PDA

View Full Version : what are ofsteds and your takes on this..



Jessymax
12-02-2016, 01:17 PM
I have a little baby I care for who is 7m old and has settled so well I am really fond of her! :) Basically mum openly tells me she isa nightmare to sleep in cot or without being strapped to mum at home and I can see that because until recently she has only been sleeping on me which isn't ideal t means I cant really do anything in that precious moments of her taking a nap its not fair o other as always telling them to sshh! So I got her to sleep on me last week then quietly went upstairs and put her on my bed with pillows all way around her so she wouldn't fall off and a blanket. I don't even have a baby monitor yet (shoot me ;) ) but I check on her probs far more often that needs be but she is sleeping soo much longer and ive told mum and shes perfectly happy woth her sleeping on my bed..

have a travel cot in spare room and have never put it up yet as all older children don't nap and all babies (other is my nephew) sleep on my bed is this ok? x

Maza
12-02-2016, 01:28 PM
Although we've all done it from time to time with our own children I am sure it would be a big no no with mindees and Ofsted. It's not safe having the pillows al around her, and then when she starts crawling there is the danger that she could crawl off the bed and injure herself. I would start training her now to get her to sleep in the travel cot. x

moggy
12-02-2016, 01:30 PM
Do you put down clean bedding? Each child should have own clean bedding.

Otherwise, it is a RA- what about when child starts rolling/crawling/wriggling... what is the risk of child falling off bed or getting loose in the room?

Why can't you lay the sleeping baby into a cot? or on to something on the floor- sleeping mat/playmat thing/folded blanket/travel-cot mattress on the floor where there is no risk of baby falling off?

I have had ones who needed to fall asleep on me at first and gradually I got them to sleep on their own in cot. I have laid them sleeping on a mat on the floor and gradually used that as a way to help baby sleep by themselves- I lie right up close as they fall asleep on the mat and gradually move away etc and then tried the cot when baby feeling a bit more secure.

But it is not hard to lower a sleeping baby into a travel cot so I would be starting that ASAP.

Using your own bed is not ideal and not a long term solution due to safety of rolling off/escaping etc. as well as hygiene unless you change all your sheets for each one sleeping in there.

A baby monitor is not listed as required in EYFS- but you need to RA how you monitor sleeping babies.

As for Ofsted- it only take an inspector to not like the idea and it could be an issue for you. You'd need a rock solid RA and be very confident in explaining.

Mouse
12-02-2016, 01:32 PM
I wouldn't do it for several reason:

It's still too easy for them to fall off the bed even with pillows there.

Each child needs their own clean bedding, so you'd need to change your bedding every time a different child slept on the bed.

My bedroom is out of bounds to children and I don't want it used for childminding.

You have a travel cot and a spare room so I would get that set up and use it.

AliceK
12-02-2016, 01:39 PM
If I were you I would def stop doing this immediately. There are so many reasons Ofsted would view this as being unsafe it's really not worth the risk.
xxx

Jessymax
12-02-2016, 01:41 PM
hmm I understand all you rpoints but mums happy whilst shes so small and immobile still once she starts crawling I will put her in cot or pram but she is SUCH a light sleeper and sometimes if I move away too soon that's it wide awake and takes anither good 15 mins to get her to drift back off again and I am not going to put her in a cot and leave her to cry I hate that and mum certainly would. suppose I will just have to see how I get on I think lowering her in to travel cot at the moment would definitely wake her x ( yes she has her own blanket I lay on top of my duvet and another one that goes on top of her (clean) x

Jessymax
12-02-2016, 01:43 PM
I HATE how all my worries and second guessing come down to that one inspection each 30 MONTHS! ofsted may come.. and that on that day they could give u a shitty grade just on something they deem unsuitable etc.. it should be what the parents and we want x

Mouse
12-02-2016, 01:55 PM
hmm I understand all you rpoints but mums happy whilst shes so small and immobile still once she starts crawling I will put her in cot or pram but she is SUCH a light sleeper and sometimes if I move away too soon that's it wide awake and takes anither good 15 mins to get her to drift back off again and I am not going to put her in a cot and leave her to cry I hate that and mum certainly would. suppose I will just have to see how I get on I think lowering her in to travel cot at the moment would definitely wake her x ( yes she has her own blanket I lay on top of my duvet and another one that goes on top of her (clean) x

Please don't believe a 7 month baby isn't going to move. My grandson is 6 months old and has already fallen off his parent's bed twice, despite being put in the middle of the bed with pillows around him. They can still wriggle an awful lot, even in their sleep.

If you don't want to try putting her in the cot, you could try putting the cot mattress on the floor. At least that way she's not going to fall anywhere even if she does roll.

