Dear All,
I have been trying to take on an Assistant since December ’13 with initial advertising. Since then I have interviewed a lot of candidates and finally in February I have found someone I liked and offered the role.
Since then I have completed my own reference checks and then began the Ofsted Registration Process. The DBS took a week which was quick. However, since then social services check has been going on since March. Ofsted every time you ring them are not at all helpful. I have chased the council and got a contact and gave the details to Ofsted. However, they initially stated they would contact them and then on further phone calls said no due to data protection and service level agreement etc. among many other excuses.
The contact informed me the particular council I am dealing with that they had a backlog of 80 applications and that they just did not know who was to deal with them so my contact with them must have pushed them so they completed all and sent to Ofsted on the 5th May bar 8 which were referred. One of these 72 was supposedly one of my candidates and should have arrived at the latest given the back holiday weekend on the Wednesday or even the Thursday the 8th May. However, Ofsted on checking everyday are saying no have not received it and will not e-mail the council just by letter which is snail mail.
This has now entered its 8th week and counting. Today on ringing Ofsted and explaining my situation yet again and can they please e-mail said no although that in their guidance although something we as Childminder’s do not have access too nor will they send me a letter to state this is that the case:
‘You are allowed to take on a member of staff as an assistant, providing they are not left alone with the children even if they have not received their DBS check back or received their Suitable Persons letter from Ofsted.’
Is this correct? Can anyone point me in the right direction of where this is stated in black and white please as I am due in inspection and have been for a while and I do not want to jeopardize anything and if in three weeks time this is not sorted out I could lose a full-time child as well as another as these are both due to increase. Yes, I know never book until for sure although I did not expect this to take six months to employ a staff member. I have worked in HR in the past and in nurseries and never have I seen such a long turn around to employ someone.
I am sorry as I know I have gone on I just wanted to explain the background to my situation.
Moreover, has anyone been inspected without the full checks on an assistant being returned and what was the outcome.
My feeling is at the moment to wait, as I like to check all the boxes so to speak.
Many thanks.
P.S. At the Ofsted Big Conversation, could possibly the topic of the social services check be raised. My oversight on this is that yes, great another check to ensure the person is employed and is more rigorous than in a nursery where no such checks are carried out on any Nursery worker and not even the Manager anymore since September 2012. Therefore, to potential parents we have a more rigorous system as for me as an employer it is good to have in place. However, there is no control on this check when it will be turned around. Ofsted will only chase after six weeks. Surely as we are running our own businesses and have a lot invested and that as we as Childminders are so thoroughly checked is it really necessary to also to complete a social services check on an assistant? This is only in respect of their own children and for the most part the assistant will be young and not have any children. Yes, I will be probably brought to book on this and this is my own opinion. However, the DBS check is the check where upon the information should suffice should it not? Moreover, we as Childminder’s do not get a copy of the DBS check and have to ask the assistant to ask to see theirs when it arrives – again in a nursery it is sent straight onto the nursery. Those taking on an assistant will have paid £60 approx for this service – surely we should get a copy as well.
If it could be changed where we could have more control over this and an agreement where these are returned much more quickly to Ofsted then yes, I am for these but at present I do not think the process is working and needs to be changed.
Many thanks.
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