Business plan necessary?

[jadavi]

I have a super officious and bossy d o

On my rag she says I need a business plan.
For whom?
I don't need one myself - I have a good business head and my business is thriving.
Should I just ignore her or will Ofsted expect one?

[Mouse]

I'd ignore her!

Ofsted might like to see what your future plans are, but that's in terms of resources you might like to get, what training you might do etc. Certainly not a financial business plan.

I know our LA has asked for them before when we've been able to apply for grants, but that's really for nurseries, not childminders. I wouldn't do one just for the sake of it, or just because some DO has decided you should have one.

[jadavi]

I've challenged her on it by email...

Same lady who expects a detailed toy cleaning rota with dates stuck on the wall!
#%^**** !!!!

[Twinkling Stars]

I have a business plan but only so I could get funding when I started up nearly 18months ago. My DO or Ofsted were not bothered about reading it. xx

[jadavi]

I can't think why she gives me these demands.

None of the other local cms get this from the others. I intend to request someone different next year if I can.... Hopefully the local child minding team will have disbanded by then.

[missgill]

I would not let them do a RAG rating on me as I do not intend to offer funded places nor apply for a grant of any sort. Also they could not explain to my satisfaction some ridiculous measures that were needed......including this business plan for 5 years because if I was honest in it I would say make enough money to pay off all my bills in the next year and give up! I also said that I did not care what other childminders charged as that was between me, the parents and the tax man.......If I did not know what others charge in this area it is an automatic red rating........why? . When pressed further they admitted that nobody could see the ratings anyway and they were just for their statistics (if I did not want money from the council that is). I have seen so many childminders getting into a state over the RAG. Some were even under the impression it was a legal requirement as that had been hinted at. If the RAG was there to enhance my service then so be it, but some of the aspects of it were no more than jobs worth, box ticking exercises duplicating Ofsted requirements with a load of added extras on top. I told the DO that she was more than welcome to drop into my setting at any time if it was a genuine offer to help with improving my setting but I would not be bullied into giving my setting a name, changing my bank account, changing my email, enforcing the parents to register their children with sure start against their will etc. etc.......rant over!

[sarah707]

Some Ofsted inspectors want to see an action plan for the future... a business plan is for you and your future, nothing to do with Ofsted really.

I found this very valuable when I did it the other day as part of my CPD - Business Skills (Health Check) Audit Tool Questionaire - would she be happy with it do you think?

[jadavi]

Thanks Sarah ill have a look

What is the CPD?

Cheers x

[sarah707]

Continuous professional development - CPD - Ofsted are keen to see that you are constantly improving.

As training courses disappear due to lack of funding, I think that self initiated CPD is going to become more and more important.

I have popped a few CPD challenges into the Forum Blog recently - have you seen them?

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/fo...ra-policy.html

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/fo...ldminders.html

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/fo...-eyfs-cpd.html

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/fo...log-1-cpd.html

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/fo...log-2-cpd.html

Hth

[Simona]

A business plan is to do with financial matters and, unless things have changed, Ofsted has never been interested in that side of things

When it comes to LAs it seems they never learn...is it their remit to ask for one?
Yes when it comes to getting new resources to reflect your practice and cater for all children, inclusion and diversity but not in terms of financial sustainability...maybe they ought to reflect that many of their 'barriers, additional conditions and poor Free entitlement rates' actually cause cms worry about sustainability.

Whatever next??