Can anyone tell me which courses (apart from Paediatric First Aid) are mandatory?

**lollipop kid** · 20-01-2015, 06:35 PM

Hi, I'm trying to find out which courses (apart from Paediatric First Aid) are now mandatory for Ofsted-registered Childminders?

(My enquiry is on behalf of a contact of mine who thinks their inspection might be due and who just wants to check - does she need to refresh her Food Hygiene and Child Protection courses? Will she be marked inadequate if she hasn't got these? Are there any other courses I should warn her about that might now be required by an Ofsted Inspector, such as one on EYFS Observation & Planning? She is 'old school' and has been childminding happily for over 30 years with only her Paediatric First Aid certificate under her belt.)

Thanks,

L

**natlou82** · 20-01-2015, 06:39 PM

As far as I'm aware they like to see an updated Safeguarding course and I think the online ones are adequate enough but if your friend could get on a face to face local one even better, as more relevant to local procedures.

**lollipop kid** · 20-01-2015, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by natlou82

As far as I'm aware they like to see an updated Safeguarding course and I think the online ones are adequate enough but if your friend could get on a face to face local one even better, as more relevant to local procedures.

Thanks, Natlou.

I can give her the local procedures info (or the link at least).

The problem is, she doesn't use a computer at all and is completely old-school in her ways of working. This means she's also completely out of the loop as far as our local authority Childminding team is concerned, and I don't think she's got the time available to her now to get back in the loop before her inspection....

I was planning on inviting her to my house, setting her up with the courses on my computer (but she'd have to pay for them as she's not even a signed up member of the forum as far as I know!!) and then just sit and help her with the computer commands when she gets stuck. As it's going to be a painful exercise for me, then the fewer courses I have to sit through with her, the better, as all of mine are up to date and I don't fancy the prospect of sitting through endless hours of online ones that I don't even need to do!

I hate to let people down though when they ask me for help!

**moggy** · 20-01-2015, 06:49 PM

yes, as natlou said- safeguarding is the most important one.

Food hygiene is not compulsory really, but some LA might require it, can be done online.
Any other EYFS planning/obs courses etc are purely voluntary, but if she hasn't done any for a while it would look good to at least identify a couple that she wants to do this year as part of her on going CPD and include in her self-evaluation.

**lollipop kid** · 20-01-2015, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by moggy

yes, as natlou said- safeguarding is the most important one.

Food hygiene is not compulsory really, but some LA might require it, can be done online.
Any other EYFS planning/obs courses etc are purely voluntary, but if she hasn't done any for a while it would look good to at least identify a couple that she wants to do this year as part of her on going CPD and include in her self-evaluation.

Great tip about the CPD in her self-evaluation - I'll mention this to her and help her choose some to put in there. Is Introduction to Safeguarding compulsory, then? (Or could she just cover this in her SEF CPD courses to do box?)

I'm embarrassed that I don't know the answer to this question - I've just done these as a matter of course as I personally think they're really important.

**moggy** · 20-01-2015, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by lollipop kid

... Is Introduction to Safeguarding compulsory, then? (Or could she just cover this in her SEF CPD courses to do box?)

I'm embarrassed that I don't know the answer to this question - I've just done these as a matter of course as I personally think they're really important.

Read EYFS 2014, Section 3, Paragraph 3.5: ...must attend a child protection course that...etc

And most Safeguarding/Child protection Course certificates say they should be renewed every 3 years (makes sense as Local Child Protection Board details change, local systems change, new issues come up like online/mobile phone safeguarding issues that may not have even existed a few years ago etc).

Her Local Authority might run these courses- at least she could get herself booked on one, even if the date is after the inspection. Does she have a Child Protection Course certificate at all, even an old one?

**lollipop kid** · 20-01-2015, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by moggy

Read EYFS 2014, Section 3, Paragraph 3.5: ...must attend a child protection course that...etc

And most Safeguarding/Child protection Course certificates say they should be renewed every 3 years (makes sense as Local Child Protection Board details change, local systems change, new issues come up like online/mobile phone safeguarding issues that may not have even existed a few years ago etc).

Her Local Authority might run these courses- at least she could get herself booked on one, even if the date is after the inspection. Does she have a Child Protection Course certificate at all, even an old one?

Thanks, Moggy. That is really helpful.

I'll suggest that she books herself onto the next available Local Authority course (I can obviously help her with the form and emailing it), and then keep a record of this date should her inspection pre-date it. I don't actually know if she has an old one - if she does, my guess is it might even pre-date me!

All the best,

L

**moggy** · 20-01-2015, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by lollipop kid

Thanks, Moggy. That is really helpful.

I'll suggest that she books herself onto the next available Local Authority course (I can obviously help her with the form and emailing it), and then keep a record of this date should her inspection pre-date it. I don't actually know if she has an old one - if she does, my guess is it might even pre-date me!

