Inspections triggered by complaints or safeguarding issues

[Simona]

I have received this very useful info from my LA and I thought it good to share with you

''Unfortunately we are seeing an increase in inspections triggered by complaints or safeguarding issues. When the inspector arrives they must refer to any concerns that have led to the inspection being brought forward or prioritised
It would be very useful if you could inform the local authority if this is the case in order for us to monitor this.

At this inspection Ofsted will look at the providers historical records and using the document below prioritise inspections.'' (end)

It is useful to know that inspectors MUST refer to any concerns and look at the history of the provider...so if this happens to any of us we must remember to ask where the complaint has originated from
it is, however, unacceptable these cases are on the rise...who is making the complaints? why now?

Hope this prepares you...if prepared is the word to use in this instance

[sarah707]

When that knock on the door happens most of us are completely incoherent and panic stricken! Ofsted won't tell you who made the complaint - and most of them seem to be anonymous from what I am hearing :(

It's this whole thing of doing a complete inspection that gets most people. They are simply not at their best after a knock on the door has disrupted their plans so how does Ofsted expect to get the best out of them? :(

It would be a joke if it was in the slightest bit funny :(

[Simona]

When that knock on the door happens most of us are completely incoherent and panic stricken! Ofsted won't tell you who made the complaint - and most of them seem to be anonymous from what I am hearing :(

It's this whole thing of doing a complete inspection that gets most people. They are simply not at their best after a knock on the door has disrupted their plans so how does Ofsted expect to get the best out of them? :(

It would be a joke if it was in the slightest bit funny :(

I will try to find out from my LA why they say the inspector has to tell you the origin of the complaint/concern...they must have got that from somewhere??

I know that sudden inspections will cause panic but we need to 'ASSUME' it can happen to anyone and we need to be ready... I too have to be ready although I have no reason to believe anyone would complain

This is what we are trying to find out...why the increase, what is the agenda?
Support and reassurance is vital here

[jax clinch]

I have had 2 on the spot inspections after 2 anonymous complaints ( I know who it is though) and it is awful. Both ladies were as lovely as they could be but not something I would wish upon anyone. One of the inspectors was sat outside my house at 11.30 when I got back from shopping, don't know how long she had been sat there! The first thing they say is why they are there and what complaint has been made.

[CLL]

I think the rise is just due to the economic climate. Parents want out of contract so they make a complaint, other cm wanting their business, more people not working/at home around during the day. Also more people these days know who to complain to and that it is anonymous, makes it a lot easier to make a false statement. I do not think there is a group if 'government agents' conspiring against us!!

[Simona]

I have had 2 on the spot inspections after 2 anonymous complaints ( I know who it is though) and it is awful. Both ladies were as lovely as they could be but not something I would wish upon anyone. One of the inspectors was sat outside my house at 11.30 when I got back from shopping, don't know how long she had been sat there! The first thing they say is why they are there and what complaint has been made.

Thank you for sharing this
I find the 'sitting outside' bit very disturbing

Can you clarify if the complaint was upheld by Ofsted or did they find no cause of concern? I will understand if you do not want to say

Good to hear they DO give a reason....

CLL...if parents want to get out of a contract the professional way to do it is to give the required notice as agreed on the contract...I would find it worrying if they resorted to malicious complaint....

If all this is going on with Ofsted and cms are being inspected on the issue of 'rising' complaint' has anyone approached their representing association?

I am now going to write a few short emails including my LA...what are they doing to support cms?

[jax clinch]

Thank you for sharing this
I find the 'sitting outside' bit very disturbing

Can you clarify if the complaint was upheld by Ofsted or did they find no cause of concern? I will understand if you do not want to say

Good to hear they DO give a reason....

CLL...if parents want to get out of a contract the professional way to do it is to give the required notice as agreed on the contract...I would find it worrying if they resorted to malicious complaint....

If all this is going on with Ofsted and cms are being inspected on the issue of 'rising' complaint' has anyone approached their representing association?

I am now going to write a few short emails including my LA...what are they doing to support cms?

Unfortunately I was at fault but innocently. I picked 5 pre schoolers up from pre school.. 1 just for half an hour because her mum was running late, all my mindees so no one new all continuity of care, which ofsted didn't have a problem with. I could prove how I catered for them all. It was when they took my own children into the equation. I really didn't realise that both my boys under 8 counted in my numbers whilst at school taking to me 7 under 8s!! I was downgraded from good to inadequate! Devastated isn't the word. Apparently they come back in a year to re inspect and that is due first week back at school.... Wonder if they will come? I will be chasing it up if they don't because I want my grading back up!

