I know this is the wrong forum so if anyone can see a better place for this please tell me!

As title says enviromental health are visiting me next week as I am providing food for my mindees therefore registered as a food business, Argh!! as if I haven't got enough to think about. I have only been minding since end of November & I am now worrying about this. I have a 15mth mindee in the day of visit & my own dd. I will not be able to have kitchen immaculate as 15 mth old keeps me busy, I am hoping the E. H. inspector will realise that I don't have all day to clean up my kitchen! hopefully both lo's will be in bed at time of visit but I never can tell with mindee, it all depends on what kind of night he's had.

has anyone else had this & if so what do they look for. My kitchen is ok but by no means immaculate, I have 5 children of my own so it's a busy kitchen lol!

Any advice or reassurance welcome, thanks xx

They check every cupboard,fridge seals etc.......read up on your food hygeine book......You DO NOT use anything other than anti bac cleaner on surfaces and bleach is only used down the toilet! .....you change cloths,t towels daily and have seperate chopping boards for meat and veg etc.....I got excellent standards and my house is lived in so please don't panic....just common sense really! good luck x

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. I know my oven really needs a clean & will do it after tomorrow's roast! I have a dog, I usually put her bowls outside when mindees are here anyway as 15 mth old always puts his foot in water bowl. Was inspector pedantic about sealed containers for pasta etc. I usually just stick mine down. I have a rare day off on tuesday & I can see me spending all day cleaning every cm of kitchen, would really rather go to town to have a coffee lol!xx

Mine was in November and the inspector was really nice and hasn't even checked one cupboard or the fridge. Asked me loads of questions though, she was here for about 1.5hrs. She gave me very good because we have a dog and didn't have frigde/freezer thermometer and a food probe!!!

They check every cupboard,fridge seals etc.......read up on your food hygeine book......You DO NOT use anything other than anti bac cleaner on surfaces and bleach is only used down the toilet! .....you change cloths,t towels daily and have seperate chopping boards for meat and veg etc.....I got excellent standards and my house is lived in so please don't panic....just common sense really! good luck x

OMG, when I started reading that, I thought you were joking!! lol. I was absolutely worried sick when I had my inspection. I did a food hygiene course online, which said that anti-bac spray isn't enough, you have to use hot soapy water first, and my environmental health team confirmed that. Anti-bac doesn't clean.

They briefly looked at my fridge, didn't check seals, they wanted to know the temperature, and when I said I checked it daily, they said that was too often, weekly was fine. They pulled me up on not having a dedicated hand towel in the kitchen though. Don't wipe things with a cloth, let it air-dry.

To be honest, mine were really nice, here for about an hour or so, and they checked the cleaning solutions were locked away, etc. They asked me about freezing and re-freezing, temperatures, etc. I asked questions too and they were happy to answer.

Good luck, hope it goes well.xxx

As with Ofsted inspectors I have found EH officers are just as un predictable.

Mine was only here a few mins - checked fridge temp with his machine thing, looked at my diary where I record eferything. Checked I had Safer Food Better Business for childminding pack (did but don't fill in sheets at back and told him so). Then left.

My daughter who lives 4 miles down the road and same LA area had a visit for 1.5 hours (ish) and they checked everything and asked loads of questions.

So I think best policy is the same as Ofsted visiting - be prepared BUT just do what you always do and don't go mad trying to second guess what they will be looking for / checking.

Good luck you will be fine

Penny :)

wow, I didn't even realised they did visits! don't personally know of anyone who has had them out. Well done those of you who have, I will keep this in mind

I have the pack but haven't got much further :blush: Good luck :D

wow, I didn't even realised they did visits! don't personally know of anyone who has had them out. Well done those of you who have, I will keep this in mind

Some areas didn't used to visit but they are supposed to - just depends where they put cm's on their priority list!

Miffy xx

I filled in my safer foods, better business pack (is that what its called - see it every day on shelf but can't remember:blush: ). Kitchen was reasonably tidy cos I managed to have the visit when I didnt have any mindees (more fluke than anything).

She didnt check anything really. Went through the pack with me, we drank lots of nice coffee cos dh had just bought me new coffee machine and generally had a natter and set the world to rights!!!!!

So just goes to show - you can't tell whats going to happen until they come!

Good luck with it, you will be fine xxx

Mine stayed for a cuppa, didn't even go in the kitchen until I asked her to look (it's a new kitchen, I wanted to show it off) :D

We had a chat about hygiene (she filled out a form) she checked I'd filled out my Better Food Better Business file and then she left - I got a very good on the sheet she left me :)

ooooops....

i have never looked in my file, i didnt realise there was stuff to fill in :eek:

shall have to dig it out tomorrow....guess what im doing on my afternoon off!:rolleyes:

Hi everyone, thanks for all the replies, I thought I would let you all know how it went.

I didn't have the pack before the visit, she brought it with her. She asked me lots of questions about hygiene, safe storage, safe preparation, safe cooking. Thankfully I had read the food standards agency website the night before so could answer them all. She looked in my kitchen, looked in my fridge (was gleaming!) looked at my fridge thermometer & my temperature log (only started in January but it was honest) Asked to see my dettol!! My kitchen was very clean & tidy. I only had 1 mindee & my dd & it was 10am so still neat & tidy.

My mindee did nearly make me slip up lol, I gave him & dd grapes in a bowl each, washed my hands, dried them on a separate towel, grapes were in a sieve next to the sink having been washed-all good- then mindee dropped his bowl on the floor & managed to eat a grape before I could stop him! oops! She saw me pick the others up though & get some fresh ones. I laughed & so did she.

She gave me a 5/5 'scores on the doors' which I was very impressed with. I will show Ofsted when they come in May! She also never commented on my dog?

Thanks again, I can relax again for a bit xx

They dont do visits in my area ...thank goodness..:D I rang and told them i was minding, they sent me a pack then I got a phone call to say that was OK and I was "on their list of approved premises"

i have two labs who stay in kitchen while children are here behind stair gate do they have problems with this?

I don't think they have a problem with dogs, I think they just don't like them to be in the eating areas. I think further up the thread a pp commented that her dog was the only thing that stopped her getting full marks.

My dog goes in the utility when the lo's are eating & I am preparing food.

Hi, does anyone know if they visit or I need to inform them that I ask parents to provide all meals etc. Obviously I store the food and heat it, so will still do probe and fridge temperatures etc.
I was providing food before I went on maternity leave, but its just too expensive so will be asking parents to send in meals etc. so dont know if I have to let EH know and if they will still visit?