anyone else think it's unfair

[Helen79]

that when our own children are at nursery they're still counted in our numbers?

I've had to turn away a few enquiries recently because I'd be over my numbers by a few hours even though my ds is at nursery and right now is counted in their ratios.
It's really frustrating that when there's no work around I'm having to turn away work even though my ds isn't in my care at those times and that ofsted just have a blanket rule instead of looking at each case individually

[Helen79]

and if my ds was at nursery so that I could go to work in another nursery, he wouldn't be included in my work's nursery numbers so why should he be included in my numbers just because I work at home??
at ofsted rules

[miffy]

Any chance you could apply for a variation for the few hours your own ds is at nursery - that would be one way round it

Miffy xx

[bandlady]

Could you get anyone to register as your assistant and maybe Ofsted will increase your numbers.

I have had many run ins with Ofsted over the years about this and have had many variations granted but I have now registered my husband, son(19) and daughter(17) and have had my overall numbers increased and hopefully for the forseeable future I will not have to liase with Ofsted over the number of children I can now care for. Ofsted have increase my numbers to nine children overall six of which can be in the EYFS and this is only when working with one assistantat at any one time. This has now given me the flexibility of increasing my numbers and using my family members as and when needed. I am fortunate that my husband works flexi hours, my daughter is at college but her timetable allows her to help me out and my son I use as and when I need to.

I do pay my daughter and son for their time and I would certainly think about employing an assistant once my children can no longer help out. I wish I had looked into this earlier because it would have saved me turning a lot of work away due to Ofsted's limitations on numbers.

Denise

[Rubybubbles]

Any chance you could apply for a variation for the few hours your own ds is at nursery - that would be one way round it

Miffy xx

agree with this and have also had them inplace for same reasons when my own children were smaller

[Helen79]

Any chance you could apply for a variation for the few hours your own ds is at nursery - that would be one way round it

I've phoned a few times in the last month but if it's new business they won't grant it unless the LA phone them to confirm that there's no other childcare places available in the area.

I just can't understand why the rule is there. If I worked in a nursery and my ds was suddenly ill and I had to collect him, then my nursery would be over their numbers if they couldn't find anyone to cover so don't can't see why he's still included in my numbers just because my setting is in my home.
The rising 5 rule should be lowered to include children that are in nursery or pre-school imo.

I can't get an assistant as I wouldn't be able to pay them.

[SammyM]

Am I missing something here, when I registered OFSTED told me that my own children were in addition to whatever is on my certificate eg 4 under 8, 2 in early years and 1 under 1 (My son is 7 and Daughter is 3)

[snufflepuff]

Am I missing something here, when I registered OFSTED told me that my own children were in addition to whatever is on my certificate eg 4 under 8, 2 in early years and 1 under 1 (My son is 7 and Daughter is 3)

Do you mean 2 in the early years of which only 1 can be under 1? Rather than 2 in early years AND one under one?

The problem is, you can care for 2 EYFS mindees plus your daughter. If your daughter goes to pre-school, you can still only care for 2 EYFS mindees- you cannot fill your daughters space even though she is not there. On the other hand, if a mindee is at pre-school, you can fill their space with another mindee.

[Helen79]

The problem is, you can care for 2 EYFS mindees plus your daughter. If your daughter goes to pre-school, you can still only care for 2 EYFS mindees- you cannot fill your daughters space even though she is not there. On the other hand, if a mindee is at pre-school, you can fill their space with another mindee.

ds isn't on my certificate but is still counted in my numbers so i can only have 2 EY mindees. As soon as he goes to school next september my certificate will change to allow me to have 3 mindees in the EY group.
It's just frustrating that when he's at nursery and counted in their ratios that I can't fill his space as if he was a mindee if that makes sense and have 3 EY mindees.

[snufflepuff]

ds isn't on my certificate but is still counted in my numbers so i can only have 2 EY mindees

Same here.

[stardust]

and if my ds was at nursery so that I could go to work in another nursery, he wouldn't be included in my work's nursery numbers so why should he be included in my numbers just because I work at home??
at ofsted rules

It is because they look at it as if your child is ill or the nursery needs to close in an emergency your are the child's emergency contact. I asked at my pre-reg visit.
I have the same problem my son is 4 months old and so he gets 1 on 1 and because has over bearing grand parents he will be with my mother and grandmother 2 days a week - all day! But even though they will have him all day and if he was ill they would just pamper and spoil him more rather than send him home He still needs to be counted in my numbers. Its naff isn't it!

[Helen79]

It is because they look at it as if your child is ill or the nursery needs to close in an emergency your are the child's emergency contact.

My husband is my ds's emergency contact when he's at nursery. Just because I'm at home doesn't mean that I can drop work any quicker than he can. and if neither of us could get away from work then they'd have to do what us cm's may have to do if a parent can't get to us in an emergency and send ds off in the ambulance by himself or send a member of staff.
The same would apply too if I worked in a different childcare setting, if I had to go to collect ds in an emergency then the my setting would then be over their numbers but they don't restrict their ratio's because staff have EY age children. It's ridiculous that just because we're a home care setting that we have different rules to any other childcare provider regarding this.

[Helen79]

and also in the 6 years that I've had 2 children in nursery or school I've only ever had to collect because of illness twice in all that time.
The chances of it happening are so small it's just so frustrating that I've had to turn away parents who are desperate for childcare and me who's desperate for the work.
I had to turn down a 100pound a week job this week because I'd be over my numbers for 2 hours in the whole week, and that 2 hours was when ds was at nursery. I phoned ofsted for a variation and there's just a blanket rule saying no to new business instead of looking at cases individually.

[aly]

dont nurseries have extra staff though for this sort of thing...floaters that are there to cover should there be an emergency or for lunchtimes etc, so if you did have to leave to pick up your child then the extra staff are there to covr?

[bandlady]

Hi

I have sent you a pm.

Denise

[Helen79]

dont nurseries have extra staff though for this sort of thing...floaters that are there to cover should there be an emergency or for lunchtimes etc, so if you did have to leave to pick up your child then the extra staff are there to covr?

Not all the time. When i worked in the before and after school club there would be the minimum number of staff, so often just 2 of us. So if one of us needed to leave on an emergency we'd be over the numbers with very little chance of getting someone else to cover. So that would leave 1 member of staff on her own with too many children which would be the same as my situation as a cm at home if my son were to come home.