[Simona]

Unfortunately I was at fault but innocently. I picked 5 pre schoolers up from pre school.. 1 just for half an hour because her mum was running late, all my mindees so no one new all continuity of care, which ofsted didn't have a problem with. I could prove how I catered for them all. It was when they took my own children into the equation. I really didn't realise that both my boys under 8 counted in my numbers whilst at school taking to me 7 under 8s!! I was downgraded from good to inadequate! Devastated isn't the word. Apparently they come back in a year to re inspect and that is due first week back at school.... Wonder if they will come? I will be chasing it up if they don't because I want my grading back up!

Thank you ...did I get it right you had 5 under 5 but your children were at school in the meantime so not with you?
Do they not count only when physically present in your setting?
I could understand lowering your grade to Good but not to inadequate but then we don't know how they work these things out do we?

My God... now I know why concerns are being raised and why we need to get this sorted...do find out when you are to be reinspected and good luck

[jax clinch]

Simona... No if they are under 8 they count in your under 8's even when they are at school. They work on the assumption that if for some reason you need to collect them because of illness, school closure etc you still have space for them!! Found that out too late for me!

[littlemiss60561]

Thanks for this.
Has it been n the increase since the new ratio rules do you think? Complainers not understanding some things are allowed?
If they door knocked right now I think I'd give up minding ! As although the children are all well cared for , my paperwork isn't so I'd be down graded n that alone...

[line6]

I'm glad I read this as I have three children of my own - 2 are under 8. I only have a couple of mindees anyway but it's good to know that our own children count all the time! Thank you.

[jackie 7]

There is no change to ratios. The only change has been to allow us to put in variation.

[bunyip]

I'd be interested to know the number/proportion of inspections triggered by complaints that failed to find any evidence for the specific complaint being in any way valid. Has anyone done a Freedom of Information Request to Ofsted to obtain this data recently?

Whilst I fully accept the need to make the complaints process accessible for genuine cases, it is a scandal that so much public money is wasted on malicious complaints. Unnecessary inspections mean unnecessary disruptions for settings, so they can only be bad for the children in those settings.

I think if I could change one thing in childcare legislation it would be this. Complaints which turn out to be baseless should be publicly reported, with the fake complainant named, shamed, and charged the full cost of Ofsted's wasted time and resources. :angry:

[Simona]

I'd be interested to know the number/proportion of inspections triggered by complaints that failed to find any evidence for the specific complaint being in any way valid. Has anyone done a Freedom of Information Request to Ofsted to obtain this data recently?

Whilst I fully accept the need to make the complaints process accessible for genuine cases, it is a scandal that so much public money is wasted on malicious complaints. Unnecessary inspections mean unnecessary disruptions for settings, so they can only be bad for the children in those settings.

I think if I could change one thing in childcare legislation it would be this. Complaints which turn out to be baseless should be publicly reported, with the fake complainant named, shamed, and charged the full cost of Ofsted's wasted time and resources. :angry:

Yes Bunyip
the request has been made to Ofsted for the number of complaints 'upheld' that triggered an inspection by one of the parties interested in opening a dialogue with Ofsted on the grading these inspections are producing
If I hear more I will post the info

I agree with you...malicious complaints should be published and the responsible person charged for the fee.
I want to add this...is there any guarantee that Ofsted won't charge providers in future if they have to do such inspections??? just thinking aloud

[Gem wright]

It's surely other cm's ringing ofsted, I can't see many parents knowing how many children of what age we can look after...... It's so wrong.

[rickysmiths]

Our own children have always been included in our numbers at all times there has never been a change to that in all the time I have been minding.

I think the only rise in Complaint inspections is that a Complaint will more likely generate an inspection now and ones that were dealt with via letter are now done using inspection. This is mainly because doing it this way generates a full inspection report so the complainant can see that something has been done and comment has been made even if the Complaint is not upheld. It will also mean that a parent can see immediately if a cm has had complaints because of the number of reports and the fact that they may not be the normal 3-4 years apart.

I don't see the need for concern because the number of Complaints has prob not changed it is just that they are investigated and reported in a different way.

[rickysmiths]

It's surely other cm's ringing ofsted, I can't see many parents knowing how many children of what age we can look after...... It's so wrong.

No many parents who use cms know how many children we can have and could be concerned if they see a known cm with over that number. To be honest if a cm thinks we can have 5 or 7 under 5s even for 30mins, then they need to be pulled up and corrected.

