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sarah707
05-12-2009, 08:39 AM
A member sent me a pm asking about how to best manage giving notice when a child's behaviour gets to the point where you have tried everything you can think of and simply cannot carry on.

This is an older child (under 8) and she is at the point where she is dreading school collection time.

Parents are lovely and say the child is 'tired' and the childminder is concerned that she is letting them down.

She is also concerned about complaints being made to Ofsted that she is failing to manage behaviour appropriately.

This is my reply - I hope it helps others :D

Poor you! I really feel for you and understand what you are going through. I was in a similar position a few years ago and it was very hard.

I used my behaviour management policy to protect me from potential complaints.

The first thing is to make sure the behaviour concerns are noted in writing in your day book / diary including times you have spoken to the parent and their 'tired' response.

Also document strategies you have tried at your house to support the child and parents response... 'tired'.

And document how you have asked parents to work with you and their response.

And document how you have worked with the child and whether changes were apparent / what the child said etc.

You should try to keep it really factual, not emotional.

Your policy should say that you will -

liaise with parents - yes, as above;

work with the child - have the 2 of you written a behaviour agreement? If not you have written evidence of the strategies you have tried but an agreement is good practice;

take advice - do you work with school? If not my advice and the confidential advice of other childminders / your DO can be seen as taking advice... you have contacted people with experience in childcare matters;

give it time for the strategies to bed in - this childminder has already been managing the situation for 8 weeks and is at the end of it now. For anyone coming to this with a new child, remember if you have a 4 week settling in period, you are covered by that as well;

Call parents and child (usually child as well it's up to you) for an urgent meeting when you are not working! This is important so you can give them full attention;

Write a list of things to discuss so you do not get off track - nothing judgemental, simply focussing on the child's needs and the fact that he's clearly not happy;

Talk about options - which will finish up with you saying that you have tried all the strategies you can and you do not believe your setting is best suited to the needs of the child;

Agree a finish date - if you can do without the money, then you can say that you wish to finish immediately because you do not believe it is in the best interests of the child to continue;

Have a letter printed out to give to parents, thanking them for letting you share in their child's life and confirming the finish date. If you are being flexible about the finish date, then pre-print it so you can write in an agreed date / fees due etc at the end of the meeting.

Document everything and keep it in case Ofsted are involved in the future.

Hebs
05-12-2009, 08:44 AM
great advice :thumbsup:

haribo
05-12-2009, 08:50 AM
thanks sarah thats useful and clear info .

helenlc
05-12-2009, 09:22 AM
All great advice, as usual, from Sarah.

Just wanted to add that I had this in the summer but with an under 5. When I spoke to Ofsted about terminating my contract with immediate effect, they asked if I had given WRITTEN prior warning to the parent that it could end this way. Luckily I had earlier said that I was giving 4 weeks notice but would end immediately if child was violent again in the 4 week notice period (which he was).

So I would just add to Sarah's great advice that you make sure that parents are aware, in writing, that it could end immediately if the child's behaviour/effect on others warrants an immediate end of contract.

mandy moo
05-12-2009, 09:44 AM
Brilliant advice, thanx sarah, will bear this in mind, just in case i too get a next time!