Approval of overnight bedroom?

[jadavi]

Has anyone had any problems having a bedroom approved for overnight sleeping? I have a parent really desperate to use me as I live next door to where she works and she has a really short time to pick him up, go home, and get him off to school plus she really wants to use me and I have got to know her son over the summer etc. We have 3 floors and sleep on top floor where his bedroom would be. Area cmm adviser seemed worried about fire risk but we've had advice and all ok with linked alarms. Just racking my brains if there's anything we haven't thought of or what O might come up with.
Any advice apprec x

[Stormy]

I was told to put safety film on the window, even though it was only for sleeping, I had a firebrigade visit too.
I decided to use another room in the end :)

[marleymoo]

i have 2 bedrooms approved and even though we have electrically linked smoke alarms we are not allowed to use the 3rd floor for childminding at all. it might have to do with the fact that if we really had to jump out of a window, if fire was up the stairs, we'd be killed in the fall whereas from the 1st floor we might just break limbs.
could you convert a room on your first floor? how old is the child?

[jadavi]

O wow this is what I was dreading!! He is 5.

We actually have a ladder arrangement in case we need to get out of the 1st floor bathroom but the fire people didnt even want to hear about that as they thought the ladder sounded too dangerous....
I'm having an Age UK fire assessment this week which is the only free service around here. The local fire dept just told me to get radio linked alarms...

I bet that will be the case with us then.....

The cmm thought if we'd had fire advice it might be OK.

We do have another bedroom on the 1st floor but it is far from mine, very large (buit scary for a kid imo) plus at the moment is used as a complete store room for all my toys and equipment....
Totally dont know what to do now.....

At a push we could safety proof that room but it would be a huge effort..... plus I sleep quite far away ogodogodogod!!!

But thanks Marley for alerting me...

[QualityCare]

How often will he be sleeping over, what age is he could you sleep in same room or another room on 1st floor when he stays?

[jadavi]

This is a brilliant booking - its 5 nights in 2 weeks (all the same ones) and 4 nights a week in jan 9pm-7am so no bother at all!

The more I think about it and now that the freak out has suibsided - I realise that we can do up that 1st floor room; its just a pain and I dont wanna have to buy yet more stair gates to stop him going up or down srairs... (not that he would....)
Would i be able to lock him in and give him a push bell alarm to alert me if he needs the loo or just needs me?
Also would I have to totally safety proof both bathrooms he'l have access to or can I leave them locked too...by locked I mean with a high hook and eye...
Would apprec hearing what others have done.
Thanks so much for help with this - just thanking my lucky stars I asked in time.

[Helen79]

I think doing up the 1st floor would be the best option. I wouldn't put stair gates up for a 5 year old though. He should be old enough to be trusted not to go wandering in the night and most 5 year olds can work stair gates anyway so probably wouldn't stop him.

Maybe have a video monitor in his room so you can see and hear if he's up and about in the night. Or if there's only 1 door that leads into the downstairs you could put an alarm on that door that goes off if it's opened so you'll know he's gone wandering (I wouldn't put it on his door though)
I think locking him in would be too risky if there was a fire and might be scary for him to be locked in.

I wouldn't go too mad with safety proofing both bathrooms, maybe have 1 bathroom locked with the hook and eye and have everything that's dangerous in that one so the other one is child friendly.

[jadavi]

Thanks Helen , yes I have made a start this morning sigh...
Where would i get one of these door alarms from?
Also to get the room approved wouldn't I need it to be safe for all ages?

He is a really good sleeper so I don't anticipate any probs but just need to get it all in place so I get approved by O.

[Helen79]

when I got my variation form for overnight (I never sent it back though) it asked for the ages of children I required the room variation for. As long as you say it's only for a 5yr old at the moment and could tell them how you would make it safe for a younger child if you ever needed to it should be fine. Ofsted can't expect you to alter your home just in case you ever look after a younger child cos you might never be asked to.

Do a search door alarm on ebay, they're only a few pound.

[marleymoo]

you will not be able to lock his door, it's dangerous. if it is a big room you have on the first floor then how about having 2 single beds in there, one for each of you? and fire officers do not approve of stair gates either, they hinder a quick exit.

[jadavi]

Thanks both of you = really helpful.

Marley, I don't want to sleep with him and I know the parent doesn't expect this.

I'll show how I have made it safe for a 5 year old then and check out door alarms.

cheers
jac

[rachelle]

I got mine reg over the phone! I just assured them that risk assessment was in place, fire plan was in place and approved by fire service and that I was in room next door. Tbh I'd rather have a minder on the same floor as my child - if there was a fire between floors he'd be on his own...