Over 60 per cent of the 112 respondents to the Ofsted Childcare Register (OCR) consultation disagreed with the proposal for a proportionate system of inspection in which 10 per cent of providers registered on the OCR will be inspected each year.
But the Government said in its response to the consultation that it 'must direct resources for inspection to where they are needed most and where they can have the greatest impact'. It said that Ofsted will ensure that the 10 per cent of those inspected include newly-registered pro- viders from 2007 and that it 'will keep under close review' the proportion due to be inspected.
The document states that the prospect of unannounced spot checks will provide a 'strong incentive for compliance'. But Children's Workforce Development Council vice-chair Gill Haynes said, 'This is a ridiculous assertion. If only 10 per cent of providers are inspected each year, this gives a strong message that it's not a high priority area. And the prospect of the remaining 90 per cent being spot-checked is unlikely.'
Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, said, 'Three years is a long time without an inspection, but leaving it potentially a decade is a high-risk strategy that needs to be addressed.'
The Government agreed to retain adult:child ratios of 1:8 for ages five to seven for those who register with the OCR. But NDNAchief executive Purnima Tanuku queried how this would fit with the EYFS, which proposes a ratio of 1:13 when a graduate leader is in place.
Tricia Pritchard, senior professional officer at the Professional Association of Nursery Nurses, said, 'This response has done nothing to allay our fears. All childcare provision should be subject to mandatory inspection and regulation.'
Download the response at www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations.