All the best,

L

That may be the best she/you can do... but to 'have attended a course' is a clear requirement of the EYFS, so if she has no proof of having done that it does not look good, unfortunately, could be an 'inadequate'.
Maybe she can squeeze on a course ASAP- if she/you explain the situation to her LA they might see what they can do, it is in their interest for CMers to get 'good', otherwise it looks bad for LA too, they should try to help.

Fingers crossed for her.

**lollipop kid** · 20-01-2015, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by moggy

That may be the best she/you can do... but to 'have attended a course' is a clear requirement of the EYFS, so if she has no proof of having done that it does not look good, unfortunately, could be an 'inadequate'.
Maybe she can squeeze on a course ASAP- if she/you explain the situation to her LA they might see what they can do, it is in their interest for CMers to get 'good', otherwise it looks bad for LA too, they should try to help.

Fingers crossed for her.

Thanks, Moggy. I only found out yesterday when she turned up on my doorstep in a panic because she'd had the call from the big O. I went through my checklist with her, and this flagged training needs for Safeguarding, Food Hygiene and EYFS Observation & Planning, but instead of putting her into a tailspin, I promised to check which ones were mandatory and proposed to help her find a quick solution (e.g. online from my house asap!!). I think the next LA one is in March this year, so it might be that I suggest she does the PACEY one. I've emailed the LA anyway, just in case there's an earlier one coming up that I don't know about, or to let me know if the PACEY one below will cover her.

http://www.**************/training/n..._children.aspx

It's horrible when you see someone so behind but what can you do?

**moggy** · 20-01-2015, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by lollipop kid

Thanks, Moggy. I only found out yesterday when she turned up on my doorstep in a panic because she'd had the call from the big O. I went through my checklist with her, and this flagged training needs for Safeguarding, Food Hygiene and EYFS Observation & Planning, but instead of putting her into a tailspin, I promised to check which ones were mandatory and proposed to help her find a quick solution (e.g. online from my house asap!!). I think the next LA one is in March this year, so it might be that I suggest she does the PACEY one. I've emailed the LA anyway, just in case there's an earlier one coming up that I don't know about, or to let me know if the PACEY one below will cover her.

http://www.**************/training/n..._children.aspx

It's horrible when you see someone so behind but what can you do?

I am sure she is so relieved to have you to turn to, well done for helping a friend in need.
That Pacey one covers all the requirements in EYFS Section 3 Paragraph 3.6. That should save her!

EYFS Section 3-Paragraph 3.7 directly refers to needing awareness of this document too:
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...guard-children
No point printing out all 97 pages but print the front cover + page 50 for her (the EY bit) and let her have a quick read through on screen, at least she can say she is aware of the document then.

**lollipop kid** · 20-01-2015, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by moggy

I am sure she is so relieved to have you to turn to, well done for helping a friend in need.
That Pacey one covers all the requirements in EYFS Section 3 Paragraph 3.6. That should save her!

EYFS Section 3-Paragraph 3.7 directly refers to needing awareness of this document too:
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...guard-children
No point printing out all 97 pages but print the front cover + page 50 for her (the EY bit) and let her have a quick read through on screen, at least she can say she is aware of the document then.

Moggy, thank you so much for being a star on this and for pointing me in the right direction. I'll print those bits off for her and show her the document on my machine so she can say she's referenced it. I did toy with the idea of printing off the document, but given it's vast size, I baulked at it (I printed tons off for her yesterday, as you can imagine! I was up to my neck in policies, risk assessment, etc. etc.)

I spoke to her earlier and she is a PACEY member, so this will make it easy for her to access the course in her own name from my computer - I'll sit with her while she does it in case she gets stuck. I'll also print off the LA email response to my earlier note asking them if the PACEY course is OK (which will cover her re. the little number 11 at the bottom of page 16 of the Statutory Framework - might as well do belt & braces for her!) I really hope she does get a Good - she's great with the children she looks after - just rubbish at paperwork. (In respect of myself, well I'm just rubbish during Ofsted inspections - see my grade!

) Hopefully my grade will improve at my next inspection, possibly next year or 2017 at worst? Well, I can but hope!

(I now need to get my head round the best way to work with an assistant and what exactly they should do re. the key person role - I do all of the paperwork for the children I look after currently, so I'm sure Ofsted will crucify me if I don't set at least one child up as the assistant's key child - but she's part time, is Level 3, but did it many years ago - 1985 rings a bell! - hasn't done any training on the new EYFS, and doesn't want to attend training in her spare time - I sincerely hope there's an online course for that, as I'm not sure how best to do this! Still, I've got a while to figure it out. No doubt I'll be back soon asking daft questions as soon as I've sorted this lady out.)

Anyway, thanks a million once again. If it's good news for her, I'll let you know.

L