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jellytot
06-10-2008, 03:34 PM
have just got off the phone with ofsted inspector with regards to whether an assistant can be left in sole charge of children. basically she said an assistant can be in sole charge of children under eyfs but not the children who arnt covered by eyfs. she did name the 2 registers but i clueless with them.

so i gathered that children up to 31st aug after their 5th b-day can be left with an assistant once older they cant.

hope i made sense then not very good at making sense.

mum2two
06-10-2008, 04:37 PM
That's weird, as the inspector on Fri said they only really inspect you on EYFS children. There are only three things you have to have in place to satisfy the other register, and that's a lost child policy, and complaints procedure, & another policy (which I can't remember). :blush:

So it seems weird she told me that assistants can't be left in sole charge any more, as it's the EYFS kids they're really looking at...

Who knows any more.... So glad hubby's registered!!! :rolleyes:

Kelly x

sarah707
06-10-2008, 04:59 PM
I suggest you get anything like that in writing...

They have been known to change their minds occasionally :rolleyes:

JoeBloggs
06-10-2008, 06:35 PM
Check this thread http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=243554#post243554 Like smarties, it has the answer!

roseybev
06-10-2008, 09:53 PM
this is what gets me realy :angry: 1 says 1 thing and others say diffent they are all ment to be trained to do there job ?.but if we do thing wrong we get it .and if your officer does not like you well nothing you do will be good enough been doing this job now for 19 years and its where your face fits sorry if i upset anyone its just the way i feel about them :angry:

Pauline
08-10-2008, 07:19 AM
this is what gets me realy :angry: 1 says 1 thing and others say diffent they are all ment to be trained to do there job ?.but if we do thing wrong we get it .and if your officer does not like you well nothing you do will be good enough been doing this job now for 19 years and its where your face fits sorry if i upset anyone its just the way i feel about them :angry:

This is why it is vitally important to get everything in writing. If you don't and you go against any rules you could be working uninsured :mad:

miffy
08-10-2008, 08:44 AM
Check this thread http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=243554#post243554 Like smarties, it has the answer!

But does it?

I'd like to see where in the regulations it gives that answer

Miffy xx

tinkerbelle
08-10-2008, 08:45 AM
when i registered my assistant i was told she could be in sole charge of any of them as she increased my numbers to 11 under 8s as long as parents permission is given and its on certificate that they can be left in charge of childrenetc

patevans
08-10-2008, 08:49 AM
But does it?

I'd like to see where in the regulations it gives that answer

Miffy xx

SO......my assisstants can be left in sole charge of the 0-5's with written consent?!

miffy
08-10-2008, 08:58 AM
SO......my assisstants can be left in sole charge of the 0-5's with written consent?!

I don't know but unless it was in writing I wouldn't risk it.

I am just curious to see where it is written in the regulations as there seems to be more than one answer to this :rolleyes:

Miffy xx

Pauline
08-10-2008, 09:29 AM
I agree with Miffy, don't believe anything at the moment unless you have it in writing from Ofsted either in confirmation in an email/letter or actually written on your certificate.

Perhaps we are to get another certificate for the Childcare Register? Maybe that will then state what happens with assistants in that group?

It just seems too stupid for words that on 31st August next year my assistant will be allowed to have two of our children on his own, yet on 1st September he wouldn't! :panic::panic: Where is the logic in that?

jellytot
08-10-2008, 09:37 AM
its all just completely baffaling, even the inspector i spoke to said to her it didnt make sense that assistant could be left with under 5's but not older 1's, surely if they were going to change it woldn't it make more sense to allow assistant to have sole charge of older 1's and not younger purely on the basis that older 1's are more self sufficent and can speak up if anything does go wrong, although on a practical point I only use my assistant for the younger 1's.

It is wrong when they do these things and it leaves us not knowing what we can or can't do

tinkerbelle
08-10-2008, 09:46 AM
my certificate states she can be left in charge of children doesnt specify which ones and mums have signed to say she can be left with children check with early years they seem to know more than ofsted at times

crazybones
08-10-2008, 09:55 AM
My certificate also states "may at times agreed and confirmed in writing by parents, leave an assistant in sole charge of the children"

I asked my Quality Worker yesterday about him needing paediatric first aid - she didnt know what I was talking about but is going to get back to me :rolleyes:


I agree with Miffy until someone shows it to me in writing from Ofsted I will carry on this way. By the way my certificate is dated 03.09.08 - after EYFS came in. :D

Pauline
08-10-2008, 10:00 AM
By the way my certificate is dated 03.09.08 - after EYFS came in. :D

That just about sums it up Annie - different things on different certificates now!! :panic:

Thanks for that. :)

jellytot
08-10-2008, 10:10 AM
I asked my Quality Worker yesterday about him needing paediatric first aid - she didnt know what I was talking about but is going to get back to me



i was told hubby needed paediatric frst aid to be my assistant, i think it is better for them to have it anyway, just in case

kiddiwinks
08-10-2008, 10:22 AM
I have just also rang ofsted, and the lady said that she not to familer with the guide lines but did read the statements of that said the same as some one else on here that assistants can be in sole child of of the under 5 with written permition but not over 5's or even 8's.

