To ofsted or not to ofsted that is the question! Post Reply

[jo jo]

So we are looking to go down the nanny route for our childcare arrangements. Is ofsted worth it?

[mitch74]

Having an ofsted registered nanny simply means you get a small amount of help with payments to the nanny about 55 pounds a week depending I think on how much you pay them

Dont be fooled into thinking that because a nanny is ofsted registered they are any better than one who is not. Ofsted do keep the crb upto date but Ofsted never meet the nanny, dont know them and the only contact they have is through the post when registering. I think it gives parents a false sense of security

also being ofsted registered does not benefit the nanny in any way so you would be expected to pay the £103 pounds annual cost and also some or maybe all towards the first aid course which is 3 yearly.
The insurance is also between 50 and 100 pounds a year

hope this is helpful

[malsieradzka]

Before I became a NV Mum I used to be an OFSTED registered nanny, and I had an inspection - I'd been registered for at least 2.5 years then. One day I received a phone call form this OFSTED lady and the visit took place on the very next day. She spent at least 4 hours with the children and me at their home observing our interaction and asking me some questions regarding health and safety as well as the children's development.
Of course, the OFSTED registration doesn't guarantee you that the nanny will "tick all boxes" but at least gives some basic reasurement that that she knows what she is doing.
Another thing is that in order to get registered the nanny needs to have at least basic childcare qualification and some experience, and to renew the registration each year they need to get a new CRB check, pay for the renewal, as well as provide up to date peadriatric first aid course (this one - every three years)...

Hope this helps!

[mummy2-3]

Ofsted registration is definitely worth it especially if both of you work and can claim the childcare vouchers, a word of warning if your nanny isn't English they will require a police record going back 5 years from their native county which can take time and added expense.

The CRB is only relevant for the time they have spent in the UK so if they arrived last week it's next to no use at all and can provide a false level of security.

Ofsted do seem to over complicate the registration we found the website to be very uninformative and their employees vague about what is needed so registration process can take longer than expected especially if your nanny is foreign do keep chasing as its worth it in the end.

[kat*]

Yes - especially if you are using child are vouchers as you save quite a bit. Also it means that everything is more official.

We helped our second nanny get registered which took 3 months. We increased her pay once registered and now she is able to charge more for her services. So don't stop interviewing candidates just because they aren't often registered.