twiddling thumbs...

**joannes** · 01-05-2014, 01:10 PM

Just my luck! Rang ofsted to check and apparently my inspection request wasn't sent off until Tuesday! This is despite telling me on Friday morning that everything had come back and it had now been sent off. So another half week added on arrrghhh!

**joannes** · 01-05-2014, 04:06 PM

Oh and she said they have 4 weeks from receiving it. So again contradictory information if you've been told 20 days and I've been told 28 days :-/ Why does nobody seem to know anything in that place???? Raaaaaarrrrrr *rant rant rant*

**natlou82** · 01-05-2014, 05:57 PM

Chase, chase, chase xx

**joannes** · 02-05-2014, 10:10 AM

they wont give me the details of tribal. I googled them and found a number for the hessle branch which is our nearest. I rang and they said they dont deal with inspections and she asked if I'd been called by them (she seemed a bit put out that I'd rang) but said she'd send an email through and took my email address despite me asking if she had a number for the right department. She just kept saying "well have you not received a phone call from them, as I understand it they contact you". (It's blimming Tribal not the CIA) I found an email address online for the early years team at tribal and emailed it but have had no reply. They sure don't wanna make it easy.

**joannes** · 07-05-2014, 12:33 PM

the plot thickens......
after still not hearing from them and a member of this forum very kindly passing on Tribal's contact details I rang them today to confirm they had my details (and nudge a bit!) as I said there'd been confusion at Ofsted about whether or not my file went off a week last Friday or Tuesday (or not at all!),the lady said they had no record of it

just at the point where I started hyperventilating and round about the 3rd impression I did of Victor Meldrew in as many breaths she said "can I just check your address? As from your accent I don't actually think we cover your area" Now I KNOW for a fact Ofsted checked my address last Wed and told me my case was with Tribal as until then I was blissfully unaware of either of the companies carrying out inspections (until I then came on here and ranted!! lol). The lady said she'd had this a couple of times and would find me prospects number.

I then rang prospects who DID have my details (HURRAH!!) but that they'd only received them two bleeping days ago!!!!

so I said, "what? On bank holiday Monday?" and she said, "hmmm, yes it must have been doesn't usually come through on weekends etc." but that they now have a completion date of 27th May.

I have not a clue how Ofsted are managing to function at the moment. Outsourcing was supposed to make operations more efficient and simpler- hmmmm. Juries out on that one. I will be buying WINE tonight

**natlou82** · 07-05-2014, 08:06 PM

OMG I can't believe this! But the positive is that there's an official end date x

**LizP** · 07-05-2014, 09:25 PM

Joanne's- when you say completion date, what for? Ofsted to visit or register you? Xx

**joannes** · 07-05-2014, 11:37 PM

For Prospects to ring, arrange visit, conduct visit and write report and turn it back over to Ofsted for approval. THEN I'll have to wait for certificate to come through before I can finally start providing these poor parents with childcare, tell jobseekers where to go with their condescending courses and finally start clearing some of my bills and mortgage :-/ Just sucks when you never get a coheraent or consistent answer from anybody. I'm now writing off May for earning anything. Which means more than likely I will get around 8-10 weeks of part time earnings in before my honeymoon at the end of August which at least means that while I will have no spending money and be able to do sweet F A on my once in a lifetime trip, at least I "shouldn't" be in debt or have bills to come back to.

**LizP** · 08-05-2014, 04:50 PM

I can't believe how long it takes, I waited 3 months for hubby's DBS so just wait for the call now! I want to be minding in Aug x

**joannes** · 08-05-2014, 06:39 PM

I wanted to be minding by February. How deluded was I?? :-/ the worst thing is if it takes a couple of weeks for my certificate to come through then it could be mid June before I even get any payment. Sooooo skint. No call today although Environmental Health called (I missed the call and then when I called back they were out) so at least I should get that inspection in the next week or two. Totally forgot that had to be done 28 days before business open. Been soooo focused on my DBS and Ofsted lol.

**LizP** · 09-05-2014, 02:14 PM

Gosh! Well I hope you get the call soon! X

**wee_elf** · 12-05-2014, 04:54 PM

it sounds like you have had a awful time

, hopefully it wont be much longer

**joannes** · 13-05-2014, 08:33 PM

still nothing.....

have had a parent look round today though and another tomorrow. Also had meeting with enterprise committee about the New Enterprise Allowance and going to proceed with that. So lots of paperwork for that to keep me busy. Still no phonecall from environmental health who left me one message last wed to get in touch and haven't been contactable since :-/ my phone bill will be huge this month. *sigh*

**joannes** · 19-05-2014, 10:08 PM

HURRAH! I'm back!!! After spending what has felt like an eternity offline with TWO broken computers (and finally a loan to buy a brand new one) I can now communicate with the outside world and..... have had THE CALL! They rang on Thursday and are coming this Thursday!!!!!

I'll be honest at times I thought it might never happen and I'm not altogether too sure what first impression I've given as when the inspector said "I understand you've been waiting quite a while for your inspection" my response was to laugh hysterically like a loon (not sure if she appreciated my humour lol) So all action stations now (although having said that with 5 months to prepare I've basically sat around playing with my son in the garden for the last two days) will be sitting down with a bottle of wine tomorrow and wednesday to revisit all my paperwork. Environmental health also called and are coming in two weeks. Seeing a light at the end of the tunnel!!! xx