This will be long, as ofsted have really peed me off!!! Those who work with hubby & have kids in numbers may be able to help me...

I work with hubby, and as we have a 3 & 7 year old these are included in our numbers. On our own, as usual we can care for 4 under 8, 2 under 5. But, when working together, it can be 10 under 8 & 5 under 5. This is because obviously only one of us is responsible for our own child, hence an 'extra' space is created.

Well, we've been discussing this, as we have 6 under 5's some days. (1 being DS.) One day ds & 2 others are at playschool in the morning. All fine, we are at home with 3 children, all fine, in numbers etc.

One of us goes alone to collect from playgroup...:panic: Nope - whoever's at home is over numbers, as on our own we're only registered for 2!

So, one takes one child to collect from playgroup. All fine, one has 1, and the other has 2...:panic: Nope - as once the one collecting collects, they will then have 4, so they are over numbers...!! The only way round it is to load all 3 kids into 2 separate cars, and both drive to the same playgroup to collect. Yep - but how ridiculous!!!

Then school runs, we have 6 under 5's, (again one being ds), and 2 different schools to collect from at the same time. Whoever doesn't take DS with them is over their numbers. :panic:

I mean there are other times this can happen with us. DH doesn't enjoy toddler groups, so unless I leave a minded child with him, I'm over numbers. Sometimes it might be better to leave ds if hubby has something to do, he can do it with ds around, and mindees having fun at toddlers.

I mean there are a number of situations this can happen in.

I called ofsted to see what could be done! I got some pompus :censored: on the other end of the phone. All he kept doing was stating my reg cert to me, and telling me I couldn't go over numbers! I :censored: know that, that's what I'm calling about!!!

It seems really silly that say for instance DH has DS somewhere, dr's, shop, etc, then he's the one being responsible for him!

Ofsted are obviously quite happy for us to care for a total of 6 kids under 8, 3 under 5 on our own, hence our conditions, but if we separate, then we both become responsible for our own kids, regardless of who their actually with!

I need ofsted to state somewhere on our certs that should the other one be caring for our own child, then the other's numbers amend accordingly...

I hope I've made some kind of sense. I know what I mean, but am struggling to find the words to explain it very well.

I was told I had to write & ask for a variation. So I have done that, kind of, although I'm not really sure what variation I'm asking for, apart from them putting some kind of wording on as above!

It seems the only way round it is not to fill right up to our numbers, but then we can't afford to do it together, and hubby would have to give up & get a job.

Can anyone offer me support/advice to say they've experienced this, and found a way round it with ofsted. Otherwise I really don't know what we're going to do...

I could scream right now...!!!

xx

Sorry this isn't a situation I've come across before... it's probably a rare one for Ofsted as well which is why they aren't sure what to say on the phone.

I think you might just have to go with it I'm afraid.

I'm not sure what variation you could be asking for either. :panic:

Sorry this isn't a situation I've come across before... it's probably a rare one for Ofsted as well which is why they aren't sure what to say on the phone.

I'm not so sure it can be that rare any more. There are more and more husband & wife teams popping up, that surely I'm not the first person to question this.

Did I make sense as to where I'm coming from though...! My NCO agrees with me, and thinks it's wrong our own is being counted twice if we seperate, but we have to do what it states on cert! I need some kind of amendment ASAP, or I'm not sure what to do!!!

xx

We have had exactly the same thing, our own children are now 8, 7 and 5
but we were in the same situation a year ago, couldn't explain it over the phone so we just kind of ignored it but we had our inspection in Jan 2008 and explained the problem to the inspector (several times!) and in the end what they did was allocate our own children just to my husband so when apart had our little one and less mindee's.
It's a pain I know but you just have to keep trying to get it through to them.
eventually one of them will get it or your own children will get older and it won't be such a problem.

See, that's what hubby's suggested. That he's allocated our children, so always has to have them, and the less no of mindees, and I'm then allocated 3 under 5's.

I didn't know if they would do that, but obviously they will as they have done it for you. That's not going to be a problem at all, so just hope they call back today so I can get them to day that!!

I'd e-mailed a variation for an extra child on Tues, and then this today. I'd called asking for todays to be resolved asap, and I had a call from inspector whilst on school run, saying the variation for the extra child had gone through fine. Any questions to call back and ask for her.

So, now I have a name, I called & asked to be put through, thinking I could speak about todays concerns, and voicemail! :rolleyes: They've sent her a message asking her to call me...

I really hope she does so I can sort this out today.

xx

eventually one of them will get it or your own children will get older and it won't be such a problem.

