Do you all have a 'back-up' Childminder?!

[SaijaM]

Morning everyone!

Just wondering if you all have a back-up childminder, who will take your kids if you suddenly become ill or have an emergency?

I don't have one yet... need to find someone to agree to be one.. and they need to be very close to my house too.

Is this a law requirement?

Thanks again,
Saija xx

[sonia ann]

I have no-one :( but in an emergency I would leave them with my OH and get him to phone all parents/ emergency contacts to collect immediately :)

[sarah707]

It is a statutory requirement of the Childcare Register which says -

Childminders must make arrangements with other childcare providers or with parents for occasions on which the registered person is not able to provide childcare.

So yes, it is a requirement.

You need to link up with another childminder really.

Hth :D

[Daftbat]

I have a couple of childminders i can call on but would still in practice really get my hubby to take over and call the parents etc or my mum since in real terms they would be able to get things sorted more quickly. The problem with getting another minder involved is that you can never be certain that they would be able to get to you - No.s of children for example. After school i would not be able to get to someone outside walking distance because i have in excess of 6 children most days. When i was inspected we talked this through and agreed that in an emergency you would do everything you could to ensure the children are with someone with a CRb check but it may not end up being another childminder.

[miffy]

You need to link up with another childminder really.

Hth :D

Not necessarily, it says "or with parents" so as long as you show you have it covered you should be OK

Miffy xx

[Mollymop]

I agree with Miffy, that is the way I read it.

I have a back-up minder, and she's on this forum too :thumbsup:

[Chimps Childminding]

I am lucky in that I have June next door :clapping: but should she be away or out for the day I have no other back up :( I would have to get hubby home and ring parents to pick up asap!!!! Thankfully in 13 years this has only happened once :panic:

[Toothfairy]

Yes I have a backup CM. I arrange a meeting once contracts have been signed with parents and Emegency CM in attendance, so they can meet and get to know each other. I also meet up with my emergency CM and her mindees once every few weeks so the children get to know her too.

[Mookins]

I have no-one :( but in an emergency I would leave them with my OH and get him to phone all parents/ emergency contacts to collect immediately :)

me too...my nearest cm i think is about 4 miles away not yet met any of them,
xxxx

[snufflepuff]

This is something i have been worrying about, with ofsted due next week.
I have not been able to go to the childminding group, because i have a mindee that starts half way through it. So i haven't had a chance to get to know any of the childminders in the area. Plus i'd imagine they are all paired up already!
In an emergency i'd have to call my partner or my Mum- my mum is not CRB checked but surely thats better than nobody at all??? I think if, god forbid, the situation came up, i'd even leave the children with my neighbour as she works from home. Again, not CRB checked, but better than nobody. Any only for the amount of time it takes for parent to get here.
Im not sure what to do! Should i write something up for parents to sign to say that in an emergency the children may be left with someone who is not CRB checked but that i trust and know well??

[Mookins]

This is something i have been worrying about, with ofsted due next week.
I have not been able to go to the childminding group, because i have a mindee that starts half way through it. So i haven't had a chance to get to know any of the childminders in the area. Plus i'd imagine they are all paired up already!
In an emergency i'd have to call my partner or my Mum- my mum is not CRB checked but surely thats better than nobody at all??? I think if, god forbid, the situation came up, i'd even leave the children with my neighbour as she works from home. Again, not CRB checked, but better than nobody. Any only for the amount of time it takes for parent to get here.
Im not sure what to do! Should i write something up for parents to sign to say that in an emergency the children may be left with someone who is not CRB checked but that i trust and know well??

IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE ANYONE ID MAKE SURE THEY ARE CRB CHECKED, FOR £30 sorry caps on its worth it and following as many procedures as possible with the safety situation. Am sure yor mum wont mind having it done x x

[snufflepuff]

IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE ANYONE ID MAKE SURE THEY ARE CRB CHECKED, FOR £30 sorry caps on its worth it and following as many procedures as possible with the safety situation. Am sure yor mum wont mind having it done

Yes i've been planning on getting her checked anyway.
I just mean, what if something happens, and both DP and my Mum cannot get here quick enough? What then? Even a back up childminder may not be able to get here. What is expected of us? Say we need to go in an ambulance with one mindee, what do we do with the rest of the children? Do we leave them with someone with no CRB and get thier parents to pick them up immediately? or let the child go alone in the ambulance and get their parents to meet them at the hospital?
God forbid any of this ever happens but its something you need to think about i suppose.

[jaja]

I have a back up minder who lives about 10 mins away and my hubby who is my assistant and he can get to me within mins, hes allowed up to 2 hours alone with the children, giving the parents even time to collect xxx

[singingcactus]

We are not expected to provide a back up childminder. We are expected to ensure we have an arrangement with each parent about what will happen in an emergency. My arrangement is, if I am unavailable then parents organise care for their child.
If I was involved in an accident then the children would be with me anyway and parent would meet us at the hospital. If I became unwell parents would come and collect their children with all due haste. If I was unwell the night before then parents would contact their emergency child care provider.
It would be impossible to ask a childminder to permanently keep available the required number of slots just on the off chance there was an emergency - that childminder would then be unable to work.
You need to have an arrangement in place with each parent.

[Mouse]

I have an arrangement with parents that if I cannot work (either illness or holiday), they will either have the time off work themselves or arrange care with someone else. It's agreed that it's not my responsibility to find alternative care.
This covers the statutory requirement as I have made arrangements with parents:

Childminders must make arrangements with other childcare providers or with parents for occasions on which the registered person is not able to provide childcare.


I do have back-up childminders who I could call on in an emergency. They are usually full, so wouldn't have spaces to cover my holidays, but in an emergency they would be able to go over their numbers for the amount of time it would take to contact parents and get them to collect the child.

[snufflepuff]

It would be impossible to ask a childminder to permanently keep available the required number of slots just on the off chance there was an emergency - that childminder would then be unable to work.
In an emergency they would be allowed to be over thier numbers, but parents must leave to come and collect their children straight away. They couldn't care for the children until the end of their contracted time or anything like that.

I was thinking of emergencies during the day...... i wouldnt arrange a back up childminder for illness or my holiday, thats up to the parents.

[PixiePetal]

my nearest CM friends are 4 miles away, DH has CRB and works on the farm where we live.

My CM friends are full but my all my mindees parents know we see them and go to groups together so all our mindees are familiar with other CM and vice versa. All are happy to have their numbers passed on if needs be.

I have it in my policies that in an emergency at home mindees would be left with DH till parents arrive to collect or with another minder if we are with them.

If I am ill and unable to offer care, it is up to the parents to sort it out - that is my arrangement with parents.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

In case of an emergency you can leave the mindees with anyone your trust but for holidays and occasional care you cannot.

I use other childminders that both the children and I see regularly and the parents are happy with this

[rickysmiths]

IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE ANYONE ID MAKE SURE THEY ARE CRB CHECKED, FOR £30 sorry caps on its worth it and following as many procedures as possible with the safety situation. Am sure yor mum wont mind having it done x x

I have three people nambed in my emergency policy. One a current working Childminder, one a recently given up childinminding minder who works at the local school part time and a parent who was also a childminder a long time ago. All three are Crb checked

I give all my parents a sheet with my emergency policy with the carers photos and contact details so the parents know who they are. I also give the parents, one each, a credit card laminated card to keep in thier wallets with all their contact details and my husbands.

I keep a folder by my door in a sealed envelope, clearly labelled 'Emergency Folder'. This has a copy of the childrens information sheet, a photo of the child with their parent, my emergency contact details with where my children are at school and a contact number. A list of what days and times each child is with me. This is so, either of the carers who know the info is there can use it in my house or take it away to conatct all the parents or the emergency services would find it and know how many should be in the house and again who to contact. Mrs Ofsted was so impressed with ,she asked if she could use the idea with other Minders.

[rickysmiths]

In case of an emergency you can leave the mindees with anyone your trust but for holidays and occasional care you cannot.

I use other childminders that both the children and I see regularly and the parents are happy with this



This is what I do as well.

[singingcactus]

In an emergency they would be allowed to be over thier numbers, but parents must leave to come and collect their children straight away. They couldn't care for the children until the end of their contracted time or anything like that.

I was thinking of emergencies during the day...... i wouldnt arrange a back up childminder for illness or my holiday, thats up to the parents.

No, childminders are not allowed to go over their numbers, not even in an emergency.

[sue m]

I agree with Miffy, that is the way I read it.

I have a back-up minder, and she's on this forum too :thumbsup:


And I have a back up minder too! Lives in my road, very nice ...........:clapping:

[snufflepuff]

No, childminders are not allowed to go over their numbers, not even in an emergency.

Oh right, thats what we were told on the DHC course. She said that it would be fine because it would be for a very short period of time, as parents are told they must collect immediately. Otherwise what is the point in having a back up?? Because they wouldnt be able to take the children anyway, unless they happen to have no mindees themselves that day?? I dont mean back up for holidays or illness, i mean a proper emergency during the day. Not saying you are wrong or anything, just what i was told. Shame we are all told different things!

[Mouse]

Oh right, thats what we were told on the DHC course. She said that it would be fine because it would be for a very short period of time, as parents are told they must collect immediately. Otherwise what is the point in having a back up?? Because they wouldnt be able to take the children anyway, unless they happen to have no mindees themselves that day?? I dont mean back up for holidays or illness, i mean a proper emergency during the day. Not saying you are wrong or anything, just what i was told. Shame we are all told different things!

That's what I have always been told :thumbsup:

[sonia ann]

Oh right, thats what we were told on the DHC course. She said that it would be fine because it would be for a very short period of time, as parents are told they must collect immediately. Otherwise what is the point in having a back up?? Because they wouldnt be able to take the children anyway, unless they happen to have no mindees themselves that day?? I dont mean back up for holidays or illness, i mean a proper emergency during the day. Not saying you are wrong or anything, just what i was told. Shame we are all told different things!

As far as I am aware this is true as long as it is in an emergency:)

[rickysmiths]

Oh right, thats what we were told on the DHC course. She said that it would be fine because it would be for a very short period of time, as parents are told they must collect immediately. Otherwise what is the point in having a back up?? Because they wouldnt be able to take the children anyway, unless they happen to have no mindees themselves that day?? I dont mean back up for holidays or illness, i mean a proper emergency during the day. Not saying you are wrong or anything, just what i was told. Shame we are all told different things!

If it is a real emergency you don't have to use a childminder, a responsible person is acceptable. You can't always know that the parents could get to you very quickly. I have had parents who work in central London who if they left work immediately it would take at least an hour and prob one and a half to get out to where we all live.

[SaijaM]

Very interesting! Thanks for all the replies, I will confirm this matter with my mentor... seems like there a few things needing clarification...

Will let you know what they say!
;)
Thanks xx
Saija

[snufflepuff]

If it is a real emergency you don't have to use a childminder, a responsible person is acceptable.

Thats good to know. Does the responsible person need to be CRB checked?
Got my inspection next week, maybe if im not in total panic mode i'll ask her to clarify for me.

[Winnie]

I have a backup childminder for emergencies along with my husband (he works 20 mins away but i feel i need at least 2 backups in place). The requirement to make arrangements with parents if childcare is not available (which i take to mean i'm ill or on holiday) is easily sorted :- i direct them to ************* and the FIS (CIS).

[Mouse]

Thats good to know. Does the responsible person need to be CRB checked?
Got my inspection next week, maybe if im not in total panic mode i'll ask her to clarify for me.

No, the person doesn't have to be CRB checked. In an absolute emergency you could leave the children with a trusted neighbour if there wasn't anyone else.