Social media during the day

[sarah707]

Do you use social media while you are working?

I have heard of a couple of instances recently where childminders who use their real names on sites like FB have been pulled up by Ofsted for posting messages when they were supposed to be working.

One was able to prove the child with her was asleep at the time because she had a record in the child's diary ... but the other childminder couldn't prove it and she received an action and lost her previous grading.

Just a little warning... if you do come on the forum using your real name - or use FB and other sites during the day - make sure the timing corresponds with the children's sleep - and that you can prove it if asked

[shortstuff]

thanks for the heads up Sarah

[Mouse]

But can Ofsted really tell us we cannot use social media during the day when we are working?

[sarah707]

But can Ofsted really tell us we cannot use social media during the day when we are working?

The action was related to not paying proper attention to the children - a safeguarding action - so the childminder was bumped straight down to unsatisfactory - regardless of quality of provision.

Very tough imo ...

[ziggy]

Surely this is madness!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank goodness we dont have Ofsted in Ireland.

Some days i work 7am till 6pm, during this time i would speak to people on phone, maybe flick through the newspaper, now and again a friend may pop in for coffee.................having said that no matter what i'm doing the children are my main priority. Luckily my afternoon mindees sleep from 2 till 4pm and on afternoons when i'm really tired i may put tv on for 30mins while i enjoy a much needed cuppa.

I use FB lots and often talk to my family in England while children are sleeping. I even contacted a parent via facebook today to let her know mindee had broken her new glasses.

Sorry but i think this is just going too far

Will they stop childminders chatting to friends in school playground next??????

[lisbet]

Wow. So had the inspector searched for them on FB and checked their posts?

When both mindees were asleep today I checked my emails and FB and here (of course ) but it was only for 10 minutes WHILST I ate a sandwich and drank a cup of tea!

[CLL]

That is harsh. Sometimes children are happily playing by themselves and you have a spare 2 min. I think because it is so easy these days because of having smart phones you can check everything in an instant. I personally do not have fb any more and only check my phone for messages and emails when they are asleep. However if you lots of children and they do not sleep at the same time surely you are allowed a 5 min break to have a bite to eat and sit down while they are playing!

Does that also mean that you are not allowed to prepare meals or nip to the loo, as you are not watching children for every second.

Maybe Truss can give us all a cover cm so we can take real breaks throughout the day!

[kp0781]

I personally don't go on FB unless the children are asleep but I would make a call if I needed to or check my phone as long as the children were safe and entertained. I don't know many other professions where you work 10 hours or more a day without a break.....it's illegal for a start lol!!!

[Mouse]

The action was related to not paying proper attention to the children - a safeguarding action - so the childminder was bumped straight down to unsatisfactory - regardless of quality of provision.

Very tough imo ...

That is very tough, isn't it? How many things do we do that could take our attention away from the children? Not in a dangerous way, but in a way that means we're not giving them 100% attention? Is it specifically the use of social media that they're picking cms up on? How does that differ to sitting filling in cming paperwork while working?

Out of interest, was the action relating to a specific incident (ie. a child was injured while the cm was using social media), or just to using social media which could lead to an incident?

[shortstuff]

surely it will also come down to us only being able to mind one child at a time as sometimes we need to focus attention on one rather than the group? For example when a child misbehaves.

[sarah707]

Out of interest, was the action relating to a specific incident (ie. a child was injured while the cm was using social media), or just to using social media which could lead to an incident?

I don't know Mouse - I can ask the question but the childminder who got the action is not a happy bunny and has disappeared off the radar at the moment.

I remember some years ago asking Ofsted directly at a conference if we could do paperwork while the children were playing and they said yes that wasn't a problem - so that's what I have always said in answer to posts on the subject.

In fact, I do a lot of paperwork alongside and with the children, involving them in planning and their Learning Journeys - often one-to-one while the others play.

I can see and hear them all and I don't feel it's an issue. I would certainly argue the point during an inspection... and provide evidence to back up my claim that children need to free play.

From what I gather it was the social media aspect - 1 of them as a result of a complaint - I don't have details about the other.

[Nicola Carlyle]

Well I may as well not ever go for wee during my 11 hour day then. This is just ridiculous. I could fully see the point if there was an accident involved or something but not for someone grabbing 2 minutes to regain their thoughts or sanity!

