'Intrusive’ health reporting rules for early years staff removed by Ofsted
Joe Lepper
Thursday, January 13, 2022
Ofsted has removed guidance around how the health of early years staff is reported less than 24-hours after it was published following complaints from providers.
The guidance was aimed at childcare providers, including childminders and nannies, around “significant events or changes to health” that must be reported to the regulator.
It included reporting any physical challenges staff may have that impairs their walking, bending or balance. Any condition where a childcare worker may become confused and disorientated must also be reported, it said.
-
Analysis: Provider survey reveals scale of childcare workforce crisis
-
Best practice: Promoting respect for diversity in the community
Changes in mental health, including anxiety, panic attacks and mood swings were also included in the document.
However, the inspectorate has now removed the guidance after it was branded "extreme and intrusive" by sector leaders.
A statement posted by Ofsted on Twitter said: "We've removed our document 'Childcare: reporting signficant events and changes to health' and will review it."
Before the guidance was removed, National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) chief executive Purnima Tanuku said the new reporting guidelines had been “taken to the extreme”.
“Early years settings and their teams will be rightly very concerned about the potential scope and intrusive nature of this reporting requirement,” she said.
“This could have a huge impact on staff who are already working flat-out in demanding jobs to care for and nurture our youngest children.
“Throughout the pandemic, nurseries and their teams have worked to give children a vital sense of normality while keeping them as safe as possible. This unclear and potentially wide-ranging reporting requirement would not be a helpful or constructive approach. It can be seen as intrusive and is likely to put more pressure on an already stressed workforce.”
She added that settings already make sure candidates for jobs are suitable and fit for the role and that the latest guidelines have been “brought in without consultation". They also risk "being unworkable for both providers and Ofsted”.
The NDNA is demanded “urgent clarification from Ofsted and a withdrawal of this document until it can be properly reviewed and consulted on with the sector,” said Tanuku.
The Early Years Alliance (EYA) also criticised the guidelines, as “flawed and ill-judged”.
"Looking at the list, it's hard to imagine that there are many working in the sector that wouldn't affected by this guidance,” said EYA chief executive Neil Leitch.
“We at the alliance have previously worked with Ofsted, alongside the Department for Education, to look at what could be done to reduce workload pressures on the sector. And yet, this guidance seems to fly in the face of that extensive piece of work, and Ofsted’s own concerns over provider ‘over-reporting’.
"Ultimately, those working in the sector should be trusted to use their professional judgement to determine whether an individual’s health condition, whether mental or physical, is likely to impact their ability to care for children at a provision.
“We urge Ofsted to rethink this flawed and ill-judged guidance as a matter of urgency."
Early years trainer Alison Featherbe said on Twitter that providers have been handed “a mountain of work” under the new reporting guidelines.
I honestly don’t know what to tweet. @Ofstednews just handed #EYFS providers with a mountain of work. This will affect recruitment, health checks, inductions, supervision, the columns in the visitor book, policies, codes of conduct etc. Time providers just don’t have 😔.
— Alison Featherbe (@allyfeatherbe) January 12, 2022
The legality of Ofsted’s guidance has also been called into question.
As a disabled person it really makes you think?! Thought I was protected by the Equality Act but...
— Lollipop Learning (@sallyj_baker) January 13, 2022