Risk assessments for each toy?

[jadavi]

My colleague on my course said her Ofsted inspector asked her to do this....what do you all do? Sounds mad!

[EmmaReed84]

I have not RA'd all my toys individually I have a general RA for my toys which I look at some specific toys like Lego and small babies, ride on toys and trampoline.

I certainly do not do an RA for each toy! I would single handedly take out a forrest lol

[jadavi]

Yes I agree. I wonder what that mrs o expected ?

[EmmaReed84]

Perhaps your friend was not thorough enough maybe? Or misunderstood. RA's dont have to all be written as long as you have an understanding when Mrs O asks and you can very clearly explain things I think this is ok too.

[jadavi]

No it was a specific Ofsted recommendation and when questioned mrs o said for each toy ( nb. my colleague hadn't ra'd toys at all)
I thought I'd adjust mine to make reference to each generic kind of toy I have and future ones I may get.

[EmmaReed84]

Another case of differing opinions. I have a general RA like I said no where close to doing a specific RA for each toy. Mrs O asked how I keep the children safe and playing and I was able to verbally RA the toys and explain how I keep all children safe. She was more than happy with this.

[miffy]

The eyfs says we must ra everything the child comes into contact with and, it seems, some inspectors insist on this. Someone I know got outstanding but still had this as a recommendation on her report.

I have a ra for different types of toys such as battery operated, wooden, small world etc but not for individual toys - I'd be there forever! :laughing:

Miffy xx

[sarah707]

As Miffy says until the Eyfs wording changes (as we think it might) the requirement is to RA everything a child comes into contact with.

However you need to take a measured approach and, at the end of the day, a piece of paper does not protect a child from harm.

It's more about the systems you have in place to remove broken toys, clean things that have been sucked etc that are most important.

Hth :D

[jumping j]

I've done a generic RA for all toys, check for damage regularly, clean, age appropriate etc. I've also done one for messy play, paint, sticking etc. I'm not even sure MRS O looked at my RA file, she certainly didn't comment on it so I assume it was ok!!!:rolleyes:

[JCrakers]

I have RA for the house (each room) and any outings we go on. I have a chart for cleaning and checking toys that I fill in when I have cleaned them and checked them over for broken peices and then throw them out.I personally wouldnt write down and RA every toy I had otherwise it would take about a year to do.

These RA are in my head and common sense to everyone. For instance the marble run must only be used under supervision and the children know not to throw marbles around because of the babies.
If I notce a broken toy, i either mend it if it can be or I throw it out.

No one can be expected to have a RA for every single toy they have....No way

[teacake2]

Sounds like the same inspector I had, I had a generic RA for the toys and specified certain ones in this that I thought warrented singling out more i.e. size of some of the toys with regard to ages of children, but she said that the number of generic ones I had wasn't enough and that each individual animal, little people etc had to have its own RA, now as I have approximately 100 little people alone I said that there was no way I was doing this so she said she would not be giving me outstanding because of this and the fact that she couldn't understand how I planned my next steps, now everyone else understood including my DO. She also said it would be on my report that I had refused to do it, but low and behold it wasn't.
Why can't they all work from the same hymn sheets, we are supposed to follow the EYFS afterall.
Teacake2

[JCrakers]

Sounds like the same inspector I had, I had a generic RA for the toys and specified certain ones in this that I thought warrented singling out more i.e. size of some of the toys with regard to ages of children, but she said that the number of generic ones I had wasn't enough and that each individual animal, little people etc had to have its own RA, now as I have approximately 100 little people alone I said that there was no way I was doing this so she said she would not be giving me outstanding because of this and the fact that she couldn't understand how I planned my next steps, now everyone else understood including my DO. She also said it would be on my report that I had refused to do it, but low and behold it wasn't.
Why can't they all work from the same hymn sheets, we are supposed to follow the EYFS afterall.
Teacake2

Its ridiculous isnt it. Ive got a huge box of play food (probably 200 peices) so to RA each peice would be stupid. Its laughable.

[EmmaReed84]

Its ridiculous isnt it. Ive got a huge box of play food (probably 200 peices) so to RA each peice would be stupid. Its laughable.

RA one piece then "as above" 199 times lol

[Carol M]

Is she talking about A WRITTEN RISK ASSESSMENT for every toy?
How absolutely bonkers.
As Childminders we mentally RA every toy, every situation, every place, every child, each and every day of our working lives.
I think I am blessed with common sense :rolleyes:and have the experience to be able to do this effectively.
I use generic written RA's to cover house, car, outings etc etc and toys and craft stuff come within these, I certainly do not and will not have a written one for each and every thing, totally impractical. If mrs/mr O asks me I am quite confident to discuss my measures.
Carol xx

[Carol M]

p.s. Do hope Mr/Ms/Mrs O read this thread!
Perhaps they would like to comment and put the record straight.
Carol xx

[jadavi]

Oo do you think any of them are on here? Hope so!

[MAWI]

Crazy. I have a play room full of toys, garage half full, 2 sheds and outdoor play equipment. I'm sure if I sat and RA every individual piece of toy I would be there for a month and still writing months after. I think I would be half way to the asylum at that point, lol.
As Sarah said, a piece of paper does not protect children from harm. It's about the measures Ofsted can see you have in place. Or a particularly petty inspector. I have policies and written procedures about how I would deal with any broken toys, equipment etc.. and how I keep the physical environment safe.

I woud justify not RAssessingevery toy by explaining verbally to the Inspector about how I risk assess the access that children have to certain toys, I.e my playroom is organsised so babies cannot reach the lego bits on the high shelf. It's also about being aware of the stage of development of each child and what consists of safe to play with. E,g a 2.5 year old I look after could play with small Lego pieces(under supervision) whereas a 3.5 I could not trust not to eat the pieces.
They'll be selling us rolls of bubble wrap next.

[Penny1959]

Oh dear these Ofsted inspectors - I wonder what would be said if a child had an accident if the childminder was so busy writting or updating her RA's that she did not notice what child was doing - or childminder fell asleep in day from being so tired from staying up all night writting said RA's?

AS others have said we do need to risk assess everything that a child comes into contact with - I do this this visually every day and all day - but the only thing I have in writting is that I do visually check!

However I do record everytime I take action to remove or reduce a risk - as I think it is the action that keeps the children safe NOT a piece of paper.

As Sarah has said it looks like the need for written risk assessments may not be in the revised EYFS - but we still have to comply with the current one until then.

As with most things there is not a single right way - and it is part of the current EYFS that we are able to explain how we keep children safe.


Penny :)

[jadavi]

haha.... another mental image of children climbing up on each other shoulders to escape thru an open window while despairing cm is completing another ream of risk assessments in the foreground.....:):):):)

I actually used sarah's phrase about how a piece of paper cannot keep children safe in my toys risk assessment today!

[loocyloo]

words fail me!

but then RA & inspectors are a law unto themselves! i've also been shown/told that i must do them several different ways ...

i've been in childcare for over 20 years, and so far, common sense has seen me through! if a toy isn't safe, or not suitable for a particular age group or is broken or damaged then obviously it is removed or repaired!