leaving mindees in an emergency?

[Twinkles]

Well I did e-mail them and I got a reply this afternoon. ( Even if they did make a spelling mistake )

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Dear Ms Beale,



Thank you for your email.



I can advise that in an emergency situation you would be able to take the children you care for to another childminder.



However, if the childminder was to then go over there numbers they would need to notify Ofsted with a telephone call.



You would also have to have parents consent to this if this was going to be part of your policy.



I hope this helps.

[berkschick]

Looks like I need to design another form for the parents to sign!

I know other childminders help each other out, hopefully they will let me be in their gang

My current emergancy contact is my friend who lives just up the road and works in a pre-school so has been CRB checked. I didnt realise I needed the parents to sign a permission form, silly me

[Schnakes]

This reminds me of a time when, only about into four months of setting up my business, my son had a really bad seizure and stopped breathing. I phoned an ambulance and they were doing re-sus work....just as one of the mum turns up with her son. I meet her on the doorstep, explain the situation, tell her that we have to go to hospital NOW....she says (basically) "okay" and starts saying goodbye to her son!!! Im like....um - no!! I have to go to A&E because my son has stopped breathing..I CANT take your son...In the end, it took one of the paramedics to tell her "NO"!!!!

I have to admit, I was in too much of a panic to phone my back-up, which I should have done...or at least passed on her number. What I did was to ask her to lock up for me!!! Very proffessional! I like to think that these days I would handle the situation much better!

Sx

[Pipsqueak]

What a scary story and how pathetic of the mum. Hope your son is ok now???


I have a situation this morning,

I am dropping my son and mindee at nursery but I have to take my eldest to hospital this morning. I am worried that I am not going to get back on time to collect them and have suggested over the last 3 days several times to the parents that I will get my "stand by" to collect the children and if I am going to be much longer than 45mintues after collection time I shall call the parents and see what they want to do.

Parents will not give me a straight answer, they keep murmering about coming out of work blah blah, and they pull a face every time I mention the standby picking up. I last rang them at 8.15pm last night and left a message to which they have not got back to me, I have even prepared the "permission forms for the standby to give to nursery etc....

The poor old standby is putting her morning on hold because I can't get a straight answer from the parents (as usual).....

big sigh

[deeb66]

What a scary story and how pathetic of the mum. Hope your son is ok now???


I have a situation this morning,

I am dropping my son and mindee at nursery but I have to take my eldest to hospital this morning. I am worried that I am not going to get back on time to collect them and have suggested over the last 3 days several times to the parents that I will get my "stand by" to collect the children and if I am going to be much longer than 45mintues after collection time I shall call the parents and see what they want to do.

Parents will not give me a straight answer, they keep murmering about coming out of work blah blah, and they pull a face every time I mention the standby picking up. I last rang them at 8.15pm last night and left a message to which they have not got back to me, I have even prepared the "permission forms for the standby to give to nursery etc....

The poor old standby is putting her morning on hold because I can't get a straight answer from the parents (as usual).....

big sigh

I have been in this situation before.

Now I no longer mess around.....

They either give consent straight away or I tell them that I am not available to pick their child up and that I am taking the day off.......you would be surprised how quickly they sign the forms

[susi513]

like your method dee !

Its a good idea to contact Ofsted if you ever have to go over your numbers in an emergency, I hadn't thought of that, but did have a lengthy conversation with inspector about emergencies. What she said was that in a genuine emergency you have to do whats in the best interests of the child(ren) under the circumstances you find yourself in and Ofsted would consider each situation on an individual basis.

[nannan]

Hi Dee, no like you I was also told not to put another childminder over her numbers even in an emergency, would love to have the inspectors name who thinks it is ok, in my experience with ofsted and after four inspections in the last three years with them they have always struck to the same story. Which is for an emergency you can leave the children with a responsible adult, and the parents are to pick them up as soon as they possible can, i.e within an hour, two at the longest. I have Dee as my main emergency cover,and would use if not putting her over her numbers, and who my parent knows, but also have a couple of non-registered friends who ofsted told me they would prefer I used in an emergency, so far not needed to do any, sorry if gone on a bit

[Pauline]

A minder friend of mine had a serious emergency just before Christmas last year when a baby stopped breathing. Her friend was visiting at the time and looked after the children while the minder went with the baby in the ambulance. The minder phoned all the parents from the ambulance to explain and they were all happy about it and said they would get back immediately.

Because the child was taken to hospital she notified Ofsted who said that they would have to investigate because she had left the children in the care of a person with no checks. Naturally that worried her because she though she had done the best she could at the time and couldn't really let the baby go un accompanied to hospital.

Ofsted never followed it up nor investigated, yet caused her lots of sleepless nights thinking they would!

So, perhaps best to follow your instincts at the time on what is best to do?

Baby made a full recover by the way

[sarah707]

Gosh that's a worrying story Pauline - it must have been scary for your friend as well, being told that when she'd done her best in a difficult situation.

I think maybe the answer is, regardless of what we feel is best, we might be well advised to send the child unaccompanied and stay with the rest of the children... what a dreadful state of affairs though

[Tatia]

It's a whole different kettle of fish if the child in the emergency is your own, though.

[Pauline]

Gosh that's a worrying story Pauline - it must have been scary for your friend as well, being told that when she'd done her best in a difficult situation.

I think maybe the answer is, regardless of what we feel is best, we might be well advised to send the child unaccompanied and stay with the rest of the children... what a dreadful state of affairs though

That's the problem, you have three choices and it has to be a split second decision: -

do you leave a young baby to go alone with strangers, frightened and upset and the crew perhaps not having full details about their medical history if you don't have time to tell them at the door.

Do you leave children at home in familiar surroundings with someone you trust and go with baby.

Do you go with baby and take the other children with you to hospital too, risking long waits in a not so nice, stressful area.

I think I'd go with baby and leave the others with a trusted friend and argue the toss with Ofsted if necessary, citing you had the best interests of the ALL children at heart when you made the decision.

[Pauline]

It's a whole different kettle of fish if the child in the emergency is your own, though.

Very true and in that case you would have to go!

[Tatia]

I'd call my back-up minders or a friend, whoever I get hold of first. As I have been advised that in true emergencies and as long as we let them know, OFSTED will be okay with minders going over their numbers so long as parents are called to collect as soon as possible, then I'm not worrying about it. I just hope to goodness iot never becomes an issue for me!

[nannan]

I agree, I would leave the other children with a trusted friend or childminder, who ever I got hold of first, and argue the toss with ofsted afterwards

[ChocolateChip]

Interesting reading, and a couple of scary stories!
Very helpful again, thanks so much everyone!
I've done my forms and policy and made sure I've emphasised the fact that they need to pick up asap if this happens, and even done a separate bit for the schookids, whether they can be booked into after school club, parents liable for any fees, check closing times, etc, so quite pleased with that!
Don't know what I'd do without you all!

[Rach30]

But i have a form stating that i wouldn't go in the ambulance with a child as i'd have to stay with the others . Seems harsh i know but what can you do ! If it was child in the emergancy it would be different .

[lissy]

What do you do if you dont know any other minders or have anyone close by for back up?? I have on my emergency form i wouldnt be able to go in ambulance if have other children in my care, and that parents should have cover in place in case of sickness or emergencies but that wouldnt help me if something happened. Any advice??

[Kat]

Hi,

I have question regarding permission to leave kids in care of someone else?

Do parents have to sign prmission for that?

Can any body have some example of that kind of letter ?

Thank you

Kat