visitors book query

[jadavi]

Hi; our dear elderly neighbour walks our dog every afternoon for an hour. Do I have to record every time or can I just write at the beginning of the book.*** walks our dog every afternoon and returns him an hour later?

This is obviously when I have kids in the house...

ja x

[moogster1a]

What, does he walk the dog for an hour in your house?!!
Don't see why you have to record anything tbh. I don't have a visitor book and have no intention of getting one. OFSTED have always been fine with this.

[butterfly]

I don't think they'd need to sign in unless they're actually entering your house for a period of time.

[rickysmiths]

No!! You don't need to have a Visitors book anyway. Ask yourself why you have one? What purpose does it really serve?

I was inspected at the begining of September. I have never had a Visitors book, I work in my own home not an institution. Ofsted never even mentioned it or the lack of it and I got an Outstanding ion all areas of Keeping the children safe. Thats how significate the keeping of a Visitors Book is!!

[jadavi]

Haha no the neighbour picks up the dog and goes away and returns the fog in one hour ! Wr were told we needed one at the course . In the same way school settings have them.

[Penny1959]

Please be reassured that you do not have to have a visitor book (I am ex LA and it was my job to advise Childminders / do the briefing sessions).

Sometimes those giving advice say things that are regarded as good practice and it comes across as if it is a MUST do.

Sometimes they just get their facts wrong because they do not do their research and say things which are personal opinion rather than fact.

In the case of a visitor book YOU DO NOT have to have one - it is not part of the EYFS.

You do have to show how you keep the children safe - so ask yourself does having a visitor book keep the children safe?

Of course IF you want to have one that is your choice and therefore your choice if sign the dog walker in and out.

Personally I write visitors to the setting who are going to be interacting with the children and who are visiting for more than a few minutes in my attendance book (which is just a diary) so other childminders, Ofsted, Early Years (LA) staff - however this is not really about keeping the children safe it is about protecting myself and the visitor from allegations as have some proof of who was in the setting when and for how long.

Penny

[PixiePetal]

I do have a visitors book - my DH, a farmer, comes in sometimes through the day sometimes with various odd work related reps/friends and may stay for coffee/lunch/chat sometimes for an hour. The children are not left with them (obviously DH is CRBd) but it makes a point that I am working and they are on best behaviour and don't swear!

[nikki thomson]

Hi, I've never had one, really don't see the point tbh. X

[JCrakers]

I dont have one, I did start with one but after asking the boiler repair man to sign in I got a funny look and he asked why....

He didnt want to sign anything which is understandable, he's got his business to think about and didnt really want to sign anything he wasnt sure of

Got rid of it, as long as Im keeping the kids safe and they wernt left with him

[catswhiskers]

Hi - I've just had my inspection and a couple of weeks before this my childminder co-ordinator advised that I have one.

I didn't get round to making one up and the inspector asked about one. I explained that I don't have a lot of visitors as family/friends know I'm busy and that I have the usual delivery men, central heating, washing machine repair men in now and again!

She didn't seem worried and I got an outstanding.

It's not a mandatory part of the EYFS.

[Demonjill]

I just have my own daily diary where i log lots of stuff in every day so i can look back over it but wouldnt bother with a visitors book