SSAFA update

[MissTinkerbell]

Hi

Well I'm sure you'll all remember me posting last week about hubby needing a SSAFA check and it not being anything to do with my childminding application?

Think again :mad: Having had an enquiry from a parent and knowing that she was going to ring back tomorrow, I thought that I had better ring Ofsted to see what the status was with my registration, so that I had some idea of when I would be able to mind her two children.

Apparently all my checks are done and all they are waiting for is hubby's SSAFA check to come back :angry: . So much for him saying it was to do with his nursery registration.

The really really really annoying thing is that if he had filled it in when they first sent it, 5 months or so ago, I would, according to Ofsted be a registered childminder by now and could start minding in 2 weeks. Now, who knows how long it will be before I can mind. These 2 children were just the perfect combination and hours. I am so disappointed and annoyed with hubby.

Anyone know if I can contact SSAFA myself and try and speed things up? Ofsted chappie said that because we have been at our current posting for nearly 6 years, and hubby was at the previous one for 5, plus hasn't served overseas in the last 5 years, it might not be too long - although I don't hold out too much hope.

Feeling really down now after being so excited on Tuesday.

[sarah707]

I have no idea how to help you - I just wanted to say how sorry I am... is there no way the family can wait for you to be ready? :(

[funtoplay]

Hi there,

I had problems with SSAFA earlier this year. They lost my husbands form but I didn't find out until all the other checks were back. Ofsted just told me to wait but eventually my husband rang SSAFA and thats when we found out they had not recieved the form. Technically Ofsted are the ones who are supposed to contact SSAFA but my husband did manage to find out they hadn't got the form and also once we had resent it they told him they had recieved it and it was being treated as priority. Perhaps worth a ring just to check it got there, perhaps they might be able to push things along a little, you never know!!!

Julia

[MissTinkerbell]

I really don't know as she originally wanted someone from Monday. She gave me the impression that between her and her husband they could manage about 2 weeks but who knows how long a SSAFA check will take. My friend said hers took 8 weeks, which takes me to end of June. Not sure they'd be able to wait that long.

[MissTinkerbell]

......I've emailed my local SSAFA office to see if they can help. Don't know if they can or not. Just feel so disheartened about it all now.

I'm hoping that when hubby gets back from his fishing comp. later today he will know of someone who can try and speed things up for me.

[littlesprogs]

It makes no difference if your husband has been abroad or not my hubby has never been abroad and our ssafa checks still took ages. Just to make you aware I also had to have a ssafa check because i live in RAF accomodation with my husband so make sure you dont need to have one too.

whether you ring ssafa or not they wont hurry they are useless. They also do not have to speak to you about it it is ofsted that have to ring them

[Rubybubbles]

I live in SSAFA and me or hubby didn't have to do one, he's CRB came back before mine:eek:

Hope things pull forward soon for you hun, fingers crossed

[MissTinkerbell]

That's whats strange about the whole thing - the inconsistency. We also live in quarters, although not on the camp, in the village. I don't need a SSAFA check but hubby does. My friend who also lives in quarters needed one but her hubby didn't and he's the one in the RAF!

Littlesprogs - not that I want to be depressed even more, but how long did your SSAFA checks take out of interest?

[littlesprogs]

I'm really not sure to be honest but they werent quick. I had 2 pre-reg inspections one for me and one for hubby i had mine in october and i think hubby had his in december and they still werent completed then but it made no difference to us because we were still waiting on crbs. So they took a good few months and were finished before our crb checks and i got registered in the January so anywhere between 2 and 3 months i think but they didnt tell me when they had been completed exactly because we were still waiting on the crbs.

When hubby rang them they werent very helpful just said ofsted have to ring them themselves but they could tell us that they werent completed yet.

[MissTinkerbell]

So looks like I can wave bye bye to my enquiry then:(

Mind you chappie at Ofsted said to keep ringing them up and they would then probably nag SSAFA. As I said before the really annoying bit is that if hubby had done the form when it first arrived this would have all been done by now and I would have had my certificate.

Going for my second ICP tonight so going to see if the girls fancy a trip to the pub afterwards to cheer myself up.

[littlesprogs]

So looks like I can wave bye bye to my enquiry then:(

Mind you chappie at Ofsted said to keep ringing them up and they would then probably nag SSAFA. As I said before the really annoying bit is that if hubby had done the form when it first arrived this would have all been done by now and I would have had my certificate.

Going for my second ICP tonight so going to see if the girls fancy a trip to the pub afterwards to cheer myself up.

It depends i'm sure some peoples have come back quicker. They are always different just like the crbs really. I would keep ringing coz then ssafa will get fed up of ofsted keep ringing them. When you ring ofsted tell them you have people waiting to start and you think you might lose the contract if your certificate doesnt arrive soon and maybe thet will hurry them up abit.

[miffy]

Oh that's very disappointing - hoping they soon come through for you

miffy xx

[Spangles]

My hubby's SSAFA check took weeks - it was the thing that held my application up. I think it took getting on for about 10 weeks or so as far as I can remember.

