Ofsted Info

[Guest]

Hi

Just been on a welfare course and thought i would share some of the info. You may be aware of most!

 

Welfare requirements we know are split into statutory and non statory however this course said that you may as well class all as statutory!

 

 

General info

 

All parents do not need to have a copy of all policies but just should be made aware of where to find them.

 

A member of the committee needs to be a designated person for safeguarding children (as well as staff) They need to attend the relevant course before taking on the role. Was suggested that this be a role in itself for comm member.

 

 

 

LEGAL requirements

All staff have to have a copy of all policies and procedures

 

All parents must each be given a copy of the current OFSTED report and there should be a record that they have received it (OFSTED requirement. They may ask for proof that you have issued them - not just new parents but all current parents too.

 

 

The operational plan is a working document and there should be no ref to PLA, or national standards. They should all be done mentioning EYFS

 

All staff appraisals should be done yearly and each staff member must fill out a health and suitability form every year when they are appraised. It is quite detailed and even asks about how much alcohol is consumed per week ! However, all staff should be made aware that this is a legal requirement to fill out.

 

All visitors to sign in book with and provide a form of id/badge (Not prospective parents). There should be a column in book for this.

 

We must also do new policies. An intruder policy and a whistleblowing policy, no smoking policy.

 

All registration documents must include parental responsibility and legal contact on , plus both parents should sign the registration document. The people who have legal responsibility are those named on the birth certificate (not just what one parent says ) and this must be seen by the person responsible for admissions ie only a court order can prevent a person named on the birth certificate from not picking up the child.

Registraion documents should be re-issued to all on a regular basis to ensure that information is up to date especially if the format has changed (it is not the parents responsibility to inform us)

 

There must be a named person to give medicines and must be witnesed. Each and every medcine must be logged. No asprin to be given to under 16 unless precribed

 

Parent to be informed of appropriate pack lunch

 

Food hygiene matters to be on induction of staff involved in food prep (baking included!)

 

No one smokes in a room or outside play area when children are present/about to be present

 

A keyperson must be assigned before the child starts at the pre-school and they should be given the opportunity to bond with the keyperson before starting.

The key person must be familiar with all regisration docs etc before child starts.

 

Due to data protection all staff files must not have CRB checks in or even copies. All that shoud be present is the number and the relevant dates.OFSTED may ask to see an individuals files.

 

Settings legally have to observe, assess and plan for children

 

Parents must give written permission for another adult to collect child

 

Failure to inform OFSTED about changes will be an offence incl changes to phone number of registered provider

 

When working with children practitioners must not be under the influence of alcohol or any other substance which may affect their ability to care for children.

 

Volunteers/committee to be given full info and guidance on their roles and responsibilities

 

Risk asessment for outdoor and indoor spaces to be updated yearly

 

Documentation must show the childs keyperson

 

Parents must put in writing if they wish to see their childs personal files (data protection for 3rd parties)

 

OFSTED info

Information about new OFSTED inpections state they are looking at Self Evaluation Forms and settings will be marked down on leadership and management if there isnt one . The SEF must have info obtained from staff, parents and committee

 

OFSTED are looking in depth at transition documents.

 

OFSTED have raised the bar. What once would have been a good setting will now be satisfactory with actions rather than recommendations. Anticipating more inadequate results.

 

Settings are advised not to discuss with anyone the results of OFSTED inspection until report received as OFSTED may change it.

Edited February 2, 2009 by marley

[Cait]

Thanks for this - I'm not sure I'm happy about them raising the bar - that seems unfair - particularly as we've already lost 'very good' as a category

 

And if the SEF isn't mandatory, how can they frown on settings who don't do one! most unfair

[Guest]

Thanks for this - I'm not sure I'm happy about them raising the bar - that seems unfair - particularly as we've already lost 'very good' as a category

 

And if the SEF isn't mandatory, how can they frown on settings who don't do one! most unfair

 

my thoughts exactly

[Guest]

The only 1 I hadn't heard of was all staff having to do a health and suitability form/check. Never heard of that before. Where do we get these forms from? Thought only the named oerson had to have a health declaration check?

