upstairs toilet and nap room?? is it possible?

[lollyr82]

Hi there, i'm waiting to start an ICP course and called CSSIW (I'm in Wales) to ask a few questions about inspection and the person i spoke to wasnt over helpful.

What do people do if their bathroom is upstairs? i'm hope to have two younger children all day and one afterschool along with my own 6 year old. what happens when a younger one (say who is potty training/just using the toilet) needs to be accompanied to the toilet upstairs? what do you do with the other children? Can the older ones be left unsupervised for a few mins? what about the younger one? can i put them in a safe place? eg play pen/travel cot?
Also if an older one, say 5 years old want to tolet can then go upstairs on their own? this is all new to me so am totally confused about how this all works?

Also, do people register any rooms upstairs for sleeping purposes? I have a nice little spare room upstairs which i assumed i could use to put the children in when it was nap time, only now i'm not so sure if this is possible?? can you leave children upstairs when sleeping? I only have a lounge and kitchen downstair so no suitable place for naps other than spare room?

Any advice appreciated

L x x

[Mrs.L.C]

Ofsted will register the upstairs so will want to see it when they visit but there shouldnt be any problems.

You can leave the children as long as you can hear them so for in this situation you will be fine to leave them downstairs whilst you took a another child to the toilet or leave an older child to go on their own.

As long as everywhere is safe you shouldnt have anything to worry about but it is a good idea to have somewhere safe to put babies if you cant take them with you

[Goatgirl]

Hi :),
Its really all about safety.
Anywhere in your home that can be acessed by the children will be included in the inpection to be registered, so it will need to safe and risk asessed and as long as you have procedures in place and risk asessements for everything its fine to have babies sleeping and children going to the toilet in rooms upstairs.

Just think through different scenario's e.g. taking potty training 2 year old to the loo. What will you do to ensure the safety of the other children whilst you're upstairs? Travel cot in the lounge to pop a baby in to? Take any children with behaviour issues e.g. a biter or separation anxiety along with you - where is safe for them to sit and wait / be strapped in upstairs or somewhere in view?

In the case of babies sleeping I have a monitor and its helpful to use a room with a very quiet door so that you can check in on them every so often without the creak waking them up :D .

Hope it all goes well for you. i had a lovely pre rg inspector who made suggestions and was very reassuring that she was coming to make sure I was a suitable person with a suitable home rather than trying to catch me out. I'm sure you'll be fine :)

best wishes,
Wendy :)

Its tricky to think about every possible scenario, but in most cases, children not needing the loo will just be downstairs playing nicely :thumbsup: and as they get more independant they can take themselves so long as they know the rules and there's nothing to hurt themselves on :)

[onceinabluemoon]

I have an upstairs loo and they nap upstairs too (or tbh mostly out in the garden in the fresh air...) and the only problem I have is with noisy 3, 4, 5 year olds waking up the babies when they go up to the loo when the babies nap upstairs...

I'm in England so registered with Ofsted rather than the CSSIW but I assume the rules would be similar?

Depending on the age of children to be left downstairs i pop them in the pram/travel cot or simply tell them they're being trusted to behave nicely (which usually works but not always...). Children who are unable to behave nicely when I'm upstairs have to sit on the bottom step and wait for me

Never leave a child in a high-chair when you are not there, they all carry warnings not to do so and if you did this and an accident occurred you probably would not be insured.

[tulip0803]

Agree with the above about the toilet mine is upstairs.

My CSSIW inspector would not register any rooms upstairs for sleeping. She would only register downstairs and the toilet due to fire safety. This was the end of 2008 so may have changed again since.