Is it worth it

[Bevbeetle]

Feeling very angry today another childminder i know shes been doing it for 8years a very good minder done loads of courses etc anyway last month she got down graded to a satisfactory on her ofsted inspection because of one piece of paper work she didnt have mothers work phone number only mobile, anyway 2 new childminders in our area have started up both only been minding for 2 weeks both got GOOD grades :angry: :angry: :angry: how can that be they got no exiperence no qualifcations it makes me angry

[Mouse]

Unfortunatley that's the way it goes :(

I'd be surprised if your friend was given satisfactory purely for not having the mum's work number written down, especially if she had a mobile number. Have you had a look at her inspection report? It maybe that there is more to it than that.

As for the minders who got good grades after only a short time, it is possible. The inspector goes by what they see on the day. If they have only been working for a short while, their paperwork is likely to be up to date and they may have done a lot of work within those 2 weeks. They must have demonstrated on the day that they knew what they were doing, the children were happy etc.

Sometimes I think it is easier for new minders as they only know EYFS. Older minders have had to change from a scheme they knew to one that has taken some getting used to.

[sarah707]

I'm not surprised.

Not having a work number will be seen by the inspector as a safeguarding concern.

She will mark the safeguarding bit as either unsatisfactory or satisfactory with notes to get it sorted asap.

That will drag the whole inspection down to satisfactory regardless of all the other wonderful stuff the minder is doing.

It depends on what they see at the end of the day... and what they are looking for :(

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I would appeal if I was this minder.

As to the new minders getting a good, I think it is easier for new minders to do the EYFS because they don't know anything different whereas for older more experienced childminders we have to wade through a lot of changes and different expectations.

Very confusing and unfair.

[crazyhazy]

I'm not surprised.

Not having a work number will be seen by the inspector as a safeguarding concern.

She will mark the safeguarding bit as either unsatisfactory or satisfactory with notes to get it sorted asap.

That will drag the whole inspection down to satisfactory regardless of all the other wonderful stuff the minder is doing.

It depends on what they see at the end of the day... and what they are looking for :(

Really? I'm puzzled by this, surely having a contact number is the important thing? Whether that is a mobile or work number, certainly there will be people whos mobile is their work number and others who don't actually have a work number.

[The Juggler]

Really? I'm puzzled by this, surely having a contact number is the important thing? Whether that is a mobile or work number, certainly there will be people whos mobile is their work number and others who don't actually have a work number.

i agree, some of my parents are rarely in the office so their mobile is the surest way to contact them.

[Ripeberry]

Really? I'm puzzled by this, surely having a contact number is the important thing? Whether that is a mobile or work number, certainly there will be people whos mobile is their work number and others who don't actually have a work number.

If the parents work in a shop or factory they won't be able to use their mobiles anyway. So it is good practice to have the main office number anyway just in case they need to be called off the shop floor.

They are so hot on safeguarding, all of it has to be totally watertight.

[selena 31]

it does seem unfair and with regards to new mindees knowing eyfs i think this is true as i have recently registerd and eyfs is all i know done all my training on it so to be honest the learning journals and things have been all ive known so not found them a problem but were i work the staff have been there 24 yrs and were trying to device new planning systems and bless them they are really struggling with it and unfortuntly some really good people are leving the proffession because of all the paper work and they could teach me a thing or two about kids what they dont know doesnt need to be known if you get what i mean!

[sarah707]

Really? I'm puzzled by this, surely having a contact number is the important thing? Whether that is a mobile or work number, certainly there will be people whos mobile is their work number and others who don't actually have a work number.

I know exactly what you are saying and I do tend to agree.

If that's the only number then that's all the childminder can get and I suggest a note is made to that effect on the paperwork.

However mobiles are notoriously out of battery / out of signal / ignored / on silent in meetings / put away during the working day / not answered while driving... etc.

A land line number is much more likely to be reliable and to be answered.

That's my understanding of the situation anyway.

Don't forget anyone is within their rights to appeal an inspector's decision.

If any minder ever wants help with writing letters or finding evidence to make a reasonable appeal, they only have to ask. :D

[selena 31]

my hubby dont have a office number he is a builder who works in the middle of a field sometimes contracted all over he only has a mobile so what if the kids only had him then what would ofsted say?:(

[mamasheshe]

i have parents who just do a couple of mornings a week instead of sending their child to pre school (they don't use this time to go to work as such) i have home numbers mobile and emergency numbers is this alright ? i mean they don't have work number so i suppose it will have to be!:p

[miffy]

If that is all that brought the inspection grade down then I'd appeal.

Miffy xx

[nokidshere]

Another ridiculous and unworkable rule from an Ofsted inpector who doesn't know her **** from her elbow!!!

If that really is the only reason she got marked down then I would be complaining very loudly!

I have 3 parents who only have mobile numbers for work as they aren't office based. The mobile number IS their work number! Lots of people don't use landlines anymore - as for not being able to get hold of the parent, thats also rubbish as you would simply call the emergency contact!

And I have never been marked down for not having a landline number for any of them!

[glitzygal]

I AGREE, you should get some points for how many years experience you have

i also wondered where she saw this information,, what about confidentiality, surely this is a confident number and should not be seen,
i would ask ofsted, should the inspector be looking at these things,,,????:(

[Bevbeetle]

i know what you are all saying about the phone number but surely a minder who has been working for 2 weeks cant be as expierenced as one whose been doing it for years , that is not disrepect to new minders we all have to start somewhere just makes me mad

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I AGREE, you should get some points for how many years experience you have

i also wondered where she saw this information,, what about confidentiality, surely this is a confident number and should not be seen,
i would ask ofsted, should the inspector be looking at these things,,,????:(

This is part of our registration and in the EYFS as a legal requirement so yes she can look at them

[suzyblue]

For as long as mobile have been commonly used I have always contacted parents this way. Only once did I attempt to contact someone by the company main line and they didnt know who I was talking about. It later turned out that the parent was known by their maiden name at work. I now ask for all names known by on the contract!

[mama2three]

I AGREE, you should get some points for how many years experience you havei also wondered where she saw this information,, what about confidentiality, surely this is a confident number and should not be seen,
i would ask ofsted, should the inspector be looking at these things,,,????:(

No nO NO
Why should a childminder who is set in her ways and unhappy to adapt to eyfs be given credits for the years of experience. Experienced 'good' childminders will have evidence to show how great they are regardless of number of years - just as newer childminders will. I hope that over the coming years I continue to learn and improve my practice - but those improvements should be shown through the care I offer , rather than because Ive been doing it longer.

Bev , once your friend has seen her report If everything else is good then I would think she has good grounds to appeal - she can but try!