[rickysmiths]

Yes Bunyip
the request has been made to Ofsted for the number of complaints 'upheld' that triggered an inspection by one of the parties interested in opening a dialogue with Ofsted on the grading these inspections are producing
If I hear more I will post the info

I agree with you...malicious complaints should be published and the responsible person charged for the fee.
I want to add this...is there any guarantee that Ofsted won't charge providers in future if they have to do such inspections??? just thinking aloud

Mybe the parent should be charged if the Complaint is not upheld and the cm if they are found at fault?

[jax clinch]

No many parents who use cms know how many children we can have and could be concerned if they see a known cm with over that number. To be honest if a cm thinks we can have 5 or 7 under 5s even for 30mins, then they need to be pulled up and corrected.

I disagree with this because I had 4 of my own children under 5 when my youngest was born and know from the children I mind that I am more than capable of having 5 under 5's in my care for a short period of time. The parents of the children I care for find it hard to understand why I can't have all 5 at once all the time! (Think my sanity may be the first issue!) I think in an emergency when its a case of helping a parent out for the sake of 30 minutes isn't going to bring any harm to the children.

[Simona]

Am I the only one who has read that minor complaints are to be investigated by providers themselves? in other words if a parent complains to Ofsted they refer the parent back to the provider...can someone clarify?

I also read that unannounced inspections are triggered by 'concerns over safeguarding and risk assessment only'....
the group who are raising concerns with Ofsted are saying the number of inspections have risen sharply recently...unless we are told how many are upheld or shown the statistics on the nature of the complaint we will never know....
is it possible that all of a sudden there is a flood of complaints? or indeed as June O'Sullivan asks in her blog 'is there an agenda behind this'?

Parents should know how many children we are allowed to care for....all the parents who have enquired recently about a space have, without exception, asked me 'how many children do you take'?
when talking this over they were concerned about the recent ratio issue...once informed that had been abandoned they were reassured...that makes me believe parents are informed and the complaints have another source....

I also agree that we should be allowed an 'overlap' when well risk assessed...what happened to that proposal?

If our children are at school..therefore older... and suddenly they have to be collected that should be part of an overlap and put in the risk assessment

this govt complains there isn't enough childcare then makes things more complicated when a simple solution is the answer to the problem

[TooEarlyForGin?]

Yes Bunyip
the request has been made to Ofsted for the number of complaints 'upheld' that triggered an inspection by one of the parties interested in opening a dialogue with Ofsted on the grading these inspections are producing
If I hear more I will post the info

I agree with you...malicious complaints should be published and the responsible person charged for the fee.
I want to add this...is there any guarantee that Ofsted won't charge providers in future if they have to do such inspections??? just thinking aloud

I can't remember where it was, but it was a blog (I got it through here, written by a nursery manager) who was also complaining about malicious complaints. I think they had received a couple which weren't upheld and were entirely false. She wrote that it was time to stop anonymous complaints, that although the complainant should and can remain anonymous to the provider, OFSTED should keep details in case they are malicious, and that it would stop people using "I'll report you if you make me pay my notice" attitude.

I live across the road from a hateful individual, who consistently sends letters to the council complaining about my business, he has complained that parents turn up at dawn blaring loud music from their cars (earliest child starts at 7.30 and parents are lovely), that I am unregistered, not paying tax, shouldn't be allowed to work from my home, that my premises aren't unsuitable, that he can hear children screaming all day (I gained these letters under the freedom of information act) even that he has witnessed rats running from my house. I am an accredited childminder, who has had 2 outstandings. I am dreading the day he catches on he can make anonymous complaints, I will end up giving up, as OFSTED will not know who it is from and will have to investigate each time.

[Kiddleywinks]

I can't remember where it was, but it was a blog (I got it through here, written by a nursery manager) who was also complaining about malicious complaints. I think they had received a couple which weren't upheld and were entirely false. She wrote that it was time to stop anonymous complaints, that although the complainant should and can remain anonymous to the provider, OFSTED should keep details in case they are malicious, and that it would stop people using "I'll report you if you make me pay my notice" attitude.

I live across the road from a hateful individual, who consistently sends letters to the council complaining about my business, he has complained that parents turn up at dawn blaring loud music from their cars (earliest child starts at 7.30 and parents are lovely), that I am unregistered, not paying tax, shouldn't be allowed to work from my home, that my premises aren't unsuitable, that he can hear children screaming all day (I gained these letters under the freedom of information act) even that he has witnessed rats running from my house. I am an accredited childminder, who has had 2 outstandings. I am dreading the day he catches on he can make anonymous complaints, I will end up giving up, as OFSTED will not know who it is from and will have to investigate each time.

Oh my! How stressful!
Can you not send a solicitors letter for harassment with the a letter from the council backing you up?

