register as food business

**disney** · 18-06-2008, 12:05 PM

just had a letter come saying that as i provide food for my mindees i will have to keep every single raceipt that has been spent on food even if its under £10 and that this is a legal requirment by the food standards agency . and that i have to contact my enviromental health officer to register food business

but i was thinking that i do not want to provide any food then as i really cant be bothered to save any more recipts plus i dont have any more storage space for them

and to be honest feeding the mindees in with my price is making me lose out . also i get a bit fed up when parents say to me i havnt got time to make lunch or i cant be bothered ect . they say i have more time

yes with a house full of children .and the funny thing is during school time the parents make them packed lunch but when they come to me on school hols they ask me to provide it .

any way do you think parents would understand why i will not do food and will i still need to register if i dont do food x

**katickles** · 18-06-2008, 12:16 PM

I provide food as all the minders in my area do so didn't want to put myself out of the competition so to speak.

Dee wrote about this a while ago, the need for all food receipts. TBH i haven't actually started keeping them yet

I must do I now & will really try to do so from now on.

I don't know about not having to register but you could always ring the Envorimental Department & ask?

Sorry not much help there was I?

**kindredspirits** · 18-06-2008, 12:19 PM

i think you still have to register with environmental health as you are providing at a very minimum, drinking water. i don't think they do much just put it on their system.
i don't think its a problem not providing food - i intend to ask for a packed lunch to be provided and to charge if they don't provide their own dinner - not sure how much yet, but £3 per hour is really cheap if you also throw in good food.

**haribo** · 18-06-2008, 12:20 PM

not sure where you stand on this but i dont think i will be providing food if i have to keep those sort of receicpts!(i cant spell it either!) its ridiculous, i mean we dont shop seperatly for mindees food so how can we break it down??who was the letter fromif you havent registered as a food business? sorry not much help

**disney** · 18-06-2008, 12:23 PM

well i have asked a fewminders in my area and im the only one that does food . good idea i will ring them and see thanks

sorry just think we do alot
of things already i cant cope with any more

just thought some one would no some thing x

**FizzysFriends** · 18-06-2008, 12:25 PM

I have just called our local environment health to get my forms sent out to register so I asked them what happens if Im not going to provide any food and they said I still have to register if I am providing drinks, if they are bringing their own drinks then I just have to call and let them know if dont provide them.

**disney** · 18-06-2008, 12:30 PM

my letter came today from leicesstershire county council and i charge £3 per hour and include all drinks , snacks , breakfast and lunch and its costing me a far amount in bread , milk , yoghurt and friuit

did not think they would it this much x

**disney** · 18-06-2008, 12:42 PM

surley having to register just to provid water or drinks is just silly . any child could go around a friends house and have a drink couldnt they ifycwim its just crazy but if they say that then they will have to bring all drinks as well im afraid

x

**FizzysFriends** · 18-06-2008, 12:47 PM

May be its different with different councils, that was NW leicestershire that I called. They also said they will come out and inspect

**babyandchild** · 18-06-2008, 12:59 PM

I'm in Kent and all childminders within my council have to register with Environmental Health. I did put myself on a food hygiene course last year to find out whats entailed....and another certificate is always good!
I don't provide food, all the children bring their own, but I did have an inspection and the officer came to check the cleanliness of my kitchen and check fridge / freezer temperatures.
He did say that as I provide minimal food / drink (just snacks and juice / water), I would be able to fill out an annual questionnaire instead and that they probably wouldn't inspect again!

Hope that helps x

**disney** · 18-06-2008, 03:44 PM

i have also done a food hygeine course but still dont think i will be providing food from now on only drinks and snacks . its put me of with all this receipts stuff i know they used to do this were i worked at the nursery but im not a nursery im supposed to be a home from home

x

Pipsqueak · 18-06-2008, 03:59 PM

Even if you provide only snacks and drinks you have to register and also if you are only storing the packed lunch the child brings.

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/fo...ad.php?t=10658

It has been a legal requirement since 2002 - some authorities have just not enforced it

**buildingblocks** · 18-06-2008, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by disney

any way do you think parents would understand why i will not do food and will i still need to register if i dont do food x

I know of someone who does not provide anything not even snacks - parents quite happy with that and so were OFsted she got outstanding

**manjay** · 18-06-2008, 07:34 PM

All I am doing is keeping all my food receipts. they go in a file and can be looked through by whoever wants to if it ever became necessary.

**crazybones** · 18-06-2008, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by manjay

All I am doing is keeping all my food receipts. they go in a file and can be looked through by whoever wants to if it ever became necessary.

That's what I have done since Dee first posted about it. Dont know what they are going to do about the meat from the butchers or the veg from the greengrocers as they dont give receipts.

Pipsqueak · 18-06-2008, 07:56 PM

Its not necessarily about keeping receipts for environmental health. In the pack there is a section for you to record where you have got your supplies from. You don't have to detail every item when you have been to Tesco but just put your main shopping areas or 18/6 - 1lb mince from choppies butchers...

**crazybones** · 18-06-2008, 07:59 PM

That sounds better. Havent got to that bit yet.

**manjay** · 18-06-2008, 08:14 PM

The way I understood the guidelines is that receipts or invoices have to be kept for all food products so that food can be traced if needed.

**disney** · 19-06-2008, 06:18 AM

oh i see thanks every one still thinking about it well of course i will register as it says it is law any way .but dont think iwill be doing food or snacks any more im afraid

im struggling with the normal paper work keeping on top just doing taxes , invoices , receipts , monthly news , daily diarys and activities sheets , potty sheets , fire drills , safety cheeck forms and all the rest of the forms and adding and up dating paper work . that i realy dont want to do any more . and now im full and my 6 month old grandson lives with hes been up all night with his teeth im tired & dont have the time x

Pipsqueak · 19-06-2008, 06:26 AM

Originally Posted by manjay

The way I understood the guidelines is that receipts or invoices have to be kept for all food products so that food can be traced if needed.

Yes ideally you need to keep receipts (he said for a max of approx 3 weeks/1month) but in the pack there is a space to write down your regular suppliers (a little wallet to stick your receipts) and he said in the (daily) diary part you can write down where you bought the food for the week - ie 19/6 shopped at A*da - 1lb mince and onions or weekly shop done at A*da, obviously if you use food from elsewhere you need to document that for that particualar day/meal