I'm also afraid it doesn't matter whether mum's happy for you to do it or not. Any safety advice will tell you not to leave a baby unattended on a bed and really the mum should know that. If she decided to do it with her own child in her own home that's up to her, but while you are registered as a childminder safety recommendations have to come first. I doubt mum would be quite so understanding if her baby fell off the bed and hurt herself :(

Mouse
12-02-2016, 01:56 PM
I HATE how all my worries and second guessing come down to that one inspection each 30 MONTHS! ofsted may come.. and that on that day they could give u a shitty grade just on something they deem unsuitable etc.. it should be what the parents and we want x

This isn't down to what Ofsted would think. This is down to safety recommendations that babies are never left unattended on a bed. It's something you shouldn't do as a parent, regardless of Ofsted.

moggy
12-02-2016, 01:59 PM
I HATE how all my worries and second guessing come down to that one inspection each 30 MONTHS! ofsted may come.. and that on that day they could give u a shitty grade just on something they deem unsuitable etc.. it should be what the parents and we want x

It is not just about that inspection...

It is about taking a risk that may not be worth it- the 'what if's'... what if that baby rolled face-down onto a pillow, what if they wake and crawl off the edge of the bed... what might the parent then say? Say 'it's ok as I did say you could put them on the bed'..or blame you, take legal action and all the implications of that? You do not really know until it happens.
It's also about when that parent chats to someone about 'how their CMers puts their baby to sleep on their bed', even in a positive way... but that person is concerned and phones Ofsted to put in a complaint against you.
It's when that person above talks to their neighbour/friend about how they think 'that new CMer is really not so trustworthy because they put a baby to sleep on a bed and don't have a monitor' and rumours start about your reputation.

It is not about 'what the parents want' either- a parent might 'want' you to do something that is illegal, dangerous, unprofessional...parents can be very well-meaning but we are professionals running a business following a statutory framework. Parents need to respect our policies and ways of working.

Jessymax
12-02-2016, 02:15 PM
right im going to try the travel cot on mon and hope it works! although I do still feel ALOT of peoples worries and questions are based around 'that visit' x

Mouse
12-02-2016, 02:23 PM
I do still feel ALOT of peoples worries and questions are based around 'that visit' x

That's very true. Although some questions like this one are based on general safety for a baby, you'll probably find the majority of questions are based on worries about Ofsted and what they feel about the this or that. It's silly some of the worries we have about 1 visit in what could be 5 or 6 years.

moggy
12-02-2016, 02:26 PM
right im going to try the travel cot on mon and hope it works! although I do still feel ALOT of peoples worries and questions are based around 'that visit' x

I find with consistent persistence you can get a baby to learn to sleep in a cot. It is easier for us than parents, babies do these things for us sometimes which they don't do at home! I would not leave then crying but it can work to sit by them, stroke their back/tummy, soothe them to sleep and gradually they will learn to go to sleep by themselves. It takes time but pays off in the end. Good luck with it!

mama2three
12-02-2016, 02:31 PM
Whilst I do sympathise ( my own son could never be 'lowered' ) we have to be so careful to follow all current safety advice. The pillows themselves are a big risk , then the risk of falling off the bed....

I think of it as covering my own backside! If I do anything that could cause my business to fail , due to reputation , ofsted , whatever...then I put my own childrens livelihoods at risk......If I couldnt earn the mortgage couldnt get paid. If something dreadful happens then the parents sue and my family lose everything as I wasnt following current guidelines. It really is that simple. Yes its easier to put babe on your bed. But I still couldnt risk it...both for the safety of the babe , and the security of my own family.

hectors house
12-02-2016, 03:41 PM
I have a 6 month old who sometimes just sleeps on a folded up sleeping bag on my lounge floor if other children are asleep upstairs, maybe you could put one on the floor of your bedroom?

As for changing "bedding" if baby sleeps "on top" of your duvet cover, is this really any difference from a baby falling asleep on a cloth sofa or snuggled into your jumper, it's not like sleeping in your bed under the covers - you wouldn't strip all the cloth covers off your sofa after a child woke up or tell a toddler sorry you can't cuddle me as I have to change my jumper as the baby slept on me earlier. I don't think I would put the baby to sleep on my bed though for fear of it falling off or suffocating in the pillows.

alex__17
12-02-2016, 03:57 PM
Could you put baby on a duvet on floor? I sleep mine on sofas as they get older and just put a clean sheet over the sofa, there's no reason you couldn't put a duvet on floor doubled over so nice and soft and lay a clean sheet over, could even pop it in a quiet corner downstairs that way

None of my mindees would sleep in a travel cot, only 1 sleeps in a cotbed now, others sleep either in buggy laid flat or on sofas

Jessymax
12-02-2016, 04:06 PM
exactly hectors house some things we are 'required ' to do are simply ridiculous and obviously not followed by all! grerat ideas both, will try travel cot first and see how we go from working in a nursery I have had some really difficult sleepers to tackle and always won! x

clareelizabeth1
12-02-2016, 04:36 PM
What anout a poddle pod. They go on the floor i had a little one rubbish sleeper but would fall asleep in that on the floor in tge hallway while others played in playroom. She could wake and wonder the hallway but not get anything and i would hear her wake anyway.

As for on your bed the fact thats its ur bed doesn't bother me. That its a raised surface does. As for a child not moving at that age my ds could roll over at 3 days old gave many people a heart attack. Including a health visitor who laid him in his crib on his back with the side down and stepped away as a 1 month old can't move. Needless to say ds rolled out the crib on to the dog then the floor. Perfectly fine didnt even cry but could of been worse. The dog was more upset than ds. Now have a real thing of children being put in safe places.