Guest Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Hi all I have taken a new job in a small private day nursery near my house. I am liking the job and all is good unitll it comes to staff dinners and ratio. I have just moved form a big company that provided lunch covers to cover staff dinners etc and ratio was always adhered to no mater what. Safeguarding the children and yourself was really drummed into me especialyy about lone working and ratio. New setting is 24 children with 3 staff then 4 under threes will join us for dinner plus 1 staff memebrs. Children sit to eat at 11.30 So 27 children eating dinner and 4 staff. 1 staff will go at 11 another at 12 another at 1 another at 2 so all that time we are no covered proprely . How do other small private nurserys cover dinners. I have been spoilt in my last. Any advice would be great. I now it is wrong but would like other opinions. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Is this all the children from setting, or there others that do not stay for lunch in other parts of building? Have they arranged it so the 'building' is in ratio rather than just the eating area? Not ideal practice, but some settings do wangle it this way. If staff are still within the building they can be counted, but I means they cannot leave the building during in their lunch break - and must be easily able to rejoin the group if necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 That's been my experience too. I agree it isn't ideal practice, but I'm not aware of anyone having been pulled up about it. In the current climate it will probably increase as companies struggle to employ extra staff for this 'luxury' Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 HI Not sure I will check. I go home everyday for dinner and have never been asked to stay. Today I took the sleepers to the toddler room and there were 18 toddlers, 3 2-3's and 4 preschoolers all the children were on beds but not asleep and two members of staff trying to settle......will that be covered as building ratio I went on dinner today at 12.30 and there were 18 preschoolers and 2 2-3's and two staff. I personally am having abit of a problem with it especially if all the children are in the garden with the two staff and the doorbell goes, one of those members of staff has to go and answer the door. That staff memebr in the garden could be with all of the children to a good 10 mins on their own. I have asked the manager and she has said that what they always do. What would OFSTED make of it all. I think I may have OCD over it......plus my crb has not come back yet and they leave me on my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Personally I would not be happy with your last post scenarios at all. 2 staff with 18 eating would not be acceptable at my setting regardless of 'within building' ratios taken into account. The sleeping one slightly different, as long as other staff are close by, but again I would have thought the low staff numbers ok (ish) only once the children are all settled? As for the garden- I would say this is a time when a staff member would be called away from lunch break to deal with the door. I had serious issues with this kind of practice when I worked for a large chain - I put my complaints in writing and left PDQ!!!! (fortunately I was in a finical position that meant I didn't need to worry about lack of job though) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liberty Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I am currently working as agency staff. I went to a children's centre to work last week, were I had worked occasionally before but not for over a year. I was in the 2-3 room with 8 children and one other member of staff. After we had both got the children off to sleep, (oh, and three children had joined us from the 3 year old room) The other staff member said she would go on first lunch - intending to leave me on my own with 10 sleeping children (one still awake)! I explained that this was not good practice and she crossly disappeared and reappeared with another member of staff, neither of the staff were at all happy with me. Before I go to any nursery I check their Ofsted reports - this children's centre had Outstanding in 2010! There were other things I did not consider to be good practice, let alone best practice which I tried to point out tactfully - needless to say I won't be going there again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Sleeping children is a bit different though. There is no requirement to have the full ratio actually in the sleeping room with the children as long as they are nearby. Obviously what constitutes nearby is up to interpretation. AT meal times, on the other hand, this is an incredibly busy time for staff, and in most day nurseries I work with it is the manager that covers staff lunches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargrower Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 We are a 42 place private nursery and I employ staff to cover lunches in each room, plus I cover as well. This is what I have always done and money is tight but it wouldn't really occur to me not to be in ratio. Sometimes it takes a bit of juggling if two staff are off sick/holiday/training but we always manage to give everyone a lunch break and stay in ratio. This is a bit of a hot topic for us at the moment as we had a visit from Mrs O last month and she wasn't happy (and actually made a big deal about it!) that if staff in our baby room go to change a nappy, the remaining staff and children are out of ratio. Our nappy changing room is down the corridor from the baby room. I said that I couldn't move the nappy change or employ someone to change nappies, but she was adamant that we were out of ratio. As a result, she said that my ability to deploy staff effectively was not good and didn't meet the children's needs. We lost all five of our grade 1 elements and were all 2's and a couple of 3's. We were all so disappointed and demoralised as we have recently moved to a lovely new building from a grotty one. Sorry I think I have gone off the subject a bit, but the inspection all went downhill because of staff ratios! Beehive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Thank you Bee hive. I am so glad you understand what I am taking about and why it is important to stay in ratio....Today I have drove the manager mad today because with 24 children at dinner and 3 staff. With one going on dinner we were well out if ratio and then unders thress were thrown into the mix....I did put my foot down and said no. This all stems from a previous company that had terrible safe guarding issues and I will not put myself. I really ike this job but there always has to be a but......and ratio is it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargrower Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Good for you for putting your foot down. Ratios are a legal requirement and if the manager refuses to provide enough staff, then really she is breaking the law. I hope she sees the light! Beehive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Thank you Bee hive. I am so glad you understand what I am taking about and why it is important to stay in ratio....Today I have drove the manager mad today because with 24 children at dinner and 3 staff. With one going on dinner we were well out if ratio and then unders thress were thrown into the mix....I did put my foot down and said no. This all stems from a previous company that had terrible safe guarding issues and I will not put myself. I really ike this job but there always has to be a but......and ratio is it. HI, odd you should post this, i have just doen my first two days in a new job in a nursery and have the same issues re ratio (i guess we were both spoilt in the new company!!!!!).... who ever thought a new job would be easy..... i am torn between biting my tongue, giving up on nurseries completely or just having a darn good cry LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 HI, odd you should post this, i have just doen my first two days in a new job in a nursery and have the same issues re ratio (i guess we were both spoilt in the new company!!!!!).... who ever thought a new job would be easy..... i am torn between biting my tongue, giving up on nurseries completely or just having a darn good cry LOL Hi Dawn I was just thinking about you today and wondering how you were getting on......Yeap the only draw back from my new place is the ratio issue. Oh and today I was told that I will be having 5-11 year olds in with my pre schoolers as it is half term.....not worked with that age before so that will be fun.....not lol. Still onwards and upwards lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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