Variation for holiday cover?

**hectors house** · 03-01-2014, 11:17 AM

For over a year another childminder has looked after one of my mindees when I am holiday but now this childminder doesn't have a spare space - is she still allowed to look after my mindee when I am on holiday as continuity of care? - my mindee is very fond of the other childminder and always mentions her when we drive near her house, it would completely confuse and upset her if her mum has to send her somewhere else.

**Bluebell** · 03-01-2014, 11:27 AM

I don't know - it would have to be evaluated on the individual circumstances - is it every day for a whole week ort just a few hours on one day? What is the age of the child and the other children? It doesn't seem unreasonable to me that she would be able to do a variation and it is continuity of care but it's so difficult to interpret exactly what the requirements are now and if this would be frowned upon iyswim. I think it's up to the individual childminder to justify it according to all the rules - RA, Ages, Numbers, parent consents, etc etc....

Sorry not more help but I seem to get my interpretations of the variations wrong as it seems to be a lot stricter than how I have interpreted it!

**blue bear** · 03-01-2014, 12:24 PM

Someone on here had a variation approved under these exact circumstances in th days when you wrote off to ofsted for variations. Based on that I would say yes, but now it's all down to individual inspectors interpretations I'd say it's any ones guess.

**dette** · 03-01-2014, 12:44 PM

i would say yes as long as she isn't going over 6 under 8

**FussyElmo** · 03-01-2014, 01:24 PM

Surely this is a no.

The childminder has no space we can only cover for a childminder if we have space.

On what grounds of continuity of care its for you that the continuity exists not for your back up childminder.

If you are sick your back up can only help if there is a space.

**hectors house** · 03-01-2014, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by blue bear

Someone on here had a variation approved under these exact circumstances in th days when you wrote off to ofsted for variations. Based on that I would say yes, but now it's all down to individual inspectors interpretations I'd say it's any ones guess.

Do you think it is worth phoning Ofsted for their take on this? - I know they only usually refer you back to the Stat framework but that can be interpretted in different ways, I don't want to get this other childminder into trouble and don't want the mum to have to find another "holiday" childminder either.

**Goatgirl** · 03-01-2014, 01:37 PM

Back in the days when Ofsted decided the variations I had a similar situation approved.

I was holiday cover for a fellow childminder we arranged dates with parent etc, then parent decided to take the time off and I wasn't going to be needed. I was able to jiggle hours about with an existing parent during that week after all so went ahead.

On the first day of the week in question, holiday cover parent turned up and told me she was needed at work after all. At that time of day I was still within numbers so I said I would take little one and call ofsted once phone lines were open, but if they said no to an emergency variation I would be calling her or emergency contacts for immediate collection as i had other mindees arriving soon after. Mum went off to work.
I called Ofsted at 9 and an inspector said that wasn't strictly what 'emergency' variation meant, but as i was the regular holiday cover minder for the child and as I would at no time be over my 6 under 8, she would grant it based on continuity of care.

I would be careful about this now that we are the ones who bear full responsibility and only go ahead if I thought I could justify it thoroughly.

I count the continuity of care as being connected to the child and their well-being, not to a particular childminder, but that's me

**hectors house** · 03-01-2014, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Goatgirl

Back in the days when Ofsted decided the variations I had a similar situation approved.

I was holiday cover for a fellow childminder we arranged dates with parent etc, then parent decided to take the time off and I wasn't going to be needed. I was able to jiggle hours about with an existing parent during that week after all so went ahead.

On the first day of the week in question, holiday cover parent turned up and told me she was needed at work after all. At that time of day I was still within numbers so I said I would take little one and call ofsted once phone lines were open, but if they said no to an emergency variation I would be calling her or emergency contacts for immediate collection as i had other mindees arriving soon after. Mum went off to work.
I called Ofsted at 9 and an inspector said that wasn't strictly what 'emergency' variation meant, but as i was the regular holiday cover minder for the child and as I would at no time be over my 6 under 8, she would grant it based on continuity of care.

I would be careful about this now that we are the ones who bear full responsibility and only go ahead if I thought I could justify it thoroughly.

I count the continuity of care as being connected to the child and their well-being, not to a particular childminder, but that's me

Thank you - I agree that this continuity is purely for the benefit of the child - why should she have to get used to another childminder? It is only for a couple of days a week, she would be the oldest child (aged 3 1/2) in the other childminding setting and really is no trouble.

**bunyip** · 03-01-2014, 06:04 PM

Sadly, I think this is a "no". I think it's what "continuity of care" ought to be about, but not what it actually is being interpreted as.

Here's why an Ofsted inspector might be unhappy. It's really about the matter of timing: ie. the actual point at which your holiday-cover CM needed to consider the ratios issue which would inevitable pop up when your next holiday came around. The question of continuity of care should have been addressed when your holiday-cover CM colleague decided to take on the child who filled her last space. Not that I would expect her to turn down a regular contract so as to continue with the holiday cover, but it was when she took on that last child as "new business" that she effectively disqualified herself from doing the holiday cover which would force her beyond her ratio, IYSWIM.

I don't think it's fair, but I think it's how I'd interpret the rules.

**Rubybubbles** · 03-01-2014, 07:38 PM

One of my mindies goes to another childminder every Friday afternoon, which enables the lo to go to her when I am on hoilday as she already is childminding for the lo. (I can't work Friday afternoons so this actually has worked out really well for all parties!

Could you offer this maybe?

**Mouse** · 03-01-2014, 07:42 PM

I had a similar situation back when Ofsted still granted variations.

I often did holiday cover for a child as I had a space. When I had a new child start I told the parent & other cm that I wouldn't be able to do the holiday cover any more.
The other cm was then taken ill and had to take several weeks off work. Mum of holiday child contacted me to see if there was anyway I could have her son. I said I was doubtful, but would phone Ofsted. Not only did they grant me the variation over the phone, but they suggested I had a permanent variation put in place so that I could have the child at any time in the future.

I still have all the paperwork from that variation, so I think I would do it again if the need arose. I would have proof that it had been approved before and that I was following the same rules. If I hadn't had it granted before, I don't think I'd risk it.

**hectors house** · 04-01-2014, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Rubybubbles

One of my mindies goes to another childminder every Friday afternoon, which enables the lo to go to her when I am on hoilday as she already is childminding for the lo. (I can't work Friday afternoons so this actually has worked out really well for all parties!

Could you offer this maybe?

Thats a good suggestion but the other childminder is now completely full - I may phone Ofsted on Monday but don't really want to make myself too visible as 9 months overdue for an inspection! I have given 4 months notice of my holiday so maybe the parents will just have to take some time off - I found them the holiday cover childminder last year when the father booked the wrong week off work when I was going away, this childminder was just starting up and obviously had lots of space at the time. Sometimes parents do actually have to take responsibility for their own children!

**Rubybubbles** · 07-01-2014, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by hectors house

Thats a good suggestion but the other childminder is now completely full - I may phone Ofsted on Monday but don't really want to make myself too visible as 9 months overdue for an inspection! I have given 4 months notice of my holiday so maybe the parents will just have to take some time off - I found them the holiday cover childminder last year when the father booked the wrong week off work when I was going away, this childminder was just starting up and obviously had lots of space at the time. Sometimes parents do actually have to take responsibility for their own children!

I know we bend over backward to help them, then feel guilty!!!