question about kitchen

[geordiebunny]

Ok just sorting things out and am happy nearly done with paperwork. Just a quick question that has me a bit confused. I have a dining room and kitchen connected and have place a stairgate in between as I don't want minded children in the kitchen area, it's not big and dog bowls are in there during minding, I even have a policy about not letting minded children in and what I will be doing if I find them in the kitchen but I haven't done any other safety features like cupboard catches fridge lock. Do I need to do these aswell even though I have stairgate and policy in place?

[Minstrel]

My inspector told me only one or the other was necessary. Having said that i dont have anything dangerous in mine ( plates and food).

not sure if i have helped, but i would say you dont need any locks on the cupboards.

Meant to add that i have locks on mine because i have no gate, you need to walk through my kitchen to get to other rooms x

[sarah707]

Will you involve children in cooking activiities?

Do they need to go through the kitchen to get to other areas of the house or garden?

When you are cooking and a child needs your attention will you ever bring the child into the kitchen to be with you?

How will you make drinking water freely available to older children who want to be independent if they cannot access the tap?

How will you make playdough with the children if they cannot cook it in your kitchen and watch it change?

Will you be able to provide appropriate weighing / measuring and other cooking related activities elsewhere in your house or garden?

What will happen when children are able to open the stair gates?

Is it considered ok by Ofsted and Environmental Health to have dog bowls in a kitchen? I thought they had to be out of the cooking area??

Just a few things to think about :D

If there is any reason why children might access your kitchen, then you must put locks on the doors and drawers.

[Tatjana]

No you wouldn't need safety stuff in the kitchen, the stairgate will suffice.

xx

[sonia ann]

Ok just sorting things out and am happy nearly done with paperwork. Just a quick question that has me a bit confused. I have a dining room and kitchen connected and have place a stairgate in between as I don't want minded children in the kitchen area, it's not big and dog bowls are in there during minding, I even have a policy about not letting minded children in and what I will be doing if I find them in the kitchen but I haven't done any other safety features like cupboard catches fridge lock. Do I need to do these aswell even though I have stairgate and policy in place?


I have a stairgate across my lounge door so the children cannot access the kitchen unsupervised. I do not have cupboard catches or fridge locks but I have done a risk assessment for the kitchen and removed all dangerous objects out of reach of the children so if they did go in the cupbards the worst they could do would be to empty the Rice Krispies all over the floor or pull out all my baking tins:) :) This has always been fine with my inspections:)

Oops forgot the dog bowls .....think that is probably a no-go with ofsted ......being in the kitchen....can they go outside when you are minding?

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I don't have either and won't because of the holes it will make.

My chemicals are in high cupboards and only the washing up liquid and shoe cleaner is under the sink.

My knives are in the top draw and I put education and supervision in all of these areas of my risk assessment as the children are only in the kitchen when I am

Under social services we had to have the door/draw locks but under the new regulations all you need to do is justify whatever decision you make.

[geordiebunny]

thanks for the help.

Will you involve children in cooking activiities?
the children will have cooking activities and this will be done in my dining room but not direct access to the cooker or oven

Do they need to go through the kitchen to get to other areas of the house or garden?
my kitchen is seperate no through way

When you are cooking and a child needs your attention will you ever bring the child into the kitchen to be with you?
I will not bring the child into the kitchen area, i will stop cooking and deal with the child or get my assistant(hubby) to help do the cooking while i deal with the child

How will you make drinking water freely available to older children who want to be independent if they cannot access the tap?
we use filtered water direct from the fridge anyway so older children will be able to access that without actually entering the kitchen as it is right next to the gate and can keep beakers on the little worktop next to the stairgate

How will you make playdough with the children if they cannot cook it in your kitchen and watch it change?
i had not thought of play dough but upon thinking about it I will not be able to show children the change process but there are loads of other activites I can do to show process of change without the use of my kitchen


Will you be able to provide appropriate weighing / measuring and other cooking related activities elsewhere in your house or garden?
I can use my dining room and have the appropriate equipment ready at the start of the day

What will happen when children are able to open the stair gates?
when the children can open the gate they will be told that it is wrong and why but will already have been told that they are not allowed in the kitchen

Is it considered ok by Ofsted and Environmental Health to have dog bowls in a kitchen? I thought they had to be out of the cooking area??
I had thought of putting them at the top of my landing as that is where my dog will be most of the day as she sleeps all day and the childgates are in place on stairs

[sonia ann]

all sounds good to me:clapping: