Attendance register

[rhea26]

Hi, was wondering if someone could tell me how often we should be getting the attendance register signed? I sometimes forget when parent drops of or picks up, thanks.

[Mouse]

I don't get parents to sign mine. It is not a requirement, so I don't do it.

If you chose to, I don't think it matters if you do it daily, weekly or monthly. There is no right or wrong way, so just try to find a way that works for you.

[fiona]

i dont, i put the time and the initials, my parents are present when its done (if i remember)

[karensmart4]

I don't do it either, well saying that I had a parent that I had my doubts about, don't know what it was but I just had a feeling about her so I got her to sign each time she paid me to confirm her child had attended the above days and hours.

[BlondeMoment]

I was wondering this myself because I use the NCMA attendance registers and it has a space for both me and the parents to sign every week and remebering to get them to do it is a real pain. They're in a hurry to get going and I'm darting around gathering up belongings.
If it's not a requirement then that makes me very happy and I'll stop chasing everyone with it lol

[betty boop]

I dont get parents to sign I just fill it in my self childs name, date, time arrived, who brought them, time left and who collected them

[rhea26]

Thanks, I thought they had to sign it so glad its one less thing to worry about!

[Baildon bears]

Signing register is not essential, but it is good practice. Its also proof of when child attends incase they claim for more childcare than they have. They can't dispute it if they have signed

[rickysmiths]

Mine always sign mine and have for the 17 years I have been a childminder.

No it is not a requirement. However I have been very glad I have always done it because an ex parent complained about me to ofsted just before Christmas. It was about a specific day and they claimed I hadn't informed them about something. I was able to sent a copy of my attendance record that had been signed by the parent which showed with out doubt that they had been fully aware and informed of the situation the complained about and signed to confirm it. Needless to say the complaint has not been upheld.

I am so glad I have always got the register signed well worth training the parents.

[Mollymop]

I don't get mine signed x

[BuggsieMoo]

I dont get mine to sign either - I also use the NCMA one and I just use the parents space to annotated whether there has been additional time/fees paid and that ive added it to my online accounting system

[allison]

i dont get mine signed

[sarah707]

I ask parents to sign when I give them their invoices to confirm the hours are the same as charged.

[catswhiskers]

I always get my parents to sign at the end of each week in the NCMA register.

I thought it was a requirement by Ofsted to see hours attended by mindees. It's in the EYFS folder.

Anyway it helps me to keep track and also when I'm doing my tax return.

It's something I find quick and easier than all the other paperwork!

[Mouse]

It's a requirement for you to keep a written record of the times the children are with you, but it's not a requirement to have parents sign the register to confirm the times. I don't see how a signature would help with your tax return?

For those of you who do get parents to sign, do they actually check you've put the right times in? When I did used to get them to sign, none of them ever looked at what I'd written, they just signed in the box.

[Baildon bears]

It's really up to the parents to check the hours are right if they are signing, it's not my problem if they don't check them.

[cat lady at 38]

yes not requirement but good practise, i will get parents to sign at the end of the week once i have started!

[rickysmiths]

It's really up to the parents to check the hours are right if they are signing, it's not my problem if they don't check them.

I agree. If the parents don't know what they have signed then that is up to them. I was taught not to sign anything I hadn't read and understood!

[rickysmiths]

yes not requirement but good practise, i will get parents to sign at the end of the week once i have started!

Remember what I put in my previous post. It is a safeguarding measure as well. It certainly helped me.

[catswhiskers]

Should have pointed out that it helps that parents sign with the hours attended so I have information correct for my tax return e.g. attended full time 40 hours. My last post was late at night so didn't make myself clear.

The attendance register is something I've stuck to, even before the EYFS, so that's that.

I don't do some of the stuff that some of the other childminders on the forum are doing, e.g. long-term planning, but I received an outstanding in September just gone.

I've now cut down on my paperwork anyway due to the fact that Ofsted are not keeping to some of their promised stuff.

I've suddenly thought that if you get an outstanding then according to the ofsted website you get a congratulations letter from the Dept. of Education and some paperwork with permission to use the Ofsted outstanding logo.

I emailed them yesterday to say I had not got this and Ofsted said they had changed the criteria for receiving an outstanding in 2011/12.

Suffice to say I will be cutting down on my paperwork from now on.

My mum and dad are not very well and I spend a lot of evenings and weekends with them so I'm not bothered really!