The change, which comes into force on 1 September, will mean that providers will no longer be at risk of losing business from parents deciding not to use their setting on the basis of a complaint for which no action was required.
Currently, details of complaints are noted in the provider's next inspection report, even if checks find no evidence that standards are not being met.
An Ofsted spokesperson said, 'In childcare inspection reports we will now include only those complaints which have required us or the provider to take action in order for the setting to meet the Government-set National Standards for childcare. We will no longer provide details of complaints where neither ourselves nor the provider needed to take action. We hope this will help parents make informed decisions, as well as giving them a balanced picture of a nursery or childminder that is also fair to the provider.'
But Sheila Griffith, an accredited childminder from Somerset, said that this is 'unfair' on those who have just received inspection reports detailing unfounded complaints. She said, 'This means I will have to wait another three years to change the unfounded, un-upheld complaint received in my otherwise "outstanding" inspection report. I think Ofsted should take it off now. This is my only income and I'm worried that it will affect my business.'
Ofsted will also change the way it handles anonymous complaints. A spokesperson said, 'If they are made by a member of staff in the setting, or they suggest that a child is at risk, we will investigate. Otherwise we will refer anonymous complaints relating to the National Standards to providers so they can investigate and report back to us.'
The National Day Nurseries Association welcomed the changes. NDNA chief executive Purnima Tanuku said, 'We are very pleased that Ofsted has listened to concerns from representative organisations such as ourselves and other providers on this issue. Allowing anonymous complaints from non-staff members to be investigated first by the setting itself will hopefully speed up the addressing of genuine complaints and free up time for Ofsted to focus on providers where there is real cause for concern.'
Ofsted took the decision following consultations with daycare providers over proposed changes to the way it handles complaints at its annual conference for national daycare provider chains in May.
