Leaving children in room with suitable person?

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15-01-2018, 10:02 PM
Mouse

Leaving children in room with suitable person?

What is your understanding of family who have a DBS check and a letter of suitability from Ofsted being left alone with children?

Do you leave your family members in the room while you're not there or do you make sure they leave the room, or do you take the children with you? I mean if you're still in the house, so going to the toilet, going to another room to collect something, taking a child to the door at home time etc, not if you're leaving the house.

At our group last week we had a discussion about how we interpret it. I've always happily left my family in the room with minded children if I go to the toilet, to the door etc. The children are still in hearing distance at all times. Other childminders were saying they get their family to leave the room if they do, not leaving their husband, for example, alone with the children. I thought it was OK as long as they had a letter of suitability but now I'm not so sure.

WHat about if you have an apprentice or assistant? Can they be left in the room with children if they have a DBS and letter of suitability, or do they have to have a First Aid Certificate to even be alone in the room with children?

The more I think about it the more confused I make myself!
16-01-2018, 01:13 PM
chris goodyear

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mouse

What is your understanding of family who have a DBS check and a letter of suitability from Ofsted being left alone with children?

Do you leave your family members in the room while you're not there or do you make sure they leave the room, or do you take the children with you? I mean if you're still in the house, so going to the toilet, going to another room to collect something, taking a child to the door at home time etc, not if you're leaving the house.

At our group last week we had a discussion about how we interpret it. I've always happily left my family in the room with minded children if I go to the toilet, to the door etc. The children are still in hearing distance at all times. Other childminders were saying they get their family to leave the room if they do, not leaving their husband, for example, alone with the children. I thought it was OK as long as they had a letter of suitability but now I'm not so sure.

WHat about if you have an apprentice or assistant? Can they be left in the room with children if they have a DBS and letter of suitability, or do they have to have a First Aid Certificate to even be alone in the room with children?

The more I think about it the more confused I make myself!

Assistants must have their First Aid and it be up to date, to be left alone with the children for up to 2 hours. As for leaving them with family members I do and they are within hearing or even sight all the time, I never thought it wasn't the right thing to do and can just imagine what my family would have said if they had to leave the room just because I went to the toilet or answered the door!
16-01-2018, 02:17 PM
BallyH

I have left them in the room with family members when I go to the door or toilet or another room to collect something. But I don't close any doors behind me, I even leave the toilet door slightly ajar so I can hear everything.
16-01-2018, 04:55 PM
moggy

No problem to have them in the same room as family member without you in the same room- that is what DBS is for, IMO. Always in your own hearing or sight.
Would be bonkers to have your own family having to leave the room for you to have a wee! My whole ground floor is open plan so they'd have to stand in the garden! which shows how mad that idea is!
It is even safer, I'd say, to have a family member still there watching mindee while I pop to loo, rather than leave mindee completely alone.
16-01-2018, 06:01 PM
FloraDora

When I was last inspected and I was on high alert to do everything completely right so no grey areas to have to discuss with inspector, a LO walked away from me into the kitchen, out of sight. All doors were open so technically I could say in earshot ( though my hearing might not have detected anything! ) but it was a distance through the house.
I was left washing other18 months hands in a bowl after craft, at the craft table, older LO wanted to show DH her picture..so off she went.
I had an internal thought about him being on his own with her...a fair way from me in a different room and the inspector was in the corner of my room writing notes. This thought blew up in my ‘being inspected, so everything has to be an issue’ mind.....but I took a deep breath and completed my task...I then took younger child into kitchen with her picture and also showed it to DH. Inspector followed . DH was bent down discussing how she could improve her picture ( ever the design and technology teacher, treating a 4 year old like a 16 year old.)
Outside later when the LO’s were absorbed in play she chatted with me as I stepped back from them and watched. She asked if the LO going into the kitchen to see DH often happened....it was such a loaded question ( or so I thought).
Was she implying she shouldn’t be in the kitchen or with DH ( who obviously showed he wasn’t attune to responding to a 4 year olds craft activity ) or because she was with someone else not in my sight or earshot ? He wasn’t my registered assistant but has up to date paediatric first aid as he did volunteer wood working with a local primary Pru...I was about to defend...when she said “ I think it is so good that she feels safe and secure with your husband, it is obvious by the way they talk to each other that she is relaxed and happy in his company”. I breathed out.

So, from that I would say there is no problem with LO’s being alone with a family member who has been checked.
17-01-2018, 10:12 AM
FussyElmo

I got ds's suitability letter this week and it says

I am pleased to tell you that fussyelmo junior is suitable to:
Have regular contact with children
At
Fussyelmo
Sesame st
Florida
USA.

So that to me means I can leave him in a room if I need to pop out to another. In fairness most of the time he disappears to his room and only appears for food.
17-01-2018, 10:31 AM
Mouse

Quote:

Originally Posted by moggy

No problem to have them in the same room as family member without you in the same room- that is what DBS is for, IMO. Always in your own hearing or sight.
Would be bonkers to have your own family having to leave the room for you to have a wee! My whole ground floor is open plan so they'd have to stand in the garden! which shows how mad that idea is!
It is even safer, I'd say, to have a family member still there watching mindee while I pop to loo, rather than leave mindee completely alone.

That's my view exactly. It just surprised me that a couple of childminders don't leave their own family alone in a room with mindees. I would much rather leave a family member watching them than leaving them alone.
17-01-2018, 10:38 AM
Mouse

Thanks everyone.

I've always thought it was OK to leave family members with minded children as long as they have a DBS (or whatever) and have been judged suitable by Ofsted.

My family knows the rules - no photos, nothing unsuitable on TV or phones etc. I've been minding for so long it's second nature to them so I know they're ok with the children for the short time I'm out of the room.
17-01-2018, 03:02 PM
hectors house

I was sure you could leave them in a room with family members who have CRB/DBS but just couldn't leave them with family members who popped in occasionally or friends who don't have a check.
17-01-2018, 04:48 PM
Dragonfly

That’s how I see it Hectors house
17-01-2018, 06:35 PM
loocyloo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mouse

Thanks everyone.

I've always thought it was OK to leave family members with minded children as long as they have a DBS (or whatever) and have been judged suitable by Ofsted.

My family knows the rules - no photos, nothing unsuitable on TV or phones etc. I've been minding for so long it's second nature to them so I know they're ok with the children for the short time I'm out of the room.

same here, and that's what i do!
31-01-2018, 03:21 PM
Fitrix

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mouse

That's my view exactly. It just surprised me that a couple of childminders don't leave their own family alone in a room with mindees. I would much rather leave a family member watching them than leaving them alone.

So they won’t leave mindees with other family members. But happy to leave mindees with other mindees?!!! This is classic non existent use of common sense!!