[hectors house]

A childminding friend of mine also ran a bed & breakfast business - most of her weekly guests were workmen or agency nurses at a nearby private hospital - they were gone by time mindees arrived, if other guests did stay and wanted late breakfast then my friends husband worked from home and he would deal with breakfast and checking them out.

This friend had a shared driveway with a neighbour from hell and he hated the fact that sometimes there were "white" contractor vans on her side of the drive from the B & B guests - he would do everything he could to be awkward - blocking in guests, being rude to them etc.

Then he decided he would get at her another way so started putting in false complaints to Ofsted - they just arrived on her doorstep - can't remember what the first complaint was about but the second one claimed that while the mindees were there that my friend was in the hot tub with the workmen! As I said, the workmen were never there during the day, didn't have access to the back garden and she doesn't have a hot tub! Surely Ofsted could see that this complaint was just a farce but no just a few months after they did a door stop inspection they turned up again?

My friend built a large wall down the middle of shared drive and gave up childminding as the B & B was making enough money, luckily this nasty neighbour moved.

[Simona]

I can't remember where it was, but it was a blog (I got it through here, written by a nursery manager) who was also complaining about malicious complaints. I think they had received a couple which weren't upheld and were entirely false. She wrote that it was time to stop anonymous complaints, that although the complainant should and can remain anonymous to the provider, OFSTED should keep details in case they are malicious, and that it would stop people using "I'll report you if you make me pay my notice" attitude.

I live across the road from a hateful individual, who consistently sends letters to the council complaining about my business, he has complained that parents turn up at dawn blaring loud music from their cars (earliest child starts at 7.30 and parents are lovely), that I am unregistered, not paying tax, shouldn't be allowed to work from my home, that my premises aren't unsuitable, that he can hear children screaming all day (I gained these letters under the freedom of information act) even that he has witnessed rats running from my house. I am an accredited childminder, who has had 2 outstandings. I am dreading the day he catches on he can make anonymous complaints, I will end up giving up, as OFSTED will not know who it is from and will have to investigate each time.

I don't think we can live and work under fear of complaints and sudden inspections and malicious people intent on causing trouble for much longer.. ..can we?
I want to be proactive in this area and cms need to be too....speak up!

Are our representing associations and indeed LAs aware of this culture of fear and our anxiety that any day there will be a knock on the door?
if the system was fair we would not be so fearful but...we know it is not or al least we assume so because we have no feedback on how those inspections go.

Ofsted used to be an inspectorate we could talk to in the past...I have never had a problem with my past 5 inspections, ringing them, getting support etc but now the picture is different
Ofsted has changed recently and we know who is the role model for their practice don't we?

we also know who HMCI has as a role model himself: the Minister for Education...that is a fatal combination they both disrespect the EY and education workforce, they intimidate by criticism, they change things fast and without consultation, they ignore calls for positive engagement.....in fact there is little difference from their tactics and those of bullies

TooEarlyforgin? I would get a step in front of your possible 'trouble making' neighbour and bully...call Ofsted and warn them they may raise a concerns

A few years ago I had the feeling one of my parents would make a malicious complaint...so I rang Ofsted and warned them...a few weeks later the complaint materialised and was never upheld...it was purely malicious
Evidence was abundant that the parent wished to make trouble...fortunately that was at a time when those sort of complaints did not trigger an inspection

Ofsted have also promoted this culture of complaining and reporting...they tell the parents all the time to contact them
They have made a rod for their own back really and a costly one too.

[TooEarlyForGin?]

Oh my! How stressful!
Can you not send a solicitors letter for harassment with the a letter from the council backing you up?

I sought free advice, but slander and harassment is a very difficult one to prove as it it one word against another. The council know us both and have apologetically contacted me, but are duty bound to investigate every complaint. He wrote 6 letters complaining about me putting up my Sainsbury's poster, claiming all sorts of nasties, the council put him off for as long as possible, but politely asked me to take it down because unlike a school they said I wasn't classed as an "educational establishment" I beggared to disagree, but took it down to try and maintain some peace. I have informed OFSTED of some of the nasty claims so they are aware if a complaint is logged it may be malicious, but they told me they would obviously still have to investigate no matter what.

I did send him a "cease and dissist letter" warning that if he continues that I will take it further. But all of the letters I gained from the council had his name blanked out, so although I know its him, I have no "hard" evidence.

We live in a tiny village with around 100 houses, I have a very large garden well away from his property and there is plenty of space around, but it doesn't stop him.

One slightly positive thing is that as I am so aware of him watching me, and possibly reporting me my paperwork is generally up to date and I am extra careful about everything I do to ensure I have backup.