Locks

Two questions on the subject of locks...

Do any of you have locks on internal doors because of childminding? When I had my 'no children on roll' inspection a year ago, I was showing the inspector around upstairs and I showed her my DD's sewing room. She does have a few sharp craft tools in there and a couple of sewing machines. I showed her (silly me) how the sharp tools were kept in a box on top of a kalax. She said I would also need a lock on the door. I don't want a lock on the door (which would be on the landing). I'm sure next time I have an inspection, they will check this now that she mentioned it. So, am I being foolish to not get a lock on that door? I just don't think it would look homely.

Second question. Do we need to keep our front doors actually locked when we are at home with the mindees? Or is it ok if they are just closed and the mindees can't reach to open them no-one from outside can get in without a key? My patio doors at the back are unlocked when I am at home but the gate to the back garden is locked - is that enough?

I think if you can show a comprehensive risk assessment you should be ok.

Do children go upstairs by themselves? If not, I don’t see the problem with not having locks on the doors. Here, some of the children do go upstairs by themselves to go to the toilet. I have the hook and eye type catches on the bedroom doors but I only put them on if there are children here who will go upstairs alone.
They’ve never been checked at an inspection but I have them on for my own peace of mind. My children are adults so have things in their rooms that I don’t want young children having access to, plus I don’t want nosy little monkeys wandering in even though I tell the, not to!

As for the front door, ours is always locked, even when I’m not working. It’s just routine that we always lock the door and hang the key up next to it on a high hook. The back door isn’t always locked when we’re home, but no one can get into the back garden. Again, do a thorough risk assessment - if children can’t get out and no one else can get in, I don’t see a problem. Just make sure you cover all possibilities. Eg. What if a child stood on a chair, could they reach the lock to open it?

Maza I have the chain on the front door when I have childminding children here. I have two doors, the door that leads into the porch, left unlocked for parents to put bags and coats in and put their children’s slippers on, then a Yale locked door into the house, if closed locked and when children in the house chain applied.
Back door open for fresh air, garden is secure with key locked high gates and 6-7 ft fences either side.

Could you put a high up hook on bedroom door I know not nice looking( small one) or a gate to this room? One reason I stopped using upstairs for childminding I just use downstairs.

Our front door is always locked with the key out of reach, I don't use upstairs for childminding so that isn't an issue you. Our back door isn't always locked but we have a high fence around the garden and our gate is locked top and bottom.

Do you need to use upstairs ?

When I first became a childminder in 2015 the woman doing my pre-reg inspection asked me to put locks on my upstairs doors so I did. I don't think I used them beyond the first few weeks of childminding as I risked assessed what children could reach and which rooms would be easy for them to access should I not be supervising them upstairs. I used upstairs for sleep time only. At my graded inspection I didn't get asked about it and the woman didn't go upstairs. I'm in a different house now and have not put locks upstairs and don't intend to!