View Full Version : Twins enquiry wud it take me over numbers?
mrs robbie williams
22-05-2014, 12:15 PM
Had an enquiry for twins three days a week the only days I can do is a mon when only have 1x2 y old and thurs &fri when already have 1x2y and a 1y old would I be allowed to take them on?
FussyElmo
22-05-2014, 12:38 PM
Only if you have 2 space free which by the looks of it you don't :)
Mouse
22-05-2014, 12:48 PM
No. You need 2 spaces to take on 2 children.
mrs robbie williams
22-05-2014, 01:14 PM
That's what I thought wasn't sure if diff rule for twins
It is a different rule for twins- I am sure continuity of care covers this one!
muffins
23-05-2014, 05:32 AM
It is a different rule for twins- I am sure continuity of care covers this one!
No sorry it doesn't, continuity of care care can only be used on existing children or siblings of existing children NOT new business.
Daisy De
23-05-2014, 05:57 AM
Where has this twin thing come from? They may be twins but they are still individual children and have the same individual needs. I don't understand how people think they count as one under the EYFS.
Not getting at anyone who has thought this but the ratios so need to be sorted out. There seems such confusion, so many childminders are blissfully unaware they are over minding and they won't be able to justify it at inspection.
Angela234
23-05-2014, 06:06 AM
Didnt it used to be if there was nowhere else for them to go as an exception you could take them on rather then they having to be split up?
I might be wrong
mama2three
23-05-2014, 07:18 AM
An old member asked the question of ofsted a long time ago ...and was told that in very specific circumstances it 'may' be classed as exceptional circumstances.
It was one inspectors opinion , and I wouldn't be happy to go against all published guidelines as trying to justify to a different inspector on a different day may result in a very different outcome.
I had a similar enquiry , the twins now come to me just one day a week and another cm for the other days. In theory I could now offer the other days if asked , as continuity of care . In fact I will be covering the other childminders holidays in August. I suppose the difference is they are now happy , settled and no longer 'new business'.
JCrakers
23-05-2014, 07:57 AM
Variations are the bane of my life......I don't know why we can't have some simple written rules that state it properly without the waffle of papers we have to read and hope we get it right.
It's is hard making a decision isn't it with no clear rules about it...we just have to guess half the time and cross our fingers. Sometimes its not a simple variation and our main aims are the children's happiness. I had a prime example a few months ago where my hairdresser who i've known for a long time has a 2yr old. The 2yr old always comes round here to play while Mum cuts my hair and I play with her while my dd has her hair cut. Her main carer (granny) had 3 weeks off in Australia leaving Mum with 1 week of care to find ( she used mil for 1 week and booked the other off work) It would have made sense for me to care for the 2yr old as she knew me well, knew my setting/house, she knew another mindee and had never been left with anyone else before except family. She was comfortable here but I had to say No because she wasn't on my books...silly because was she really going to be better off in a strange environment for 1 week??!
Ideally keeping twins together would be the best option, no mother wants to take two children to 2 different settings and no mother wants to split up her siblings if she's choosing a childminder, but you cant :rolleyes:
I've read about something where you can have them if there's no where else for them to go.....but how do you verify that to Ofsted?
This whole variation thing is a mess since Ofsted washed their hands, that's why there are so many questions about it. I, myself have asked numerous variation questions and everyone says something different to the next person :rolleyes: because no one actually knows the answer. I'm not 100% on this but I don't even think the words 'New business' are mentioned in the written paperwork are they...or are they? I don't know without getting it all out.
I would not do it as you don't have the space....but there are so many ways around it...like taking them on for a week or so and then offering the other days on continuity of care (this is why the variation rules are so silly)
Mouse
23-05-2014, 08:08 AM
Didnt it used to be if there was nowhere else for them to go as an exception you could take them on rather then they having to be split up?
I might be wrong
You're right. In the days when Ofsted granted variations and it was written into their fact sheet that if the LA could prove there was no other childminder in the area who could care for 2 children from the same family (didn't even have to be twins) then Ofsted would consider granting a variation.
That seems to have disappeared completely now though.
Mouse
23-05-2014, 08:10 AM
It is a different rule for twins- I am sure continuity of care covers this one!
The difference is when the twins are under 1 year old. You would normally only be able to care for one child under the age of 1, but if there are twins less than a year old you can take them both on, but only assuming you have 2 spaces available.
Shhhh yes that's the one! I knew I had read it somewhere! My "people" advise me to take someone on on my free day then sign the contract and maybe the mum "has to" increase hours. So I am advised to dodge around it if I'm happy to have more than 3!
Hypothetically, In this instance could you not theoretically have one 1 or 2 days and the other 1 or 2 days and granny have the other one? If it then got to be too much for granny you could then take the other one as well as continuity of care?
All hypothetical of course ;p xx