Inconsistent inspections

I have been a registered childminder for more than ten years. I take my job very seriously and consider that I carry it out in a professional manner.

It was with pleasure, then, that I greeted the news two years ago that Ofsted was to take over the inspections in England from local social services departments. I anticipated universal standards with consistent and fair inspections, and no variation between outcomes expected from one childminder or another.

Unfortunately this does not appear to be happening. Several of my colleagues have been inspected recently and have received very different treatment. One was given permission to carry out overnight care, while another was told that to offer this service would mean getting her smoke alarms 'hard-wired'. Another was told to accompany her charges to the toilet, while another was told this was unnecessary, even though the layout of both houses was similar. A colleague was told that her husband could no longer be on her registration unless he underwent further training such as First Aid and the Introducing Childminding Practice course. In order to get this decision reversed, she submitted letters from the parents of her minded children asking for him to be allowed to remain on her certificate.