What do you do - variations

[JCrakers]

Last night at around 8.30pm I had a phone call from a parent. She is on maternity leave with her 7 week old and has two other children who came to me up until Aug and all 3 are returning in Sept 14 (she's a teacher, so her job will commence in Sept)

Anyway, she was suffering quite badly with Mastitis (sp) and wondered if I could have her 3yr old as she just couldn't get out of bed and was feeling really awful. I said Yes although I already have 3 today but under cont of care I knew it would be fine. But because it was late, I wasn't going to mess around writing out a RA at that time of night, plus I'd had a couple of glasses of wine and my evening was my evening.

I haven't had time to do one this morning either. Plus I couldn't ask the parents, I just had to tell them this morning that I had 4 mindees.

What do you do at short notice when you don't have time to fill out a RA form?

[moggy]

I understood that no RA need to be written down, according to the EYFS? But if you want to be watertight then it helps! So in your case, as long as you have thought it all through and confident you could explain your RA to Ofsted/insurance company should anything happen then you are OK.

[Mummits]

I think I would have been concerned that the child I was asked to take was not one of my mindees at this precise moment, so I would be unsure if it would count as continuity of care. I'd also have wondered what I would do if I briefly consulted all the other parents on arrival and one had objected.

That is water under the bridge now though. I would now do a quick risk assessment and get the parents to sign and date to say they have seen it when they pick up.

[westbrom44]

If the children left in August then I wouldn't class it as continuity of care so would not have been able to help.

[JCrakers]

Well, they left but are due back after maternity .....its one of those decisions that some people would and some people wouldn't.

[rickysmiths]

I agree the children haven't actually left and presumably you still have their Contracts and permissions in place?

I just write out one side of A4 at most explaining why I have the children I do and highlighting the equipment I may need such as car seats, buggy, high chair, travel cot for sleeping and just state I do. I say it won't impact on the care of the other children I have and that I am used to having 4 under 5 and indeed have had many Variations from Ofsted in the past to do so.

Simple as that. I do so few I have a plastic wallet in the front of my Attendance Register that I keep them in so if Ofsted walks through the door they have all the info they need.