[MessybutHappy]

I've checked and no, this is not an April Fool is it?

I'm gobsmacked! Whatever next. I sincerely hope there is more to this story, because on the face of it, its ridiculous logic. A minute taken to post a message or send a reassuring text to a new parent is no different to a minute taken to make a note on an observation.

I'd challenge, challenge, challenge, and I'll still be sending text photos of happy children to their parents DURING the working day. If I had face book, and if the parents wanted, I'd "post" those pictures too! Arrghhhh.

[Mouse]

I don't know Mouse - I can ask the question but the childminder who got the action is not a happy bunny and has disappeared off the radar at the moment.

I remember some years ago asking Ofsted directly at a conference if we could do paperwork while the children were playing and they said yes that wasn't a problem - so that's what I have always said in answer to posts on the subject.

In fact, I do a lot of paperwork alongside and with the children, involving them in planning and their Learning Journeys - often one-to-one while the others play.

I can see and hear them all and I don't feel it's an issue. I would certainly argue the point during an inspection... and provide evidence to back up my claim that children need to free play.

From what I gather it was the social media aspect - 1 of them as a result of a complaint - I don't have details about the other.

I'm not surprised they've disappeared, poor thing.

I often email parents photos of their children throughout the day, which Ofsted loved at my last inspection. I take a photo on my camera, switch on my laptop, download the photos, find the one I want, figure out how to send it in an email, check it's sent, wait for a reply from parents...it takes time.

My cm friend takes photos on her phone & at the click of a button they're on her private FB page for parents to view...it takes literally seconds.

How can Ofsted love what I do, but label what my friend does a safeguarding issue for not paying attention to the children?

[TooEarlyForGin?]

Unless they were invited as a friend or it was an open Facebook page, how the heck did they gain access to her page. If it was a private page it would be a total invasion of privacy. I have an iPad and can sit talk to children and. Look at different things. It's called multitasking. Like others have said where do we all stand in going to the toilet, preparing lunch and dinner, filling in paperwork, I had to Hoover the other day when during messy play they tipped rice all over the floor, should I have left it, causing a possible accident, as the children headed off into the playroom while I sorted it out. Absolutely bonkers, yet again. They are absolute control freaks, I have no idea why children are allowed to be brought up by untrained parents.....

[lisbet]

They are absolute control freaks, I have no idea why children are allowed to be brought up by untrained parents.....

WilshawTrussGove probably have plans to put a stop to this - bringing back workhouses, maybe?

[hectors house]

Thanks for the warning Sarah - I am not on facebook but sometimes pop onto the forum if the children are playing nicely, I have my computer on all day as I fill in a daily diary sheet and try to write up observations as I see them (or at least add a little note hoping it will mean something when I get round to downloading the photos) I can't really see the difference - other than the forum is very addictive whereas surprisingly writing up observations isn't!

[blue bear]

So when my little one aged three came today and told me she had posted a picture on my wall, was I not supposed to look at it with her and send a message back for her to open at home on mummy's iPad?
Ridiculous, children don't need us to be engaged in their play the whole time, they need the opportunity to play by themselves and with peers whilst being supervised, sometimes that involves getting the tea on, popping to the loo, answering calls, sending a text
It's not my way to be on and sending multiple messages whilst working, but I suppose that because I'm super busy at the moment.

[mum24]

Wow. So had the inspector searched for them on FB and checked their posts?

When both mindees were asleep today I checked my emails and FB and here (of course ) but it was only for 10 minutes WHILST I ate a sandwich and drank a cup of tea!

wow, impressive multi tasking

[mum24]

I have the forum app on my phone and I check in sometimes once or twice a day, sometimes not, it just depends on how busy I am and what we are doing.
I am not really a facebook person, but one of my mums a while ago was surprised that I didn't use facebook, and made a point of saying that it was the quickest and easiest way to contact parents over the day, and that she was a bit disappointed that I didnt do that, as she would have been using it to contact me.
So I suppose you could argue a case for working with parents.
I personally think though that it is Ofsted going too far, maybe if they could prove that someone had been on all day, but then, surely some people have facebook running on their phone, my husband does, and how can you prove that you were not actually using it? I don't know how these things work, but most childminders wouldnt be abusing it anyway.