who are moving to my area and they have always used cms and have always signed registers. If I have several children I used post it file tabs with initials on to mark each childs page so I can find it easily.



I have also always used the Accident book, I love the new loose leaf folder again I have not had a problem using it. It is irritating in that some forms that split in to 5 daily sheet for example medication only have the child's name on at the top. I just write the name on the top of the sheet for each day it isn't hard and for the few forms used it isn't hard. It also makes it easy to extract a child's forms when they leave and store them in their folder for the required time until they are 21 years old. I have only shredded two childrens' info and I have been minding for 20 years !

Morton Michel are only an Insurance Broker and profit making, who do provide paperwork for cm but it is more expensive than Pacey and their PLI is £44pa

Pre School Learning Alliance a registered charity and non profit making like Pacey, provide membership for cm now and insurance and I believe paperwork as well. No idea of cost but they also represent childminders in a similar way.

UKCMA no idea, they have been around for a couple of years and accepted membership earlier this year but they are not a charity and are profit making, they charge a membership fee around £9.99 per month I think and I think sell insurance on top via MM so around £44pa I'm not not sure what else they do but they are for childminders only and they have been speaking up for us re Agencies etc.

Hope this helps.

[littlepumpkins]

That's fab, thank you. You def have made me decide to become a member. Can I become a member before being registered or do I need to wait? Just want to get all my paperwork etc together ready for Ofsteds first visit so they can see I'm all organised and prepared.