Consultation on registering as a food business

[Mouse]

I can't see if this has already been posted, but thought it might be of interest.

It is a consultation on whether or not childminders should be registered as food businesses. It might be worth having your say!

http://www.food.gov.uk/consultations/consulteng/2011/registrationchildmindfoodbuseng

[Playmate]

thank you Mouse, I will take a look at that later :D

[Penny1959]

Thanks mouse

Penny :)

[Penny1959]

I have emailed the policy man at NCMA and a bit about this consultation will be on their website soon.

NCMA have been working on this for some time - and indeed are listed as one of the interested parties in Annex E. I think it is good to know that as always NCMA are doing a lot behind the scences with government agencies to represent the views and the needs of Registered childminders.


HOWEVER - it is important that all childminders respond to the consultation (thanks Mouse for bringing it to our attention) as this is a chance for us to say what we think about this issue - and the more who give an opinion the better it will be.

[sarah707]

Thank you for sharing I'll put it on my to do list :D

[sarah707]

I can only find a feedback form in Word.

There's a questionnaire but it's in pdf format which I can't alter.

Am I looking in the wrong place? :o

[Mouse]

I haven't had chance to have a proper look yet Sarah.

I'm hoping someone more computer savvy than me can figure it out & tell me what to do!

[funemnx]

My DO called me last week to ask me if I'd be willing to take part in a survey of sorts and I've said yes no probs. I think they're having some sort of re-think about how they register childminders (if they need to at all) and gathering information. I know that childminders in different areas of the country have very different experiences of registering - some with no visits and some with very rigerous inspections. I hope it means that either we won't have to register or that it will be standardised.

[Pauline]

I can only find a feedback form in Word.

There's a questionnaire but it's in pdf format which I can't alter.

Am I looking in the wrong place? :o

Sarah it looks like the questionnaire is just for feedback on the consultation process, it is not the response to the consultation.

To respond to the consultation you have to reply to the email address or full address at the top of the page. :)

Thanks Mouse for bringing this up. I will pin this thread as we need as many people to respond as possible. :thumbsup:

[zillervalley]

we have a letter from our city council , Early years saying we are ok to make meals for the children


ziller

[mama2three]

So am i understanding correctly - I just need to email my comments on each of the 4 scenarios? Well 2 of them make no sense to me whatsoever - why should me preparing food be higher risk if i have 5 mindees rather than 4? And why would avoiding the actual process of registration , but automatically becoming registered as part of Ofsted registration have any bearing on food safety? Well , off to draft my response!

[uf353432]

My local FSA regards my setting as a food business nd I have been inspected twice now. I have a pack that I follow and to be honest its not a great deal of work. I cook for up to 9 children every night, but only 1 of these children is in the EY group so they are reviewing whether I should still be regarded as a food business on that basis.The pack is really very useful and its geared to CM specifically. My local inspector has been the same one who has visited both times and rather than the inspection being invasive its a good chat and she offers recommendations about food storage. I'd rather work with these people and get it right than swerve it and have an outbreak in food poisoning.

[sarah707]

I have had a good look through the consultation and written down a few thoughts which I hope will help everyone to write their reply.

Thank you to Penny for her excellent proof reading.

Here you go :D

[AgentTink]

Thanks Sarah707 for your pdf. Just completed my responce and emailed it off.

[Penny1959]

I have had a good look through the consultation and written down a few thoughts which I hope will help everyone to write their reply.

Thank you to Penny for her excellent proof reading.

Here you go :D

Excellent and helpful document Sarah

Thank you for doing this

Penny :)

[mama2three]

Thanks sarah - just wish id seen your reply before I did my response! to be fair i raised a few of the same points - just without so much detail and eloquence!

[winstonian]

Thanks Sarah. I really struggled to get into the questions etc so without you I think I would have given up. Why are these things so user unfriendly? (or is it just me, small sad voice).

[sarah707]

Thanks Sarah. I really struggled to get into the questions etc so without you I think I would have given up. Why are these things so user unfriendly? (or is it just me, small sad voice).

You are welcome!

No it's not just you... it's lots of people including me.

That's why I run things like this past other experienced minders like Penny before releasing them :D

[Jiorjiina]

Er, is it just me or are the FSA confused about the status of a childminder in general?

I point you towards annexe B, which says:


Childminders operating in a child's own home if children from other families are not
present and serving food that belongs to the child's parent/guardian (e.g. nannies or
home child carers) are also not required to register.


Otherwise, childminders supplying food to children are likely to require registration

Granted, they do clarify it and it's not a big deal, but I am slightly concerned that they're just calling all non nursery based provision 'Childminding', without understanding what the difference between a Nanny and a Childminder is, and therefore the difference in registration.

[Suebb1]

Thanks Sarah for producing document and also Penny for proof reading. Seems I've got a lot of reading

and emails to send out re consultations etc.
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