Kitchen question

[JennyM]

My kitchen doesn't have a door. I am wondering if I need to put a gate on the doorway.

I really don't want one as there is one on the bottom of the stairs close by and I am worried my house will start to look like a prison. Also, the back door leads to the kitchen so if children are in the garden they can easily get into the kitchen.

I have locks on the cupboard under the sink and the drawer with sharp items inside. Will that be enough do you think?

[annalg]

What did Ofsted say on your pre-reg visit? I was told to divide my kitchen with a room divider to ensure children couldn't reach the cooker & oven.

[Penny1959]

Provided you can explain to Ofsted how you will keep the children safe - there is no need to have a gate.

However I would personally be considering how I would keep them safe when the cooker was on.

Penny

[JennyM]

What did Ofsted say on your pre-reg visit? I was told to divide my kitchen with a room divider to ensure children couldn't reach the cooker & oven.

My pre-reg was in my old flat. I did have a gate there but had no stairs.

What I try to do at the moment is batch cook so that I only have to use the microwave and then the back hobs for pasta, rice etc. My oven door doesn't actually get hot but I suppose it is a risk when taking things out of the oven etc.

Would a kitchen/cooking risk assessment cover it all do you think?

My own children (aged three and ten months) are aware that the cooker is hot and not to touch it and I think it's important to teach children that and not just have everything locked away.

I know Ofsted might not agree.

[rickysmiths]

In all the 17 years I have mined, in our flat, in the house as we bought it and now with the extention I have never had a kitchen which I could shut the door on. In my new kitchen i have RAs and I don't have a cupboard lock on any of the doors or drawers. I am lucky enough to have a seperate Utility room now so all my cleaning stuff etc is in there in a high cupboard with and I have an alarm on the door to the room.

The main thing is that the children are not in the kitchen without me anyway.

[carol cameron]

I live in an old Victorian house and the children have to go through my kitchen to get to the bathroom. I have never had a gate on, either for my own children or in the 15 years I have been childminding.It has never been an issue for Ofsted.

[JennyM]

Thank you all.

I will just make sure I have a confident, thorough, answer when they ask me about it.