Enquiry help please?

**snufflepuff** · 04-10-2010, 11:19 AM

Just had a phone call from a lady needing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from January for her son who will be 8 months old. I have a space on the Tuesday and Wednesday but not Monday. She told me that she has called lots of childminders in the town already and nobody has any spaces.
So i'm trying to think through my options.
1. She said that it might be an option for a family member to have LO on a Monday but she's not sure and would need to look in to it.
2. I could take them on for the Tues and Wed then apply for a variation for the Monday but it would mean the children's ages would be 8 months, 19 months, 23 months and 24 months. That's alot of young children.
3. I am in the process of registering my Mum as an assitant so that would be an option as long as she is able to secure Mondays as her day off work (at the moment she is off every other Monday.) The way Ofsted have been she won't be registered by then anyway, they can't even seem to send the right forms out to her, they once actually sent an empty enevelope!
4. I could ask one of my current Monday LOs parents how they would feel about swapping to a Thursday or Friday- she is self employed and very flexible but i'm not sure it would be fair to expect her to do this to be honest.

Hmmm, too much to think about. I said i'd get back to her.

**tashaleee** · 04-10-2010, 11:36 AM

Why not meet with the parent and tell her you 'may' be able to offer the place dependent on a few things - see if you actually want the job before you try to figure out if you want to 'rearrange' things?

**snufflepuff** · 04-10-2010, 11:59 AM

I told her there might be a few options and that i'd have a look in to everything and get back to her.

**tashaleee** · 04-10-2010, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by snufflepuff

I told her there might be a few options and that i'd have a look in to everything and get back to her.

Then Id be tempted to meet her and see if I 'wanted' to explore the options or if I was wasting my time......

**snufflepuff** · 04-10-2010, 01:23 PM

You're right, Can't help but get excited, enquiries have been few and far between! She said she could meet Wednesday this week but I have plans that day. Might contact her to see if she can make another day.

**Millenium** · 04-10-2010, 02:03 PM

Depends on the parents and only you know them but if I was to encounter this in my circumstances and really wanted the work, I would very seriously consider asking if one of my other part-time mindees could swap.

**miffy** · 05-10-2010, 06:46 AM

I would also meet her and see if you want the work then I'd either ask the self-employed mum if she would be willing to swap a day or apply for a variation.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be able to work something out

Miffy xx

**Noomie** · 05-10-2010, 09:02 PM

I reckon your best option would be to try and swap the self employed mum as Ofsted giving a variation is iffy and having that many LO's might be a bit overwhelming. See how you go. x

**berkschick** · 05-10-2010, 09:09 PM

I would meet the parent and see if she could get a family member to help temp while you register your Mum as an assistant.

**The Juggler** · 05-10-2010, 09:16 PM

i had the same problem recently. had a space on fridays but not other days. I agreed with mum I'd take him on on a Friday (earlier than she needed to start) then apply for a variation for other days. I only had him 2 weeks when I applied for the variation and got it. However, I only need a short crossover period every day rather than a whole day with an extra child.

good luckx