starsdance Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 We have a system whereby if the parent is not collecting a child they let us know at drop off or phone during the session who is collecting. If it is another parent or a person on their collection list we let them go but if it is a person who is not known to us (even if on their collection list) we need a password. All straight forward so far BUT what do we do when a parent turns up saying they are taking another child as they have a play date arranged but we haven't been told. We try to phone mum and dad on all their phone numbers with no answer. Do you let the child go or should you start going to the other people on the child's list who have permission to collect the child? This could be Granny living 20 miles away who has no idea where the parents are or whether the child is allowed to go with this other person. We had this happen last week and kept the parent waiting for 15 minutes whilst we finally tracked down one of the parents who said it was ok. The waiting parent was not happy!! We are in a small village pre-school where all the parents know each other really well and think that it is ok for anybody to collect their child. So, how can I put this to the parents that it is of utmost importance that they let us know who is collecting their child. We have an uncollected child policy but that would only be put into force if nobody turned up to collect them.
Panders Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 As it is for their child's protection they should be easily persuaded, the parent in a huff at being kept waiting would in the end have to concede that! Explain that these rules are there for a very good reason and you are duty bound by Ofsted to follow them. Frankly if there is anything I want my parents to do which may seem 'belt and braces'. I look skywards and say I'm sorry it's Ofsted again they insist on this! 6
mrsbat Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 Same as Panders! We've had the situation happen frequently - normally with the same couple of children...... If it's not written in the daily book then the child doesn't go with anyone apart from the main carers - end of. Look at it this way, if you were less strict about it and let a child go with a friend then the parent turned up they would be fuming - stick to your guns
narnia Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 Have had th same situation a couple of times.......and dealt with it the same way. No-one will thank you if something goes wrong, so stick to your guns
starsdance Posted February 5, 2015 Author Posted February 5, 2015 That's great thank you. I have a committee meeting next week so will raise the subject there and bring out the uncollected child policy and tell them that we have to follow it if we aren't told who is collecting and we can't contact anybody. Hopefully the idea of their child waiting 2 hours then the safeguarding team being involved will get them to do it. It's not as if we only have a phone number - they have the option of contacting us by email, sending me a text etc.
woodlands1997 Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 It makes it awkward doesn't it! We ask them to put on their collection list anyone they are happy for their child to go with, other parents, friends, family, aunts, uncles etc etc - some have a lengthy list!! We do the same too that if unknown to us they have to give the password specified on the form. Since we suggested this thankfully we haven't had this happen and we make sure they know and it's somewhere on the form, that unless they remove people they will continue to be authorised to collect. As you've said, it's generally the same families! 1
diesel10 Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 Put a poster up by the entrance door reinforcing your policy. It never does any harm to remind everyone regularly. Our parents are really good on this though and will let us know at drop off or ring to advise if there has been a change of plan.
LKeyteach Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 We do the same. We had an incident a year or two ago where a man we had never seen came to the door to collect his daughter. We asked for the password he did not have a clue. He claimed to be dad, so we tried to call mum but she did not answer. He had no identity on him. Long queue of parents tutting and eventually lots of laughter as another dad (who happened to be a social worker on cp team) turned up laughed even more loudly and declared that yes he was the dad of the child and he too was a social worker from family team and should have known better than to turn up without a password! A parent then wrote & thanked us for the thoroughness of our checking. In my " show it to ofsted" file. 4
Guest Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 we have a list of who can collect as well as mum/dad. if they are not on the list - name and surname - they can't take them until we ring parent. we continue to dismiss rest of nursery then ring. as i don't see why other parents should be made to wait. but what do you do if a mum or dad turns up to collect their child and you have never met them before? if we ask the child who it is and they say mum/dad we let them go, unless the child has learning difficulties, in which case we would not. we know our children. and if there are injunctions etc it's on the form for them not to be handed over. is this ok do you think? it's making me re-think our policy
zigzag Posted February 6, 2015 Posted February 6, 2015 We too are in a small community, where everyone knows everyone! This can on occasions make it seem like we are being incredibly fussy when there are collection changes. We just stick to procedure and I have to say we have our parents quite well trained now!! 1
Guest Posted February 7, 2015 Posted February 7, 2015 Our rule is if it's not the parents collecting, they have to tell us and if we've not met the person collecting before, there's a password involved. If someone other than parents are going to do a regular collection, then we have it in writing from the parents that this person can collect them.
Guest Posted March 31, 2015 Posted March 31, 2015 just recently we had a very similar occurrence ;yes the parent called to inform us that the child aunt y was to collect them and we reminded Mum to give them the pass word but the aunties daughter came to collect with the pass word but -was she old enough to collect and be responsible our policy is 17. i would be interested in others policy is sixteen old enough? is there a legal word out there stating how old a person has to be ?
Foreveryoung Posted March 31, 2015 Posted March 31, 2015 Our safeguarding board put on their forms 16 or over and we go by this x
Fredbear Posted March 31, 2015 Posted March 31, 2015 (edited) As the age of consent for sex in the uk is 16, you could in theory have a parent that was 16. As a 16 year old parent we would certainly allow them to take their own child, so it is the same for a collecting person. Unless you had reason to believe this wasn't safe and then you would have to fight your corner why. Welcome Tedbear. Edited March 31, 2015 by Fredbear
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