Friday 10 August 2012

OFSTED REGULATION AND INSPECTION CHANGES

As readers may be aware, Ofsted recently held a consultation about proposed changes to their Regulation and Inspection (R&I) of childcare settings.   Ofsted have just held a series of conferences advising local authorities  of the new R&I arrangements which will come into force on 1st September 2012 at the same time as the introduction of the EYFS 2012 framework.

Space does not permit full details to be published in BANDnews, but a summary of the key points is as follows:

·       Ofsted have to be more rigorous and more robust in their inspections.
·       Ofsted have to present clearer and simpler Inspection Reports.
·       All Welfare & Safeguarding requirements in the EYFS 2012 are now legal guidance.  Failure to meet all Welfare & Safeguarding requirements will result in a setting’s inspection judgement being limited
to Satisfactory.
·       Arrangements for new registrations from 1st September have changed and Ofsted will signpost potential providers making enquiries about registration to the development team at the relevant local authority (in the case of Bristol this is BAND).
·       From 1st September Ofsted will no longer carry out Suitable Person interviews or CRB checks on managers/leaders.  It will be the responsibility of the Registered Person (MC, owners, directors etc.) to carry out suitability checks and CRB disclosures for all staff including managers/leaders – although there will still be a requirement to inform Ofsted of a change of manager/leader.
·       From 1st September Ofsted will carry out a Suitable Person interview on the Nominated Person for new registrations only.  For existing registrations Ofsted will no longer carry out a Suitable Person interview if the Nominated Person changes, although Ofsted will carry out the CRB and vetting checks.
·       When the Nominated Person changes it will be the Registered Person’s responsibility to ensure that any replacement fully understands the requirements of the EYFS 2012.
·       Standard conditions (i.e. numbers and ages of children) will be removed and it will be the responsibility of the Registered Person to ensure that the numbers and ages of children cared for fall within the requirements of EYFS 2012.  Ofsted will check that the requirements for numbers and ages are met during inspection.
·       Complaints and Concerns – for non-routine and non-minor concerns, Ofsted will carry out a full inspection of the setting. 

Full details of the changes to R&I will be made available to providers attending BAND’s EYFS 2012 briefing sessions.  For providers unable to access places at these briefings, details of the revised R&I arrangements will be available from the BAND Development & Support team.