Ofsted rants!

[Kt_lou20]

Hi all, it me the imposter student again!

This forum has been super helpful so far. It has been increasingly obvious that there are a few issues with Ofsted and the ridiculous demands they seem to make. I thought this would be worth investigating. I was wondering if you have any stories/rants about the ridiculous things they have said demanded. Ive searched the forums and have struggled to find specifics.

any help info would be appreciated.

Ktx

[mrsb]

oh jeez don't get me started:censored: :censored: :laughing:

[crazybones]

:eek: That is a can of worms you have just opened.

[Pipsqueak]

Errrmmm - where to start!!! lol Go on who is going to be brave enough to start the ball rolling????

Trying to get a straight answer out of them - it can often vary from one (same) enquiry to another (same) enquiry

Different inspectors interpretations of Standards and the expectations made of us.

We are a HOME environment - not a nursery.



I will admit that the latest dealings I have had with Ofsted have been quite positive (a recent problem) and they were very helpful and reassuring - so they aren't all that bad.

[sarah707]

I think a lot of it is down to the different treatment you get depending on the specific bugbears of individual inspectors.

For example, one inspector picked a minder up for not washing a baby's hands after a nappy change the other week! :eek: ... she wiped them with a baby wipe but was told baby should have been taken to the sink and washed with soap and water... now show me where that is in the standards!

In another instance, a minder was marked down at her inspection for not having signed permission from parents about where baby should be put to sleep. Now, we are all professionals and we all talk about sleeping arrangements with parents and discuss their preferences. I personally have a specific permission bit for letting babies sleep in the buggy because a friend was told she had to have this at her inspection... but not signed permission to let baby sleep on a sofa bed etc. Again, show me the standard that states it in this much detail.

Another big upset is when inspectors arrive with the words 'I don't give outstandings'... how can they say this before they have even looked around?

So much of what Ofsted does is open to interpretation and the personalities of individual inspectors are being allowed so much free rein. We will see what EYFS brings...

Even now, childminder training is different depending on the area we live in, so what's the betting Ofsted inspectors will be trained slightly differently... just differently enough to move the goal posts every so often... we shall see...

We sometimes think we need to be psychic!

Hope this helps your research :D

[crazybones]

....and they dont tell us when they change the poster we are supposed to display.:laughing:

They also lost my children's details but if I had gone over my numbers because of this then who's fault would that have been!!

[Kt_lou20]

thanks for replies so far!

It does seem so ridiculous how many people's experiences of ofsted differ. If they expect you to all have the same standards of care then they should all have the the same standards of inspection.

Do you think ofsted need to be this strict or should they be more understanding and forgiving toward those who a genuinely trying etc


Thanks for your opinions!

KT:littleangel:

[sarah707]

Do you think ofsted need to be this strict or should they be more understanding and forgiving toward those who a genuinely trying etc. Thanks for your opinions!

KT:littleangel:

Gosh, good question... I don't suppose they can afford to get it wrong can they?

They do seem to pick people up on the strangest things sometimes and it almost seems as if they have to find a problem ... wish they wouldn't make up new rules though just to confuse us :(

[Pipsqueak]

Our inspections are tougher than a schools!

With regard to your question again it comes down to individual inspectors. Some do "give" a little to those who are trying but at the end of the day childrens' welfare is at stake. The majority of Childminders are dedicated to their vocation and the children (and families) and many provide outstanding care/service even if their grades don't always reflect that. Its the poorer minders who need to be weeded out.

Oh thats the other bugbear - the grading system - its poor, it doesn't reflect the stringent hoops we jump through (and what our families have to put up with!!). Not sure what the alternative grading system would be - perhaps like Scotland.
You can get 3 outstanding areas 1 good area and be overall graded "good" instead of outstanding.

[Kt_lou20]

do you think they need more grading levels?? would this help you get the recognition you deserve or just make it even more complicated?!

How easy is it to contest what they say about you?? do you feel you can trust them?

I admire you all this seems like such a tough profession! Kids are a handful enough on their own let alone when you add a pile of paperwork to it!

KT:littleangel:

[miffy]

Hi kt - will you present your findings (our thoughts) to ofsted? :)

miffy xx

[Kt_lou20]

Well i'm an advertising student and my brief is to conduct research into childminding and then use this to write a ten point manifesto to improve their lives!?! Given only two weeks to do this and only being allowed to do primary research has proven a challenge.

what ive found so far is that alot of childminders enjoy their jobs and there are only minor points to change, many choose childminding because it helps them be there for their own kids and still earn. So i've decided to write a manifesto that focuses on the ridiculous demands of ofsted. I will post this online once i'm done!
If you think it would help i could write to ofsted and highlight the issue's i have found??


Kt

[angeldelight]

I think it would be great if you sent it to Ofsted

Good luck with your research

Angel xx

[JOANNE]

Well, i wrote to Ofsted requesting my registration details to be altered, they rang me yesterday to ask a few questions.
After i had told her how many children i looked after under 8 she asked me "Do you have any children?" :censored: I have been a registered childminder for 8 years and each inspection my children were taken into account!!!!!!!!
They had no record of my children PLUS they had no record of my husband either!!!!!!!!!!
To be fair the lady i spoke to was lovely and apologised and admitted it was their cock up.....too right, well it certainly wasn`t mine!
they only need to read my last inspection report to see info on my children and husband.

End of Rant.

[crazybones]

Well, i wrote to Ofsted requesting my registration details to be altered, they rang me yesterday to ask a few questions.
After i had told her how many children i looked after under 8 she asked me "Do you have any children?" :censored: I have been a registered childminder for 8 years and each inspection my children were taken into account!!!!!!!!
They had no record of my children PLUS they had no record of my husband either!!!!!!!!!!
To be fair the lady i spoke to was lovely and apologised and admitted it was their cock up.....too right, well it certainly wasn`t mine!
they only need to read my last inspection report to see info on my children and husband.

End of Rant.

Exactly the same thing happend to me. I didnt mind them losing my hubby though :laughing: but I wanted my kids back.

[JOANNE]

:jump for joy: lol

[sue32]

My ofsted person told me to take children I have down stairs with me to collect sleeping children upstairs if I had a fire. If I was feeling better ( I had been ill for 2 months) I will have spoken to her more about it but was sat on floor feeling sick.

[sarah707]

My ofsted person told me to take children I have down stairs with me to collect sleeping children upstairs if I had a fire. If I was feeling better ( I had been ill for 2 months) I will have spoken to her more about it but was sat on floor feeling sick.

That is awful... so let me just get this right...

There is a fire, smoke is filling the air, your house is burning, your alarms are going off, you've presumably rung the fire brigade at this point who have told you to get out of the house NOW ...

And you are on the phone with a toddler under each arm saying sorry, I know you said I'd to get out, but I just need to pop upstairs and get the baby, my Ofsted inspector said so...

If it wasn't so frightening it would be hilarious! :panic:

Ofsted were very clear when I asked their advice about a fire prevention issue... don't ask us, we don't tell you about things like that, ask the fire brigade. And I will stick with that advice as best practice.