pre-reg visit - what are they looking for

[Donkey]

hi

really would like to get a head start on making my home safe for minding, i dont have a clue where to start, I haven't even started baby proofing yet, which i need to get on with as babbles will be 5 month old shortly.

any help ladies???

(i tried looking for similar threads, but the little one is demanding food, and one handed laptop operating is not a strong point!) :D

[angeldelight]

There is heaps of information in this area of the forum Joy you need to have half an hour to have a browse if you can

Also some information here if you click the link

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=503


Also information here

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=503

This site offers lots of informtion for childminders and ideas for policys etc with examples that you can adapt for your own setting

hope this helps if not give us a shout

Angel xx

[allinatiz]

There is heaps of information in this area of the forum Joy you need to have half an hour to have a browse if you can


Half an hour?!?! Although I know Angel regularly offers good advice I would ignore this little gem and suggest a full week :D

[angeldelight]

Haha prob cause I know where everything is

yeah a week sounds good for a newbie haha

Angel xx

[buildingblocks]

Half an hour?!?! Although I know Angel regularly offers good advice I would ignore this little gem and suggest a full week :D

I agree I think Angel may be telling little white lies there with half an hour

[sarah707]

I hope it is all as clear as mud now! :laughing:

[Donkey]

well after getting the little one to bed last night, i spent a full hour in this forum, even went to the archive of the old forum, ill check the links angel has posted, but keep any more suggestion coming :)

angel, you posted the same link twice :panic:

:)

i bought someones paper work bundle off ebay for me to read through, i love to know everything before i decide to do something.
i have loads of good ideas, just need to order my thoughts.
i also had a sneaky look at the outstanding providers list on ofsted and read what they did and 'borrowed' ideas from there.

as well as some of my own that I have come up with.

im more worried about the actual changes i need to make to my house to make it safe, my bathroom isn't the nicest, and if we had the money i would rip it out and start again. we dont, so I cant, the garden isnt flat and the steps going down to it are dodgy!

on top of that I have a climbing frame i made myself while i was at school. much better construction than the ones they have in local nurseries, it took the weight of 3 teenagers quite well. but im thinking i will only be able to let my own daughter play with it.

do you know if the magnetic cupboard locks that boots sell work at all???

thanks for your help ladies!

[manjay]

I love the boots magnetic cupboard locks. Even stops me from getting in sometimes.

I wouldn't worry about things like your bathroom not looking like a show one. As long as it is clean and safe (ie a lockable cupboard for things like razors).

When your inspector comes round for your pre reg if they want you to change anything they will let you know then.

amanda xx

[sarah707]

do you know if the magnetic cupboard locks that boots sell work at all???

thanks for your help ladies!

Ofsted will be looking for something that prevents access to the cupboards and the dangers that lurk within... so long as that is what they do, then they will be fine.

You sound like you have everything else under control! I wouldn't worry too much about the steps in the garden - just show you have risk assessed it and how you will protect each child from injury eg. not let an under3 use the steps by themselves, hold hands, carry babies, supervise closely, one out all out / one in all in policy etc...

With the climbing frame have a look at rospa's advice. There's something about the depth to which a safety flooring should be dug as well but I'm blowed if I can find it now - it was something like dug to a foot, filled with bark or other bouncy material and 12" crash zone all round, but I'm not absolutely sure of the figures... I just know I had to get rid of my climbing frame as there was no way I was doing that to my garden. :(

http://www.rospa.com/playsafety/info/22_design.htm

http://www.rospa.com/playsafety/info/12_home_equipment.htm

Hope this helps :D

[Donkey]

from the rospa website

Climbing Frames

1. Are hand grips less than 40mm diameter?
2. Are any moving parts (i.e. ropes) fixed top and bottom to reduce movement?
3. Is the frame less than 2m high?


i can answer yes to all those questions
its the does it have a safety mark, which obv no!
:(
ill see what they say, I do not mind trashing the garden too much as its trashed anyway!

[funtoplay]

Hi,

I had my pre-reg visit in December and it definataly wasn't worth all the worry. Perhaps I had a really nice inspector but it was a bit like having a chat over coffee!!

I think what she was looking for was that you had thought about how you were going to keep the children safe, it doesn't all need to be in place yet but so long as you can tell her how you will do it was fine. Eg Knives in block on the side. I had it pushed back as far as possible. She pointed out that for a 3 year old it would be fine but perhaps a 7 year old would be able to reach. I found going round my home and doing a risk assessment was a good idea, it was something I could show the inspector to prove I had thought about it.

She didn't really look too hard at my house. She really just wanted a verbal explanation of how i was going to achieve each of the 14 standards.

I wouldn't worry too much, I wish I handn't now. I just hope my first proper inspection is so smooth!! Probably won't stop me worrying though!!

Julia