More children...

[Nettynoo]

I have a friend who is a childminder and she seems to have millions of children on her books!! Soon she will have 4 under 5's with her all day!

I was just wondering if anyone knows how you go about increasing your numbers! Do you ask Ofsted for a variation before finding the extra children or can I advertise a space and then request a variation (and hope it is accepted!!)?

I currently have two under 5's and my daughter who is 2 and would like to have one more mindee if possible.

Would ask my 'friend' but she has always worked in nurseries and seems to know all the ins and outs of this sort of thing and feel like an idiot because I don't!!!!!!!!:blush:

[crazybones]

You can only get a variation for continuation of care or siblings normally. Occasionally if you work with an assistant you can get a variation for more children but its best to speak to Ofsted first and ask.

[sunflower]

I have a variation as its a sibblin link,

if you get an interest of a child to look after, it would be worth asking ofted

for a variation

good luck :D

[childmind04]

Ofsted has giving a friend of mine an extra child without a variation, she has her own nearly four year old and her certificate now says 3 under 5 and 2 over 5, so they have classed her own child as over 5, she had asked for a variation for an overlap but they just changed her numbers :)

[rickysmiths]

Dont know how she has that. She would not need a variation if one of her own has reached 5 or 8 but would need new cert to reflect that.

The norm is a MAX of 3 under 5 one of whom can be under 1 and 3 over 5

Differences occur when you are not allowed this max usually the amount of room you have to mind in. I used to live in a 1st floor flat and was allowed a max of 4 incl my own until they were over 8yrs when we moved into a 4 bed house they inspected and gave me max of 6. Mine are teens now.

I have a mindee who wont be 5 till aug but because in full time school counts as an over 5. I'm surprised her son at just 4 counts as over 5 unless he is at a private school and is there full time.

Sounds as if there may have been some crossed wires with Ofsted and they have been known to make mistakes trouble is if thats the case and she minds the wrong nos her insurance wont be valid. I'd check.

I have a variation for 4 under 5s 2 days a week but it was for continuity as on mindees hours were increased.
I did get a variation in Oct 2008 for 8 weeks for 4 under 5 incl 1 under 1 for 1 day a week to allow me to have a new 16wk old before one of my full timers went part time cause mums on maternity leave. The baby is now with me 2 days a week. So you can get variatons for new children. It is rare and Ofsted require lots of detail about the whys and where fors for this one I had to attend a Panel meeting with 3 of them to get it.

[childmind04]

No her child is in pm nursery only, she has had the variation for about 12 months and has been inspected during this time, she only ever had the child who the variation was for at first incase they had made a mistake, but after inspection and when they never thought it was a problem she tool on another child

[madasahatter]

she only ever had the child who the variation was for at first incase they had made a mistake, but after inspection and when they never thought it was a problem she tool on another child
But variations are only valid for the children you named on your variation request. It reverts back to the standard numbers (or whatever you were before the variation) as soon as one of the named children moves up an age group or leaves your setting. If you take on a new child then you need to apply for a new variation.

I've always been granted my variation requests. They have always been for siblings or for continuity of care ie a parent changes job, with longer or different hours and you now have an overlap

[sammy]

i think it all depends on who you get on the phone to at ofsted, once i phoned when i had interest from 2 familys, and i wanted to know if i could take either family on as i would be one more over my ratio, they agreed i could take either one on. So basically they agreed before i had signed contracts.

Next conversation i had with ofsted was with somone else, they said it wasnt allowed to be agreed before taking them on, apparently i needed to have a contract with one sibling first then apply to them to have the other sibling so that i could do a continuaty of care.

So it was the same outcome in the end but a different way of applying, so now i have 4 under 5s on a tuesday,

But i also applied to have an extra child in the mornings, which was a nieghbours child (i didnt have a sibling of his) and they agreed to that too.

[childmind04]

But variations are only valid for the children you named on your variation request.

That just it her cert is just a normal one, i also have had a variation and had the terms on the bottom but hers is just as you would xpect if her child was over 5