Childminders, when you take on a staff member / an assistant, you need to follow Safer Recruitment Procedures.
This means, for example, that you ideally need to complete a safer recruitment training course, so you have up to date information about what procedures to follow.
**Useful links at the end of the blog (correct 23.2.2023)
It also means that you will need a Safer Recruitment Policy which you can use to help you make sure you follow all the steps needed to keep children in your setting safe.
Ofsted state, in the early years inspection handbook (point 99), that they will check recruitment records during inspection.
Records are usually kept together in the staff member's staff file which includes everything about their journey with your setting from their application form ... to notes about how they have answered your interview questions... to their job description, which details their roles and responsibilities.
Their staff file must also contain details about their DBS check, which must be applied for at the same time you inform Ofsted they are working for you, by using the ‘new adults in the home’ form.
Don't forget to update your insurance to add a staff member and put your cover certificate on your noticeboard to share information with parents. If they don't see your noticeboard, you might send them a copy.
Induction training is detailed in the EYFS (requirement 3.22) and must cover, as a minimum, information about their roles and responsibilities, emergency evacuation procedures, safeguarding and child protection knowledge – for example, who to contact in the Local Authority if they have a concern about your practice; you will also need to cover health and safety training with them – for example, how to minimise hazards and what to do if a child has an accident.
The initial induction training you deliver in house will then extend to cover information about, for example, how to follow your curriculum based around the 7 areas of learning, Ofsted teaching expectations and how to support children to make progress from their starting points. You will add a copy of their completed and signed induction training list, along with training certificates, to their staff file.
If you want your staff member / assistant to be unsupervised with children, they must have received their Ofsted suitability letter** first – and they must also complete a 12-hour Paediatric First Aid course. It might also be recommended by your Local Authority that they complete a Local Safeguarding Partners safeguarding / child protection course in addition to your in-house safeguarding / child protection induction training. You must also have signed permission from parents to state that they are happy for your assistant to have sole care of their child before this happens.
**Note that the suitability letter is a letter from Ofsted to state that they are suitable to work with children in your early years setting. It will usually arrive in the assistant’s email inbox but sometimes goes to junk / spam, so they should keep an eye out for it after their completed DBS check has been submitted to Ofsted.
The Ofsted suitability letter also allows your assistant to be in ratio** (to have their own key children and for you to increase your ratios) and to help children with intimate care routines. You cannot increase your ratios until the suitability letter has arrived. Also, until the Ofsted suitability letter is received, they must be supervised by you at all times – this means you cannot leave them in a room alone with the children or let them, for example, take a group of children outside or on an outing without your direct supervision.
**Note about increasing ratios – before you increase your ratios there are further steps you should take. For example, you should check you have enough floor space by measuring your rooms and you should also speak to your Local Authority planning department to see whether you need to apply for and wait to be granted planning permission.
You will then add more documents to their staff file – for example, their Ofsted suitability letter and build the file as time goes on by including details about observations of their practice, supervisions (which must be ‘regular’ to comply with the EYFS) and ongoing training certificates.
The staff file should be a complete record of their time working for you in your setting. Record retention for staff files (in normal circumstances) is for 6 years after the employee leaves.
The Ofsted early years inspection handbook (point 194) is clear that you will receive a less than good grading for leadership and management if you fail to ensure safer recruitment.
I hope this is helpful. Please message me if you need any clarification.
Sarah.
..............................................................................
Useful links
All links checked as working 23.02.2023 - please email me and let me know if they break -
[email protected].
Gold Childcare.co.uk members will find a webinar about safer recruitment they can watch here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/resource-library.
Ofsted early years inspection handbook –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
Ofsted capita DBS (must be home-based, enhanced, child workforce) –
https://www.ofsteddbsapplication.co.uk/
Ofsted 'report new adults in the home' form –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-report-new-adults-in-the-home.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2021 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.
Staff file walkthrough –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/staff/employing-a-childminder-assistant.
Information about staff wages –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/staff/minimum-wage-increase-042023.
This means, for example, that you ideally need to complete a safer recruitment training course, so you have up to date information about what procedures to follow.
**Useful links at the end of the blog (correct 23.2.2023)
It also means that you will need a Safer Recruitment Policy which you can use to help you make sure you follow all the steps needed to keep children in your setting safe.
Ofsted state, in the early years inspection handbook (point 99), that they will check recruitment records during inspection.
Records are usually kept together in the staff member's staff file which includes everything about their journey with your setting from their application form ... to notes about how they have answered your interview questions... to their job description, which details their roles and responsibilities.
Their staff file must also contain details about their DBS check, which must be applied for at the same time you inform Ofsted they are working for you, by using the ‘new adults in the home’ form.
Don't forget to update your insurance to add a staff member and put your cover certificate on your noticeboard to share information with parents. If they don't see your noticeboard, you might send them a copy.
Induction training is detailed in the EYFS (requirement 3.22) and must cover, as a minimum, information about their roles and responsibilities, emergency evacuation procedures, safeguarding and child protection knowledge – for example, who to contact in the Local Authority if they have a concern about your practice; you will also need to cover health and safety training with them – for example, how to minimise hazards and what to do if a child has an accident.
The initial induction training you deliver in house will then extend to cover information about, for example, how to follow your curriculum based around the 7 areas of learning, Ofsted teaching expectations and how to support children to make progress from their starting points. You will add a copy of their completed and signed induction training list, along with training certificates, to their staff file.
If you want your staff member / assistant to be unsupervised with children, they must have received their Ofsted suitability letter** first – and they must also complete a 12-hour Paediatric First Aid course. It might also be recommended by your Local Authority that they complete a Local Safeguarding Partners safeguarding / child protection course in addition to your in-house safeguarding / child protection induction training. You must also have signed permission from parents to state that they are happy for your assistant to have sole care of their child before this happens.
**Note that the suitability letter is a letter from Ofsted to state that they are suitable to work with children in your early years setting. It will usually arrive in the assistant’s email inbox but sometimes goes to junk / spam, so they should keep an eye out for it after their completed DBS check has been submitted to Ofsted.
The Ofsted suitability letter also allows your assistant to be in ratio** (to have their own key children and for you to increase your ratios) and to help children with intimate care routines. You cannot increase your ratios until the suitability letter has arrived. Also, until the Ofsted suitability letter is received, they must be supervised by you at all times – this means you cannot leave them in a room alone with the children or let them, for example, take a group of children outside or on an outing without your direct supervision.
**Note about increasing ratios – before you increase your ratios there are further steps you should take. For example, you should check you have enough floor space by measuring your rooms and you should also speak to your Local Authority planning department to see whether you need to apply for and wait to be granted planning permission.
You will then add more documents to their staff file – for example, their Ofsted suitability letter and build the file as time goes on by including details about observations of their practice, supervisions (which must be ‘regular’ to comply with the EYFS) and ongoing training certificates.
The staff file should be a complete record of their time working for you in your setting. Record retention for staff files (in normal circumstances) is for 6 years after the employee leaves.
The Ofsted early years inspection handbook (point 194) is clear that you will receive a less than good grading for leadership and management if you fail to ensure safer recruitment.
I hope this is helpful. Please message me if you need any clarification.
Sarah.
..............................................................................
Useful links
All links checked as working 23.02.2023 - please email me and let me know if they break -
[email protected].
Gold Childcare.co.uk members will find a webinar about safer recruitment they can watch here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/resource-library.
Ofsted early years inspection handbook –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
Ofsted capita DBS (must be home-based, enhanced, child workforce) –
https://www.ofsteddbsapplication.co.uk/
Ofsted 'report new adults in the home' form –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-report-new-adults-in-the-home.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2021 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.
Staff file walkthrough –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/staff/employing-a-childminder-assistant.
Information about staff wages –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/staff/minimum-wage-increase-042023.