Oh forget to say, they really need to get it as we're having another baby in Oct, so situation for at least the next 4-5 years!!!

xx

So, now I have a name, I called & asked to be put through, thinking I could speak about todays concerns, and voicemail! They've sent her a message asking her to call me...

I had this when I was recently chasing a variation. The ofsted inspectors and managers who make decisions on variations mostly work from home, keeping in touch with their office by email and phone themselves hence you leaving messages and her having to call you back. The person you need to speak to will have an extension which will go straight to voicemail which they will retrieve several times a day. When you have a problem it makes ofsted appear very inefficient.

Sorry although i work with my husband, we are registered for 6 under 5 and 2 of 5-8, we have a 7 and 10 year old of our own.

I had thought that i may need to ask for an extra 5-8 but that would still only be 3 5-8's between us.

I do know what you mean about OFSTED, when my husband was registered as my assistant i had a real who ha trying to get them to allow me an extra under 5, they said that you couldn't have anymore children with an assistant and you wouldn't be given even an extra under 5 ever on your own.

In the end i had an apology and a complete backtrack from the lady in charge of the inspector that came out, she badgered my husband and was only interested in getting to register fully as a childminder.

It is like banging your head against a brickwall, they left me in tears telling me that i had been doing it all wrong and that there were things i hadn't done, this despite them telling me that i could never have something that they had agreed to and amended my certificate for twice!! When i pointed this out they were lost for words that they had expected me to get planning permission for something that they shouldn't have granted in the first place, they ended up backtracking, cos i pointed out that nowhere in the regulations could we be penalised for not getting permission in advance for something that they never should allow!!!!!!!!!

Bloomin heck mate- my head hurt reading that :panic:

No idea what to suggest but good luck sorting it out!

xx

Well, sorted for the moment...! After calling ofsted, and getting no-where, just being told by inspector it will get looked at in time this week... :angry:, the NCO noticed something on my cert.

Hubby's says 'when working with another childminder may care for...' but they never changed mine, (it was difficult enough getting them to match the numbers), and mine still says 'when working with an assistant may care for...' and then 'at times agreed with parents may leave the assistant in sole care...'

So called ofsted & hubby is still on my records as my assistant. So for insurance purposes, he can care for the 3 kids under 5, and I have 2 plus our DS. :thumbsup:

So not going to get that changed as we are covered!! But we did notice that assistants don't have numbers!! It just says may care for children with permission! Great - I'm off out one day leaving him with 10 kids now!!! :clapping: :laughing:

At least we're now sorted & covered!!! :thumbsup:

xx

I was thinking about working with my daughter but it seems to be a bit of a nightmare with Ofsted


Allie

Sorry I can't help at all. I had similar when I asked for a variation over the xmas holidays.
dh would have taken my 2 children out for the day so i would have had 2mindees under 5 which technically would have put me over my under 5's numbers if my 2 children had been at home with me.

Ofsted blankly refused to consider that my own children would have been in the care of dh out xmas shopping for the day & refused my variation because I'd apparently be over my numbers :angry:

I hope you get it sorted soon.
Sometimes I think Ofsted need to think like human beings rather than staring at numbers on a computer screen :rolleyes:

Sorry I can't help at all. I had similar when I asked for a variation over the xmas holidays.
dh would have taken my 2 children out for the day so i would have had 2mindees under 5 which technically would have put me over my under 5's numbers if my 2 children had been at home with me.

Ofsted blankly refused to consider that my own children would have been in the care of dh out xmas shopping for the day & refused my variation because I'd apparently be over my numbers :angry:

I hope you get it sorted soon.
Sometimes I think Ofsted need to think like human beings rather than staring at numbers on a computer screen :rolleyes:

Don't your own two children reduce the numbers you are allowed at all times. Usually you are only registered for 3 under 5, and if your 2 are under 5, ofsted would state only 1 under 5 on your certificate that you can care for?

I know of minders tht say that their own child is in the care of their husband on odd days and get away with it. Also some who say the child is in the care of their husband whilst he's asleep as he works nights!

Don't your own two children reduce the numbers you are allowed at all times. Usually you are only registered for 3 under 5, and if your 2 are under 5, ofsted would state only 1 under 5 on your certificate that you can care for?

I am registered for 1 under 5 as my two children are both under 5.

I was applying to have a variation for mindees older brother (4) for 2 days over xmas.

My dh had full care of my children & I didn't see them all day as they were out shopping.
This is what I mean about ofsted actually thinking instead of looking at numbers on a computer.
Common sense should haver told ofsted that for 2 days whilst I wasn''t looking after my own children I would have been more than capable to look after 2 mindees as a variation.

I haven't come across this before but I would ring and ask to speak to an inspector and then ask for her to come out so that you can discuss it further.