Paperwork

[Guest]

We had a mother at the beginning of July who told us she was going to report us to Social Services for allowing her son to get a red mark from a bump with another child. The child has alot of history behind it and let just say we have spent a fair few hours on this child and family.

The father has beening coming in most weeks to spend time with his son as he only gets the odd weekend that he is allowed to see him.

When mother said she was going to Soc. Serv. I asked her to come in a see us first, but she ahs a new boyfriend who is in to the "legal side" of things after his fight to see his children. so he told her to go the Legal route on the complaint. i told her that she had to go to Ofsted with any complaints.

We didn't hear anything so thought things were ok, But no Monday lunchtime in walk the inspector and asked to see all the paperwork for June and July for all the children. Well as I have 75 children I asked her if she could be more specific on dates and it would save her sometime. Lo and behold it turned out to be the above incident.

We were able to give her documentation on every conversation between staff and these parents and between myself and staff. At the time we laughed and said that if we wrote up one more conversation on thissmall red mark we could publish a book. we really thought we had gone over the top with the writing up we had written so much.

But thank goodness we did. the whole incident we could give them copies for,

So even though I never thought I would say it but THAN GOODNESS for PAPERWORK

[Guest]

Oh Steph .... what a way to end the year

 

BUT I am SO glad you were able to show Ofsted what a caring, responsible and thoroughly efficient practitioner you are

 

Well done for handling it so well .... the Borough would be proud of you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Happy holidays to you

[Inge]

must totally agree...

never can record too much with cases like this ...

 

at the time we always joke about it but have found that it was so worthwhile.. (2 reports in 1 year investigated- both no action!! One when Soc.Serv would not take it further she then went to Ofsted.)

 

At least it is over now and you can get on with end of term stuff and enjoy it.

 

Inge

Edited July 18, 2007 by Inge

[Guest Wolfie]

Well done Steph! Draw a line under it all now and move on to enjoy your "summer"!! If it ever comes!!

[hali]

wow makes you think dosnt it......

[Guest]

and the parent is still happy to send her child to you???!!!! If it was that bad ( which ( know it wasn't) then surely the parents would have taken the child out of the setting.

 

Having also been on the receiving end of such complaints, I do wish there could be a way to enable parents to see how much it affects morale etc. ( not to mention everyones time). However, parents are quite rightly, and should be made to feel able to complain. Just wish parents would deal with complaints such as these in-house, and leave the 'legal' services time and resources to deal with the important job of keeping children safe, investigating justifiably 'serious' complaints.

 

I echo others thoughts, well handled and godd wishes for a good holiday and leave this behind, done and dusted.

 

 

Peggy

[HappyMaz]

One lesson I am learning - through all your experiences that you've relayed on here - is the need to write everything down. This will be my 'new-academic-year's' resolution.

 

Well done on handling a difficult situation so well, and thank goodness it was all resolved before the break!

 

Maz

[Guest]

Yes it does seem to be that there needs to be a really good paper trail - most of it will never be used and will be relegated to the file but as you have shown here sometimes you get a gut feeling and record everything jsut because you know it might come back and bite you even though there is no real valid reason for it. So I bet you are really glad now that you took the trouble to document it all - might make for a good training session with your staff - me - always looking for the positive out of things. Have a lovely summer

Nikki

[Guest]

Just an update I have to say that I did take delight in telling the mum today that we had had Ofsted in and they would let her know the outcome but that if she had done it anonmously then she wouldn't know. I explained that because we were not due for an Ofsted for another 3 years it would now be on our record online so she could at it whenever she liked or it would be in our file on our front table for her to look at whenever she was passing, and for everyone else to see. She was "gobsmacked " I think is the word she stuttered and went "oh thank you " and left. Still bringing child in though!!!!!! She also had told another mother who told a member of staff that it was her who had reported us. I did explain to the mother that we hadn't been told who had made the complaint but that because it was the incident with her child we gather it was her.

What I can't understand is that Ofsted told us it was anonmous but she said she had given them her name. Why are we not allowed to address the person who has made the complaint.

It smacks of GUILTY until proven innocent. Bit like the law I suppose.

Don't like to be petty but took great satisfaction of reducing the young lade to stuttering. Not like me usually but this one did annoy me as it was so trivial just the usual bumps and scrapes that happen in pre-school. Especially in my place and its not for lack of staff, 8 floor staff, 5/6 students the children ar no more than 3/4 foot away from an adult at any time.

Still you live and learn.

 

Glad we only have a few more hours to go. Also we have had some lovely cards from some mum's that are really lovely so we can't complain oddsof one difficult one in as many as I have is not to bad.

Happy Holidays everyone