Risk Assessments

[joshie]

How often do you honestly do them? I want to no if i do them too often!!!

Do you do them yourselvs from scratch of do you buy 'log books' specifically for childminders?

thanks guys

[sarahnev707]

:rotfl: Hello again Joshie! We seem to be meeting all over the place at the moment!

I use my own paperwork which I develop for me and then sell to other childminders... as you know.

I do not do the job for people though. They still have a lot of work to do when they buy my stuff to make it work for them.

I give the ideas and hopefully the inspiration. It is up to the customer to make it work.

I think it can almost be too easy to buy something off the internet, call it your own and not think about they whys and wherefores of why you need it and what it really means.

I saw someone on Ebay the other day selling a completed SEF! What's that about then? How can it possibly mean anything to you? Ok it might save a bit of time but in the long run it's not an indication of who you are or what you do.

So I say make use of other people's work if it's right for you but don't take short cuts, they are of no benefit in the long run.

[Heidi]

Originally Posted by joshie

How often do you honestly do them? I want to no if i do them too often!!!

Do you do them yourselvs from scratch of do you buy 'log books' specifically for childminders?

thanks guys

Risk assessments are done the moment you turn up for work at the setting or everytime you wake up and start your day at home if you are a childminder.

We arrive and check and clean/make safe our outside area, then it goes on as you go into the building, all rooms, go through your procedures etc and all through the morning/day until the children go home.
They are not hard to do, but very natural and we honestly do then all the time.
What we do not do is keep ticking sheeting or signing things - but when we do a fire drill them I fill out forms and record it in various places for parents to see when we carry them out and in my record book etc.

All I have done is write up policies and then I have written out and laminated cards/forms/checklists for the procedures to remind everyone what needs to be done. Ofsted have always been very happy with them, there is no need to buy or have long lengthy ones.

Start typing up a Risk assessment say for your outdoor area i.e. check for foreign bodies glass, needles etc

On your procedure form say how you are going to do it - On arrival use gloves and litter stick to collect foreign bodies etc.

Review them annually or everytime you've thought of something else, add it - you'll soon have then as you want. You could look at one or two on the net type in whatever you are thinking of - you can use a bit, adapt or decide it doesn't apply to you.

I don't use log books, I just have policies and procedures in place - but we do carry out risk assessemnt all the time as we go along - after all before a child uses a swing, you'd check that it was safe or putting together a wooden climbing frame, you'd make sure that it wasn't broken, you'd wash your hands before preparing food and you wouldn't leave cleaning materials around - it's just common sense but having it all written done makes sure everyone knows what is expected of them and it also shows Ofsted and other bodies that you know what you are doing.

[joshie]

I have been doing risk assessments for years and have a NVQ2 in Risk Assessment so i know the process i use is correct, I just find it interesting when speaking to some people and they say, I risk assess all the time but i dont write it down, link outings to parks, new play equipment etc. As i have always been asked to provide risk assessments by Ofsted. I have my annual risk assessments, a list for the back garden of 'check before going out' kind of thing and the same for the lounge and kitchen. I have a RA for each outing and trip we attend/aim to attend, and a daily check list of the house. PLUS a maintenance log book where I record broken toys etc, and a cleaning log of when toys/equipment has been cleaned and I also have an action plans file, so if a notice that some thing does need doing, for example, replace fence pannel, then i write up why and when and date/sign when completed. It helps to keep my home and business in order

[Heidi]

I agree, but we are all working in individual settings depending on many different factors, with swings and roundabouts for us all. I'm very much in the mould that I do maintenance/removal/replacement immediately and am lucky enough to have 2 maintenance men on call; had I not, this would be reflected in my practice.

It sounds to me that you are a childminder?
If so, although we will all have health and safety in mind, it is very different from managing a setting of 60+ children. Whereas you may make a note of something that is broken and remove for fixing, I have to consider why it broke in the first place - is it up to the rigours of so many children playing with it in a session? - if not, it's thrown away immediately and we buy a more durable toy/piece of equipment.

Ofsted recognise that one hat does not suit all settings and will award accordingly.
If you are worried that you are doing too much, try and trim your paperwork down i.e. Oftsed will expect all toys to be clean - by washing etc, but do you need to put that the dolls have been washed into a notebook?
Why not incorporate this into water play and the children help wash and clean the dolls/ zoo/farm animals etc.

Remember Ofted will not tell you when you are doing too much, they are looking to see if you are covering all the standards - it's up to you, to make sure you are, with your own methods and sometimes we can all do a bit too much for fear of not doing sufficient. When I have i.e. fence panels, and outside drains fixed/cleaned - I don't write this all up - in my policy it may state something such as I will check and maintain annually/or when needed, It's done and the bills/receipts away. Ofsted can see the premises/environment is well maintained because policies and procedures are followed.

You can compare any policy or procedure with friends and other settings, perhaps swap ideas and change or adapt something, but if you are happy in your own methods, then continue. There are no right or wrong ways, just individual methods for individuals and their settings.

[pip squeak]

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home...nguage)/eng-GB

What Ofsted say regarding risk assessments