Stairs - not sure will pass the inspection

[Mel_Johnson]

I'm not sure that the inspector will be happy with my stair case. We have an open stair case with with the banister as 2 parrallel stretches of wood. This the same on the landing too. Does anyone know how I will need to change it to childmind.

Try to get the house ready:)
Thanks

Mel

[mama2three]

I think our stairs were the same from your description - we did have to put in a third rail - my dh did it and believe me he is no handy andy! Not a big job at all and not expensive. Measure the gap , Im fairly sure it needs to be less than 15cm to stop little heads going through.

[Mel_Johnson]

Thanks. I was hopeing that we could do something like that.

[snufflepuff]

Mine are like that but with 3 parallel bars. The inspector whoo did my pre-reg didn't mention the ones going up the stairs but did say we should cover up the ones alone the landing- as it would just look like a ladder to a child. So we attatched a thin panel of wood all the way along so the children cannot actually get to the horizontal bars.

[birch24]

I havent got any banisters at all!! Open plan!! But I have bought a combination of stair gates so the children don't have any access to the stairs at all.

Ofsted were fine with it. As long as you prove you are keeping them safe and risk assess shouldn't be a problem. :D :D

[CHEEKY BEE]

Hi, mine are the like this but with 3 parrallel bars.

On the landing the gap is at the bottom and they could be climbed up, but I only use the bathroom upstairs for minding and the inspector was happy with them. I have had 3 inspections and it has never been raised as a problem.

I have risk assessed, no mindees are left unsupervised upstairs. Mindees sleep downstairs.

:)

[sarah707]

I was told (by Ofsted not CSSIW) to close in my staircase, so I bought some board, cut it to size and painted it.

:D

[jellytot]

in my last house ofsted also said I had to close my landing banister as it could be used as a ladder. We put hardboard over it and painted it, didn't look too ugly either.

[Mamma4Ya]

Will the children need to go upstairs? I was told at our pre reg meeting that if you do not intend to use the upstairs for childminding then you do not need to register the stairs.

I am lucky in that I have a cloak room down stairs so there is no need for children to go up stairs so I can just use a stair gate to stop them going up and therefore do not need to register the stairs.

[onceinabluemoon]

Just a thought, but if you didn't want to spoil the look of your banisters, a piece of perspex cut to fit so they couldn't climb on it may be ok?

It would be the more expensive option but perhaps nicer looking? Obviously it would depend on how long your landing is as to how expensive it would actually be...