She said the requirments for under 5 and then over 5's are done by different people and that they have wrote it with conflict on each other but there is not alot we can do now they have been wrote..


It is nothing to do with ofsted they just inspect and make sure you are following it.

kiddiwinks
08-10-2008, 10:29 AM
My certificate also states "may at times agreed and confirmed in writing by parents, leave an assistant in sole charge of the children"

I asked my Quality Worker yesterday about him needing paediatric first aid - she didnt know what I was talking about but is going to get back to me :rolleyes:


I agree with Miffy until someone shows it to me in writing from Ofsted I will carry on this way. By the way my certificate is dated 03.09.08 - after EYFS came in. :D

I also said this when i just rang and she said it was in the guidelines some where they we had had, she said i would be breaking the law if i did even though it is on my certificate, as i said the only reason i asked about it as i heard of some one, not read it in paperwork

JoeBloggs
08-10-2008, 06:12 PM
It just seems too stupid for words that on 31st August next year my assistant will be allowed to have two of our children on his own, yet on 1st September he wouldn't! :panic::panic: Where is the logic in that?

I agree completly it is rather daft...

In cases where assistants can be left in sole charge there will be something along the lines of either

"may at times agreed and confirmed in writing by parents, leave an assistant in sole charge of the children"

or

"may at times agreed and confirmed in writing by parents, leave an assistant in sole charge of the children (early years register)"

listed on the certificate, otherwise it unfortunatly isn't possible

Pauline
08-10-2008, 09:30 PM
I agree completly it is rather daft...

In cases where assistants can be left in sole charge there will be something along the lines of either

"may at times agreed and confirmed in writing by parents, leave an assistant in sole charge of the children"

or

"may at times agreed and confirmed in writing by parents, leave an assistant in sole charge of the children (early years register)"

listed on the certificate, otherwise it unfortunatly isn't possible

Yes we know that, but some certificates are specifying that it only applies to children on the Early Years Register and some are not specifying anything. These certificates have been issued SINCE EYFS came into force on 1/9/08 and it is that discrepancy that is leading to all the confusion!

tinkerbelle
09-10-2008, 07:30 AM
if my over 5 numbers doubled as well as under 5s why cant the assistant be left in charge that was the reason i registered her and ofsted are aware of this as i have two school collections she does on i do the other

JoeBloggs
09-10-2008, 07:58 AM
Yes we know that, but some certificates are specifying that it only applies to children on the Early Years Register and some are not specifying anything. These certificates have been issued SINCE EYFS came into force on 1/9/08 and it is that discrepancy that is leading to all the confusion!

It's probably just a case that some inspectors haven't started to add the registers in brackets on the certificate conditions, I've seen a few that contain each register in brackets on every line of the cert. Just sounds like some inspectors are possibly unaware of the CCR's legal requirements :ohdear:

crazybones
09-10-2008, 08:40 AM
It's probably just a case that some inspectors haven't started to add the registers in brackets on the certificate conditions, I've seen a few that contain each register in brackets on every line of the cert. Just sounds like some inspectors are possibly unaware of the CCR's legal requirements :ohdear:

So who will be in the wrong then if we get pulled up? - us or the inspector. :mad:

Chatterbox Childcare
11-10-2008, 11:11 PM
I have had numerous calls with Ofsted regarding this and the information I received states:

Under EYFS children of the Early Years Register *until 31st August after they are 5" can be looked after by an assistant and in sole charge of the assistant if they have a paediatric first aid certificate

Children on the voluntary/compulsory register can not be looked after by an assistant unless they are 18 years of age. This rule was set by the DCSF and i am currently awaiting a call from a Department Manager to clarify why it has all been written for Nursery/After Schools and childminders have gone by the wayside - again

Pauline
12-10-2008, 08:40 AM
Children on the voluntary/compulsory register can not be looked after by an assistant unless they are 18 years of age.

Which one? The assistant or the 'child' has to be 18 years of age? :laughing: