OFSTED and Parental Permission

[nannymcflea]

Following on from the thread where a childminder was struck off re;trampolines and ages.

I firstly emailed my network co-ordinator, she said manufactuers guidelines should be followed, she also said it was unlikely that OFSTED struck anybody off for just one thing, her words not mine.

I have since rang OFSTED and they said for insurance purposes that manufacturers guildlines should be followed for insurance purposes and also to cover you from parents saying the child has been using innapropriate equipment for their age. This is for climbing frames in our settings too.

I asked about climbing frames outside of the settings, at parks and was told that as long as you have parental permission for a child to use play equipment at parks you were covered, as long as you felt the child was old enough...your discression!

Hope this helps.

[helenlc]

Thank you for that. I have to admit to being a bit paranoid after having read about that.

I also had a new starter (who turns 2 this weekend) whose mum didnt initially give permission for her daughter to go on large play equipment both in my garden and in the community ie soft play and the park. I discussed this with her and explained that i would only let her go on equipment that was for her age but also equipment that I felt she was able to use safely. She agreed with this and so I have added an amendment to my permissions for her and had her sign it.

BUT i have just purchased this:

http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/O...-Slide(0029500)

Which says it is for 3 and over. So although she has been going on it, strictly speaking I shouldnt let her.

I also look after a 14 month old who has been using this in the garden:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000AOETD...U&linkCode=asn

Which says from 18 months!! So the 2 yr old should be on this and not the big slide even though by time she sits at the top of the slide on the cube thing, she is practically at the bottom already!!. And the 14 month old shouldnt be on the cube thing at all!!! I also look after a 3 yr old who can go on all of them and would be bored if I didnt have any of these type things in the garden.

I feel confident about each of them going on what they have been and dont feel that either has struggled on them. I am watching them at all times and giving instructions such as Sit on your bottom, Hold on etc and stepping in if I feel they need any assistance or I show them to something I think they can manage better.

But if they did have an accident on anything though and the parents decided to sue me or complain to Ofsted, then I would be stuck as I am not following the guidelines.

Its hard isnt it?

[Daftbat]

I think the info from Ofsted is clear and fair (for once!!!!)

I too am surprised that a CM was struck off for this one violation but who knows??

[ORKSIE]

Thanks for that Nannymcflea, will continue to change my permission forms

[ZoeAlli]

Thank you for the information. I will check my permission forms and alter where needed.

[Heaven Scent]

It wasn't Ofsted who actually made the decission on that occasion they just upheld a court judgment - - they had no choice- Yes perhaps Ofsted wouldn't strike someone off for jus one thing like this but a judge could they are supposed to just look at the evidence for a particular case and base their decision/judgment on that alone -it could have been a crusty auld fella who didn't like women, children & toys or it could have been a woman with a grudge against childminders or someone whose child had an accident in similar circumstances and the child may not have been so lucky - there are endless possibilities. - What ever it is I think we have all learne a very valuable lesson at the expense of tha poor poor woman. - the childmider involved - not the mother!!!!!!!!!!

I suppose if w buy toys 2nd hand or have had them fror a long time we will need to research them all to see the age range recommended before give them to children to play with. - Yikes thats me snookred then!!!!

[singlewiththree]

The thing is you could go too far and go through all the toys you have and not let the children play with age in-appropriate toys. A lot of baby toys say from 12mths which is a guide but if the child is developmentally ready for that toy sooner then its neglect not allowing that child to develop because on the box it says its not suitable.

[rickysmiths]

Golly this has opened up a can of worms hasn't it. I have four children with me a the moment.

1x 3.5
1x 2.9mths
1x 1.11mths and a 9mth old

I have had a Little Tikes Play Cube like the one in the link above for two years now. It says suitable from 18mths. The three older children have all played on it practically as soon as they have been walking so much earlier than 18mths.

I also have a slide that is suitable for 2yrs up that I can't be sure if some of them weren't using it before they were two.

I have been a cm for 15 years and have never had a problem with outdoor/park or indoor equipment or toys. I have all the appropriate permissions from my parents and do risk assessments all the time that are checked often.

More important though are all the toys indoors.

I believe that all the Early Learning Centre Play food is for over 3yrs all my children play with that from cetainly 13 or 14 mths so now have I got to take it away and stop/delay all the imaginative play it produces? dh and I were amazed at this when we bought some for our dd when she was 18mths and oh the fun she had.

Jigsaws are the other prime example in this house.

Just checked the Duplo web site and that is for 2-5yrs do I stop my 1yr 11mth old from building the lovely towers he has been building for the last couple of months?

I have a Playmobil Dustbin truck and a Recycling truck which with supervision all the children above apart from the 9mth, plus 4 and 5yr old after schoolies love. They see the dustbin vans in the street when we are out walking and they see me and their parents putting stuff in the recycling bins. I have a story book about this and use the playmobile with it.

Has the world gone completly mad? I'm sure if I started to make the apparently required restrictions on the bright children I care for their parents would be mortified and I actually think Ofsted would have something to say about their development and leading them on to their next stages.

Why are we all apparently panicking in reaction to one bad accident (missed all reports it must have been when I was on holiday)? If anyone can do a link I would be interested to read it. For it to have got to court though there must have been unusual circumstances and its the first time I've ever heard of this kind of thing happening in all the time I have been a mother or a childminder (16yrs)

I don't think we need to change what we are doing, just be careful we have all the checks and permissions in place and let our children grow and enjoy. I think we need to set the examples to try and stop some of this madness and to reassure our parents especially the nervous ones because we have the experience to show that we don't have to be paranoid.

[rickysmiths]

Dh has been trying to find a link to a news report on this and hasn't found anything, but did find this which I thought might be of interest.

http://www.nccma.org.uk/advice_trampolines.html

[Pipsqueak]

The NCMA Public Liability Insurance Policy does cover trampolining but they advise that this is an activity that should be risk assessed and that permission is received from the parents for the children to use the childminders trampoline.

thats interesting (as opposed to MM who DO cover).

Think I will be revising my trampoline policy but then that is going to rule out my own 4yr son using it will minded children are here

[FussyElmo]

Found the thread!!

http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/...ht=childminder

Gosh Im getting good at this!!!

[Pipsqueak]

taken from NCMA handbook08/9

cildminded children are covered when using garden play equipment providing the childminder is with the children at all times and is the person responsible for them. The childminder must also have written permission from the childrens parents

Right I have just phoned NCMA while I typed this (multitasking!!!) and the woman has clarified this for me.

yes our insurance covers us for trampolines (and all other garden play equipment) PROVIDING it is used in accordance with manufacturers guidelines - set up, maintenance etc, we have written permissions, we supervise correctly AND this is the biggie....
if a child under the age of the manufacturers guidelines is using the trampoline they are NOT covered by the insurance.

So I am guessing that child using play equipment not designed for their age group is also not covered by insurance as well (didn't clarify this bit)

[Mollymop]

I guess I am going to need a new permission form, one for park play equipment. I only have one for my garden play equipment.
Soon we'll need permission for mindees to hold a book in the library!

[Daddy Day Care]

I guess I am going to need a new permission form, one for park play equipment. I only have one for my garden play equipment.
Soon we'll need permission for mindees to hold a book in the library!

Your saying you dont have this already??????

[rickysmiths]

Your saying you dont have this already??????

Make sure you cover the loose staples and of course the risk of papercuts!

[nannymcflea]

Make sure you cover the loose staples and of course the risk of papercuts!

Forget paper cuts I had one cut his finger with a pair of scissors yesterday...might ban them too!