Why do they keep moving the goal posts!!!

[Guest Wolfie]

Hmm, thanks for that - plenty to think about there!

[Masha]

OFSTED info

Information about new OFSTED inpections state they are looking at Self Evaluation Forms and settings will be marked down on leadership and management if there isnt one . The SEF must have info obtained from staff, parents and committee

 

OFSTED are looking in depth at transition documents.

 

OFSTED have raised the bar. What once would have been a good setting will now be satisfactory with actions rather than recommendations. Anticipating more inadequate results.

 

This is almost word for word what I was told at my inspection in October. Needless to say I hadn't completed the SEF and we subsequently were graded as satisfactory.

 

However, I was at a meeting with Michael Hart of Ofsted in December and asked about the apparent incoherence of having a non-mandatory SEF and then saying you couldn't get above satisfactory if you hadn't done it. I was told that this was absolutely not the case, that Ofsted were keen to encourage people to self evaluate, but that this could take any form, written, verbal, whatever. He said they would be reminding all their inspectors of this. Doesn't look like the message has got through does it?

[Inge]

The only 1 I hadn't heard of was all staff having to do a health and suitability form/check. Never heard of that before. Where do we get these forms from? Thought only the named oerson had to have a health declaration check?

Why do they keep moving the goal posts!!!

 

This had been so for a long time now....even before EYFS .. our LEA produced one with all the info needed on it.. including smoking, alcohol, other substances, along with general health questions.... ours was updated every September..

 

You could look at the one Ofsted ask to be filled in and make up one using same ..it doesn't need to have a Drs report for staff like the names persons one does.

 

Inge

Health declaration booklet

[Guest]

Thanks for that Inge, I'll speak to my LEA tomorrow incase they have one and have just missed us out!!

[Guest]

Marley's [?]original post makes an interesting read. There are a couple of things I'm not clear about:

1) What about settings that aren't committee run? It seems to assume everyone is & that's not the case

2) The health form - looking at that OFSTED pdf I'm not sure what it means. Are they saying all staff have to send one to them each year? If so why haven't they told us?['Cos it says something about all who work with children - can't remember the exact wording]

 

I thought the health checks only needed redoing after the initial one when there was a significant change. Surely to do so annually could be seen as an invasion of staff's human rights as well as being over burdensome on managers.

[Guest]

Think I'll give Ofsted a ring tomorrow; why is nothing with them ever straight forward!!!

[Guest]

Marley's [?]original post makes an interesting read. There are a couple of things I'm not clear about:

1) What about settings that aren't committee run? It seems to assume everyone is & that's not the case

2) The health form - looking at that OFSTED pdf I'm not sure what it means. Are they saying all staff have to send one to them each year? If so why haven't they told us?['Cos it says something about all who work with children - can't remember the exact wording]

 

I thought the health checks only needed redoing after the initial one when there was a significant change. Surely to do so annually could be seen as an invasion of staff's human rights as well as being over burdensome on managers.

I thought this also and queried it with the PLA woman who was running the course. she said that all staff must complete the whole form! Dont think it gets sent anywhere just that it is there to be seen and possibly used as a way of protecting managers from staff claims!!? We were even told about a setting that was OFSTED after inspector saw a woman claim she had been bladdered and gone into work (nursery) half cut!

[Guest]

Here's the reply I've just received from Ofsted with ref to the health forms

 

 

"In response to your enquiry I can confirm that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) states that all adults working with children aged 16 years old and over must have an enhanced CRB check but it does not state that they must have a health check. (Please see page 29 of the statutory framework of the EYFS)

 

 

 

Medical suitability is mentioned at the bottom of page 29 but this falls under the heading 'Statutory guidance to which providers should have regard' this means that it is not a legal requirement but providers should have regard for this.

 

 

 

Ofsted require managers and registered people to complete a Health Declaration Booklet so that we can determine the mental and physical suitability of a person who will be responsible for the management and overall responsibility of a childcare provision.

