Question RE your house..

[marie08]

I am thinking of doing a few workshops and a course on childminding..but before i do this, i live in a cottage flat and i live in the top flat.....would this be a problem as i dont' live on the ground floor flat ?? Advice would be great....

[Tealady]

Shouldn't be if you don't mind carring small children, buggies, bags etc up and down the stairs and you have room to store such buggies, car seats etc

[marie08]

Shouldn't be if you don't mind carring small children, buggies, bags etc up and down the stairs and you have room to store such buggies, car seats etc

Great, so it shouldn't really be a problem....that's fine...i am due to attend an induction course tonight so will get more info at it :-) i would have loads of space for buggies etc so should be fine..maybe i would be wrecked but we'll see

Thanks for the reply x

[marleymoo]

I am thinking of doing a few workshops and a course on childminding..but before i do this, i live in a cottage flat and i live in the top flat.....would this be a problem as i dont' live on the ground floor flat ?? Advice would be great....

it's not a problem no, but you do have to make sure that your children get access to play outdoors daily so if you don't have the use of a garden you will have to schedule in trips to your park etc into your daily routine.
you might want to consider in investing in a large outdoor storage unit to store car seats, buggy etc so that you're not dragging that lot up and down the stairs all the time. just a thought

[rickysmiths]

*****minded from a first floor flat for the first 10 years I was a childminder.

[Helen79]

I live in a 1st floor flat and don't have any problems with childminding. The only thing I'd like is to have is a more open plan outside space so children can go in and out to play when they want to but other than that I find it works well.

I have my own entrance so can store buggies in my own hall but if you've got a shared hallway then you might have to look at getting the most lightweight pushchairs if you have to take them upstairs with you.

[marie08]

*****minded from a first floor flat for the first 10 years I was a childminder.

thanks girls, that's great, i just wanted to double check before starting courses etc :-) i do have a big garden with some grass and decking and i could buy a shed alright for the buggies and car seats...i also live beside a big park...thanks for the advice girls

[samb]

I also live in an upstairs flat - the only thing I would say is that I was not registered for the max numbers because of the stairs. So bare this in mind that you will be more limited from Ofsted.

[marie08]

I also live in an upstairs flat - the only thing I would say is that I was not registered for the max numbers because of the stairs. So bare this in mind that you will be more limited from Ofsted.

thanks for replying, how many were you able to look after then?

[samb]

I have 2 of my own (3 and 5) and was registered for 2 - so they can be any age as I only have 1 under 5 myself. However, I applied for a variation a short while ago to have another (rising 5) for an hour over lap. When I got my certificate through for the variation it was a permanent change. I rang and queried it and they agreed they had changed it permnanently. So I can now have 3 with only 2 of these being under 5. I don't understand why I am now allowed more as I obviously still live in a flat but handy! I know a few childminders with homes similar size or smaller than mine but they live in a house and are registered for the full 6 under 8s.

[marie08]

I have 2 of my own (3 and 5) and was registered for 2 - so they can be any age as I only have 1 under 5 myself. However, I applied for a variation a short while ago to have another (rising 5) for an hour over lap. When I got my certificate through for the variation it was a permanent change. I rang and queried it and they agreed they had changed it permnanently. So I can now have 3 with only 2 of these being under 5. I don't understand why I am now allowed more as I obviously still live in a flat but handy! I know a few childminders with homes similar size or smaller than mine but they live in a house and are registered for the full 6 under 8s.

cheers for your reply

[Helen79]

I also live in an upstairs flat - the only thing I would say is that I was not registered for the max numbers because of the stairs. So bare this in mind that you will be more limited from Ofsted.

I'm in a small 2 bedroom 1st floor flat and am registered for 4 mindees. I've got my 2 children who are 3 & 6 aswell. The stairs have never been mentioned by Ofsted. They did ask a lot of questions about my fire escape plan though.
Shows how inconsistent Ofsted are

[samb]

Well Helen79 how funny Ofsted are hey?! It made sense to me to be strict about the stairs but to have different rules for different people seems odd. Out of interest - what are your stairs like?! I come out of my front door onto a landing (quite large) which I share with my opposite neighbour then stairs to the left with a corridor with 2 more flats down stairs. And in terms of evacuation - I said that mine are capable of walking out on their own and so I would help the youngest mindees - surely any over 5s would also walk? Just wondering in case I am picked up on it? Thanks

[marleymoo]

i would say that as i am running a childcare business, i take the responsibilty to ensure that the stairs are kept free from hazards (nothing there to trip on or stumble over) so i would make this part of my routine opening up risk assessment. if the stairs or it's covering causes you concern any time then report it immed to landlord or whoever is responsible for upkeep of common areas and write this up on RA and follow it up. you will have to identify what the hazards are and how you are going to overcome them until the hazard is rectified.

[samb]

Hmmmm yeah mine is about the same - There has never been anything on the stairs (I have lived here 8 years) and my neighbours don't leave anything in hallway due to strict rules about the communal area. Oh well, at least they upped my numbers by 1 more!

[rickysmiths]

I was luck on the escape factor because we has a front and back door.

I would advise your to phone your local Fire Station and get them out to do a Home Safety Check. Don't say you want it for cm because you should have it for your family anyway. They will look at your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and advise you about escape route. If you have written Escape plan they will cast an eye over that as well and advise.

I had a second check done last week, they advise evry 3yrs or so

I know when I was in my flat the advise was to stay where you are unless the stairs were completly clear of fire and smoke. Stay in one room on the outside of the building the front if possibe shut the door and stuff rugs, blankets under the door to minimise smoke and wait ofr the fire brigade to come and get you out safely.

Last week that was the advise if we were upstairs and the stairs we blocked.

[samb]

Thanks Rickysmith - that sounds very sensible. Hadn't thought about actually writing in about staying in etc just about how to get out fast. I have had a home safety check with the fire brigade. The kids loved the fire engine I just said to them what I would do and they didn't really comment! There is a front and back door out from the communal hallway downstairs but only my front door leading onto communal landing and 1 stair case.