Essex self ragging

**loobyloo** · 29-04-2010, 08:46 PM

Is Essex the only county doing quality matters and yearly assessments as well as our ofsted Inspection.So far ive heard childminders have been told they will get red(lowest grade)for simply not completing and returning the additional paperwork.It seems not only are we judged by Ofsted but also the local council.It seems totally demorilising to be awarded good and outstanding by ofsted and made to feel inadequate by our local early years team.The local conversation among childminders in Essexis "Have you been Ragged yet "-it sounds awlful.
Some of us feel bullied into completing deadlines-please can we just play and enjoy being a childminder!!!!!!!!!!

Pipsqueak · 29-04-2010, 09:12 PM

i have heard about this - is there a link you can give us.
cdw was talking about this.

**sarah707** · 30-04-2010, 06:57 AM

in Cheshire we have something called 'moving on' and if they eventually decide to accredit us we will have 'starting off' or some such nonsense.

it's just paper to fill in for the sake of filling it in, especially if you have a SEF in place.

**gegele** · 09-08-2010, 06:42 AM

i'm being raged on wednesday

not happy but it has to be done.

you won't be red if you're outstanding with ofsted!!!! they give you a couple of hours/days/week to sort some of the things out you haven't got.

i'm not doing anything except my sef as i still haven't done it, i never sent back the paper for the rag as the NCMA lady coming to do visit will do it for me at visit.
the rest it's some tidying up in my paperwork as i have a tendency to "put that there for now"

just need to put everyone in their right folder in the right order!

rag is a pain but essex have the lowest grading of the country!!!!!!!! by doing something every year at least it will stop some of them to do nothing until a month before ofsted come! i know one who wasn't even insured in between inspection!!!!!

i think that because it is the development lady from nacma doing it i'm a bit more relax.

well i'll tell you thursday how it went, if she doesn't give me green i bury her in my sand pit ah ah ah ah ah ah aha h

**gegele** · 12-08-2010, 08:13 AM

I'm green

with no action! i'm really good and aware of the EYFS and children development,........

**Joannechildmind** · 12-08-2010, 11:31 AM

i had my N.C.M.A visit done the week they were posting the letters out (in march i think ) my development officer told me i would still need to do the self rag

although i was all green.

**wellybelly** · 12-08-2010, 11:39 AM

So what are the colour categories then and is this anything to do with accreditatin / FICCRS? Or neither?

**miffy** · 12-08-2010, 11:56 AM

What a horrible term - they could have called it something better!

Well done gegele

I'm glad they don't do that around here!

Miffy xx

**breezy** · 12-08-2010, 03:59 PM

Still waiting for mine, filled in form because felt we had no choice, what do they do if you get red? They're not Ofsted even if they think they are !!!!!!!!!!!
Goodness knows what they'd do if we refused on the grounds it was more unnecessary paperwork and duplicating what we already do for ofsted.

Its called rag because its RED, AMBER, GREEN !

**FussyElmo** · 12-08-2010, 04:17 PM

We've had this but nothing as stressful as some of you. We were given a folder and work through it with our Do's when they visit.

I took it as a tool to see where I needed to improve on and where I didnt

**gegele** · 12-08-2010, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by breezy

Still waiting for mine, filled in form because felt we had no choice, what do they do if you get red? They're not Ofsted even if they think they are !!!!!!!!!!!
Goodness knows what they'd do if we refused on the grounds it was more unnecessary paperwork and duplicating what we already do for ofsted.

Its called rag because its RED, AMBER, GREEN !

I didn't fill anypapers, my do did it all. report will be sent in october.

the RAG standard can be good if for example you had a satisfactory by ofsted but you think you deserve a good now if you're ragged green you can point this to the parents that you have improved yourself....
3years it's a long time to carry a grade

i know childminders who behave like if they're the top bananas but refused to get ragged because most of the paperwork is not in place!!!!!!
i think it's good to be kept on our toes a bit. well help me getting and staying organised.

and it's good to be ragged before being ofsteded (LOL) as you can "practice inspection LOL" and you'll know what you need to do to improve for inspection.

**breezy** · 12-08-2010, 06:58 PM

I can see the good points, but I feel they're asking us to do everything twice ( once for them and once for Ofsted), instead of giving us more support on a regular basis and leading up to ofsted. My Do has NEVER visited me, before or after Ofsted or anywhere in between.
I would prefer more regular informal support than a good ragging any day

**mrs lilly** · 31-08-2010, 04:24 PM

I threw mine in the bin, if they contact me then so be it but I am not chasing them for it. They are not OFSTED and I couldn't care less what they grade me as, I got GOOD with OUSTANDING aspects from OFTSED and that is all I care about

**magicminding** · 07-09-2010, 04:17 PM

RAG - red / amber / green. I've been ragged! Lol - sounds like something you want to prosecute after it's happened to you!

I agree with a lot of the points raised, for minders who deserved better than their grade, it is something they can show to prove development. However - I've not seen any public communication that tells parents what it's about - almost a year after I attended an information evening. Lets face it - most parents don't even care about your Ofsted report - so a county council grading they know nothing about will mean even less.

I do agree in principle to the ragging system - if you've nothing to hide it offers parents more reassurance, but so many CMs round here hide, and have shocking practices - will that really improve?????? I'm trying to keep an open mind........

However, I am really mad, because I am accreditted and used to get termly visits plus my annual review 3 / 4 visits per year, so I had lots of time to prove to my development worker I was worthy of my green grading, and lots of opportunities to be advised of updates to policies and procedures that are a must. I was told this week that now you get one visit a year and that's when they rag you - I am mad.

I was told "Well we'll see you at drop ins" perhaps I should not attend when I know cdw is attending - cos apparently off the radar minders get more visits.

Information evenings last term were a joke - they were embarressing IMO, so needless to say shant waste my time this term.

Thank heavens for you all on here, because I don't suppose I'd find anything out if it weren't for these forums

**karenandsmile** · 07-09-2010, 04:39 PM

i have been ragged too and i didnt even know it !!!! lol my network officer comes round about every couple of months or so if you are accredited but i do know it is once a year for childminders who dont have funded children and i can always ring her and demand a visit if needed i do use my network officer to MY adavatage i will ring her up and give her problems she wish she didnt have like have you got contacts and record forms in polish (didnt have much luck with that ) and i will be having her visit me before my next inspection

i have a good network officer and am pleased with her feed back and support use them thats what there there for