 

 

 

I hope you find this information helpful. However should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

 

 

Regards"

 

 

T'would appear it's not compulsory but good practice to do so (bit like the SEF then!!)

[Guest]

So, to clarify then....as manager of a committee run preschool I should fill this in and keep it on file or send it to Ofsted? Is it good practice to have it filled in by all staff and just kept on the HR file? I'm still a little confused...but then it doesn't take much these days!!!

[mrsbat]

So, to clarify then....as manager of a committee run preschool I should fill this in and keep it on file or send it to Ofsted? Is it good practice to have it filled in by all staff and just kept on the HR file? I'm still a little confused...but then it doesn't take much these days!!!

I emailed ofsted regarding this as well and got this reply

 

Thank you for your e-mail.

 

 

 

In response to your enquiry, Deputy managers and assistants do not need to register with Ofsted. A deputy will only have to register with Ofsted if a manager of a setting is on extended leave, we first need to decide whether the time the manager is away for is long enough for us to put in place our suitable person process for any temporary or acting manager. As a rule of thumb an absence of around 6 weeks or longer, known in advance or at an early stage should trigger the NBU to ask a TM to consider whether we needed to put in place the process for a new temporary manager. If we decide we need to register the deputy we will request an EY2 and a HDB will need to be completed along with the other suitability checks.

 

Ofsted only registers Managers, Committee members and above, etc.

 

 

 

I hope you find this information helpful. However should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

 

 

Regards

 

so basically, yes if you are the manager you need to get your dr to fill in a part of your health declaration booklet and you do need to send it off to ofsted too

 

I've just done an update form for all the staff that they fill in every 6 months when they update their contact details etc to say they are still helathy etc (not quite in those words though lol)

Edited February 3, 2009 by mrsbat

[Guest]

The question then is ....who pays for the Dr's signature? The member of staff OR the business? If it's not compulsory?

[TORO]

I emailed ofsted regarding this as well and got this reply

 

 

 

so basically, yes if you are the manager you need to get your dr to fill in a part of your health declaration booklet and you do need to send it off to ofsted too

 

I've just done an update form for all the staff that they fill in every 6 months when they update their contact details etc to say they are still helathy etc (not quite in those words though lol)

 

 

Hello there,

 

Can you please if possible upload the form, so that i can have an ideal how to start mine

 

Thanks

[mrsbat]

Hello there,

 

Can you please if possible upload the form, so that i can have an ideal how to start mine

 

Thanks

hopefully it's attached It's not hugely in depth but I showed it to my early years advisor and she said it more than covered what I needed - even though it's not compulsory to have anything lol

staff_reg_form.doc

[Guest]

Regarding the costs - if you are a manager it is compulsory and doctors do charge to complete their section (varying amounts). In our setting the business pays for the charge but that is entirely down to the setting. For any other staff the doctor's declaration is not required and the form ought to be kept on file, as I understand it. I assume we file them with the old DC2 forms which staff have to complete but not send to TMG or whoever when the CRB is applied for,

[TORO]

hopefully it's attached It's not hugely in depth but I showed it to my early years advisor and she said it more than covered what I needed - even though it's not compulsory to have anything lol

 

 

Thanks for this can now hopefully start

Toro

[sunnyday]

Thank you Mrsbat - very useful.

 

Sunnyday

[Guest]

Thank you Mrs bat - very useful. And thanks to everyone else who has helped clarify !

[Cait]

Thanks MrsBat

[aliamch]

thanks mrsbat

Karrie

[Guest]

Hi

 

I had to do an health dec in June 08 and it cost £38. I have sinced moved job in Jan 09 and guess what I have had to do it all again at £ 38.00. Ofsted did say because I only had a 3 weeks gap they would transfer it over . But when it went to the the department that deals with managers suitabilty they wanted another one. All managers do need to have one and I belive the cost vary from doctors to doctors.

 

I have had to pay for mine myself .

I thingk that they people you speeak to on the phone follow a differant set of rules to the departments that deal with the suitability.

 

bluebelle2008