Help Needed Please

[Guest]

Hi

Just a query (on behalf of our Pre School committee). They are currently shortlisting for the role of Supervisor/Manager of our Pre School (Yes I am going !!!) They were going to conduct interviews themselves....I have no problem with this however am I right in thinking that they need to inform Ofsted - and do Ofsted conduce a suitable person interview?

 

Any help would be appreciated please.

[kristina]

As far as I am aware Ofsted conduct the suitable person interview within so many weeks/mnnths of the person taking over as manager/supervisor.

 

Kris

[Guest]

That was my impression too. I am committee of out of school club and we are looking for a new manager as other one is not coming back after maternity leave. Am I also right in thinking this may trigger off OFSTED inspection? We are now overdue and I am new committee also!!!??

[Guest]

The committee can interview for the applicant of supervisor/manager, although its usual to have a senior staff member sit in on the interviews also, or even your early years advisor could be called upon to help them with the interview process. When someone has been appointed Ofsted are then informed and a new EY2 (I think thats the right form) is completed and this will throw up a suitable person interview, which Ofsted will contact the member of staff about themselves, for example Ofsted wrote to my home address and the interview was conducted at my home, five months after I started in the role of manager.

[kristina]

That was my impression too. I am committee of out of school club and we are looking for a new manager as other one is not coming back after maternity leave. Am I also right in thinking this may trigger off OFSTED inspection? We are now overdue and I am new committee also!!!??

I dont think it would trigger your inspection provided you have a qualified person covering, but as you have said you are due an inspection so it would probably be coincidental!

 

Kris

[Guest jenpercy]

The new manager always triggers an OFSTED inspection, but may take 5 months or so

[kristina]

The new manager always triggers an OFSTED inspection, but may take 5 months or so

I went in is a new Supervisor at a Pre-School and worked there for 18months without a visit from Ofsted for Suitable person interview or Ofsted inspection. Since I have left this same Pre-School have had 2 new supervisors and still no sign of Ofsted!!

I now own and run my own Pre-School and have had both suitable person and Inspection!!

Maybe we were just lucky!!

 

Kris

[diesel10]

If your setting is a member of the PLA your could ask their local rep to sit in on an interview. There is also some good advice in their book employment in early years.

[Guest]

The new manager always triggers an OFSTED inspection, but may take 5 months or so

 

I dont think this is stricly correct in all cases. I had my suitable person at home some months after starting in post, the pre school wasnt inspected until 3 years later.

[Guest]

Can I piggy back this thread to ask a recruitment question? If you have applicant who has visited the setting and been invited for an interview can I go ahead and ask for references? I keep having to check procedure as my committee are hot on doing it all correctly....arent we all...it is just that they are never available to talk to me only at a monthly meeting!

[Guest]

Shirel we always take references as soon as a person is shortlisted for interview. It is considered best practice to have references before interview so any queries which arise from them can be brought up. If you have a spare hour or so there is a really good e learning course on recruitment on the CWDC site that you can do. You also get a certificate!

[Guest]

Thanks Holly..

[Guest]

No problem. The link (now I am on the laptop) is http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/safeguarding/safer-recruitment

 

It didn't take that long to complete but I would recommend it for anyone about to start recruiting.

[Guest]

Shirel we always take references as soon as a person is shortlisted for interview. It is considered best practice to have references before interview so any queries which arise from them can be brought up. If you have a spare hour or so there is a really good e learning course on recruitment on the CWDC site that you can do. You also get a certificate!

 

We always ask the applicant if we can get a reference before the position is offered, sometimes the applicant will ask that you dont as it puts them in an awkward (sp) position if they dont get the job.

[Guest]

Good point cupcake. We ask that on the application form and ask candidates to confirm that we can approach before interview. We generally arrange interviews verbally with a follow up letter as it just saves time making the arrangements, so we reconfirm that we intend to approach referees at that point too, just in case they haven't read the application form properly.