We live in married quarters but I didn't need one, just a CRB.

Hope your hubby's comes through quickly.

[donnahay0]

Sorry to hear of your problem, it is strange that there is no consistency with this. My husband was RAF when I applied to be a childminder and neither of us had to have this check (we lived in RAF quarters then).

Have just had a look at the OFSTED website and it turns out that it up to their discretion as to whether it needs doing or not. Obviously in your area they request it.

The only thing I can think of is to call your local SSAFA Office, but officially it is up to Ofsted to chase this. I really hope you get somewhere with this.

[Shirlwith3]

I must have been lucky when I had to my SSAFA check done just over a year ago as I was registered in total 9 weeks that was from when I put forms in. I did try to chase up my forms but was told I was not allowed to call them & that Ofsted could.

I would just keep on to Ofsted.
shirl

[Kelly]

I have had to register 3 times (due to postings) and each time the SSAFA checks have always taken FOREVER, the first time they came back saying my husband had been in trouble with the police whilst in Germany, he hadn't, they had got him mixed up with a cousin also in the Army. 2nd time I was in Cyprus so you only register with SSAFA as they were the governing body there, but still took weeks and then again with Ofsted when we returned to the UK, I had a CRB already in place so thought it would come through quickly, but no, we had to wait about 10 weeks!!

Hope you don't have to wait to long.

Kelly:thumbsup:

[Rubybubbles]

Sorry to hear of your problem, it is strange that there is no consistency with this. My husband was RAF when I applied to be a childminder and neither of us had to have this check (we lived in RAF quarters then).
Have just had a look at the OFSTED website and it turns out that it up to their discretion as to whether it needs doing or not. Obviously in your area they request it.

The only thing I can think of is to call your local SSAFA Office, but officially it is up to Ofsted to chase this. I really hope you get somewhere with this.

gald I'm not he only one thats not had it !! I'm just not saying anything!! hubby had his CRB

TBH I'm not sure what the Saffa check is for:blush:

[littlesprogs]

gald I'm not he only one thats not had it !! I'm just not saying anything!! hubby had his CRB

TBH I'm not sure what the Saffa check is for:blush:

Ssafa check is just the same as CRB but it checks your record with the military police etc for example if you are posted abroad and were in trouble with the police over there then it wouldnt show up on your CRB because that is only for the UK.

[Rubybubbles]

Ssafa check is just the same as CRB but it checks your record with the military police etc for example if you are posted abroad and were in trouble with the police over there then it wouldnt show up on your CRB because that is only for the UK.

oh okay thanks for that hehe

Hubby has never been posted abroad, maybe that had something to do with why he didn't have one:idea:

[donnahay0]

The SSAFA check is normally for service personnel that have previously been posted abroard.

[Rubybubbles]

The SSAFA check is normally for service personnel that have previously been posted abroard.

I'm thinking now this must be why we didn't have one phew I'll come out of hiding:laughing: :laughing:

[littlesprogs]

oh okay thanks for that hehe

Hubby has never been posted abroad, maybe that had something to do with why he didn't have one:idea:

my hubby has never been abroad either but we still had to have them done so i dont know

[MissTinkerbell]

Hi Me again!

My hubby's not been overseas for over 6 years so don't know why we need one!

Contacted local SSAFA office and they were about as useful as a chocolate teapot!

My enquiry didn't ring back so I guess they decided to go with the other childminder - I would imagine she could take her LO from today.

Still going to keep on at Ofsted. Haven't done so far because both little ones have had and still got the squits from both ends and hubby is away on a training course. Will nag Ofsted again in the morning.

[littlesprogs]

Hi Me again!

My hubby's not been overseas for over 6 years so don't know why we need one!

Contacted local SSAFA office and they were about as useful as a chocolate teapot!

My enquiry didn't ring back so I guess they decided to go with the other childminder - I would imagine she could take her LO from today.

Still going to keep on at Ofsted. Haven't done so far because both little ones have had and still got the squits from both ends and hubby is away on a training course. Will nag Ofsted again in the morning.


The reason you need a ssafa check is in case your hubby has been in trouble with military police whether abroad or not!

while your nagging ofsted can you ask them how long it takes to change an address and print off a new certificate coz mine is taking months!!!!

Hope your ssafa check doesnt take much longer.

[MissTinkerbell]

while your nagging ofsted can you ask them how long it takes to change an address and print off a new certificate coz mine is taking months!!!!



I'll try :) Can't believ it takes that long just to change an address! Mind you this is Ofsted we're talking about I suppose!

[MissTinkerbell]

Have just rung Ofsted again - seems as though they are ringing SSAFA every few days to nag them - they rang the 10th, the 14th and then again on the 17th. She was then off to ring them again for me. She thought that with constant nagging they might get the message and get it done.

I asked about the inconsistencies in who needs a SSAFA check (in my village, I know of one childminder who's hubby didn't need it but she did and another where they both needed it). Apparently its down to the individual apllication team who decide on which paperwork is needed!