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JO S
11-03-2009, 12:46 PM
Hi,

I'm sure this has already been answered loads of times but I just wanted to ask whether I'm better off working in partnership with another minder probably from my house or if it's better to get an assistant.
Is there anywhere I can find out all the ins and outs of what assistants are and aren't allowed to do?
sorry if I am being a bit thick!!

Jo. x

Willowdancer
11-03-2009, 02:34 PM
Hi Jo

As far as I understand things if you take on a registered assistant they are still not allowed to be left in sole charge of the children you are minding.

I thought about registering my husband as an assistant and received the following information from Ofsted when I emailed them to ask about it:

Officially childminding assistants are not required to be qualified but Ofsted would need to determine the suitability of the individual by conducting CRB checks, Social Services references and possibly a health declaration and personal references.

A childminding assistant would need to complete an EY2 form which is available from our website and send it into us to initiate any checks which need to be completed.

Having an assistant does not automatically change the number of children you are registered for and assistants are not normally allowed to be left in sole charge of the children.

We decided it wasn't worth registering him as an assistant in the end as it wouldn't change very much for us, so he will be completing the DHC in a few months time and becoming a childminder in his own right.

So, after all that waffle, I would think you would be better off working with a co-minder rather than taking an assistant on if you want to be able to increase your numbers or have somebody else around who can take sole charge of your mindees too.

Ali
x

Chatterbox Childcare
11-03-2009, 02:49 PM
If you have an assistant they can only be left with children within the EYFS and IF the assistant is CRB checked and acceptable to Ofsted and has a paediatric first aid cert.

There is alot of discussion within the DCSF regarding older children at the moment as they passed a law last year saying no assistants with children on the voluntary and compulsory registers but I don't think this was talked through properly

rickysmiths
11-03-2009, 05:27 PM
My husband registered as my assistant at ofsteds suggestion so he would be covered by the employers insurance. The reason they registered him was so he could take one of the mindees home.

They also increased the number of children we can have when we work together.