Don't know what to do now, don't want dd going back to that horrible place!

[dee24]

New on this board but just thought I would share what horrible sight I saw today when I picked my little girl up.
She's 9 months, wee soul, and has just recently been given medicine for asthma (coughs terribly when lying down/sleeping). Was fine at first when dropped off at nursery, in fact smiling and happy to go to the workers, when she started but over the past few weeks has been very upset when I drop her off. Not been keen on the nursery and have been planning to put her on the waiting list for another and today makes me want to just take her out right now.
Dp and I both went to pick her up and one of the girls said she was sleeping in the other room. Took a peep in the room and she was in the buggy sleeping, covered completely from head to toe (yes, even her face ) with a very thick blanket. Why on earth she would have even needed a blanket is beyond me as it was very warm today. TV was so loud as well (why is it in the sleeping area?) The girls in the room were acting as if this was normal, just pointed to her pram and said she was under the blanket having a nap! I actually lifted her and woke her up to make sure she was ok. She has asthma for goodness sake and those idiots were covering her face with a very thick blanket.
This is obviously how they put babies to sleep, very disturbed by this. Going to call the care commission tomorrow and formally complain about it. I'm just so upset that I don't have the money yet for a deposit for another nursery. Couldn't afford time off work either and the thought of putting her in there again makes me want to cry. Now we know why she's upset.

Could anyone tell me if I took her out asap would I also have to pay the four weeks notice it says in their booklet. Would really resent paying this but would it stop me getting a placement at another nursery?

Thanks for reading my rant, any advice etc would be appreciated.

[Lostmykeys]

Take her out straight away. Try to think rationally. Do not give them 4 weeks pay as it states in their book until you have spoken to consumer direct as nursery care is a product and you clearly aren't satisfied. You can also register your concerns with OFSTED. Your workplace should also give you time to sort out a new placement; i.e a few days grace until you can make alternative arrangements. Don't be hasty with your next choice of nursery make sure you are happy and also ensure their is not a TV in the place - it is not necesary!!! Good luck

[fishie]

sounds vile, of course you can't send her back. sorry have no idea of how the terms will work but they must have broken their side of it with inadequate care.

[sarahgg]

Name and shame the nursery here - I would

[kindersurprise]

That sounds like a horrible place and I wouldn't put her back there for one minute, if I were you.

Do you have anyone else who could take her for a day or two till you get something else sorted out? A relative or friend?

[Jenkeywoo]

that is apalling, I feel so sad for you and your dd. I agree you should name and shame.

[dee24]

Thankfully I'm stopping work on Friday, I can arrange for my sister to take care of her then. Got an interview for a new job Monday which I said I could start straight away but I'm sure they will understand if I explain.
I'm now worried that I won't pick a good one next, is there anything I should ask/look for? The one she was in had all teenage girls in the baby room which is why I wasn't too keen on it, will def be looking for some more experienced workers.

[McEdam]

Dee, I'd take her out too, I think. At the very least, I'd be having a very firm word with the manager and seeking reassurance that this was a one-off due to something going very, very wrong. But it doesn't sound like it.

You are entitled to unpaid emergency leave as a parent/carer - could give you a day or so to sort out other arrangements.

Agree Consumer Direct (consumer arm of Office of Fair Trading) could help re. nursery contract. I'd say providing an inadequate standard of care appears to be a breach of contract, myself, but I'm not a lawyer. It depends what your contract actually says and what the courts would say is an implied term.

[ELF1981]

Whereabouts are you?

I had my daughter booked in at a nursery but I turned up unexpectedly one day to pay the deposit and saw in the babies room that the babies were stapped into car seats (awake) and not due to be picked up.

I called DH immediately and sobbed down the phone like a loon, telling him that I couldn't put DD iin their care (this being the millionth nursery we'd seen and the one we'd been most happy with).

We spent that evening searching for a childminder.

I agree with the other posts, report this to OFSTEAD and refuse to pay the money. I know a friend of mine did this when removing her daughter from the nursery for various issues that had happened.

[dee24]

Little learners in Renfrewshire. Looked it up on the care commission website earlier and it's the only one on there with official complaints, two in the past 18 months both relating to the standard of their staff. Wish I'd known you could look it up on their website.

[ELF1981]

Dee, do you have friends with children who have used the nurseries recently who can recommend somewhere? Or have you thought about childminders?

[ELF1981]

this is a good site www.childcarelink.gov.uk/index.asp

[Isababel]

With the exception of covering them to the face, leaving children to sleep in their puschair was a regular practice in my former university "prized" nursery.

Actually, most of us who had children in the baby room had the sad experience of leaving a sleeping baby straped on his pushchair in the morning (there were no cots) and finding him exactly where and as we left him 3-4 hrs later.

Sadly, the place is rubish, the women in it spend the day chatting to each other while the children play on their own. However, as they have lots of business from unsuspecting new students they even have a waiting list. Although in all the years dealing with other student mums, I never met a single one who given the resources to take the child further away or pay for another nursery, would have kept a child in that place.

Another interesting point is that they get very good OFSTED results although I suspect that is because their parents are all about learning rather than due to the work of the nursery itself.

[dee24]

Only one, she has just got her little girl in a nursery which has supposed to be excellent but there is a huge waiting list. She knows the manager which is why she got in there first. Will have a look at that site thanks.

[Isababel]

Having said that, soon we found a better one. I totally trusted my instincts on that rather than what they told me. A main factor was that DS immediatly wanted to go down to sit with the other babies (he was about 7m old)

Today was his last day in nursery (starting reception next week), and he was happily joking with the staff that he will hide under the desk so he didn't have to leave.
I think he has received lots of love there, so... there's hope.

[maman4]

Don t take her back but demand an explanation from nursery manager.I can t believe what you said.Sleeping in a pushchair?With a blanket over her face???Unreal.I am so angry.Don t think all nursery staff are crap at their job (Iam a wonderfulprofessional(ahem).Get your money back and pipe up and complain!!!Let the people in the area know of your experience.How did you hear of this place?Word of mouth?Ad in local paper?The problem is though that the nice places have huge waiting lists and don t advertise,don t need to.Poor wee one.Is she ok? Glad dh was there with you

[dee24]

She is ok thankfully but it explains why shes started hating it. She loves to be centre of attention and why not she's only little lol! So i'm guessing she isn't getting what she needs and it breaks my heart hearing her cry when I leave. We chose it as someone told us they're little boy loved it.
Going to phone a couple tomorrow, I remember a woman I worked with saying they were great nurseries (they help lone parents with childcare when returning to work.) The areas are harder to get to and are not 'desirable' but i remember her saying this is why people turn there noses up and that they were cheaper and much better than the town centre ones. Just looked on that website and it's still the same manager for both so hopefully they are still as good!

[maman4]

sorry but in order to be ready in case of an ofsted visit staff spendHOURS daily filling in charts and formsand have limited time for the children they have in their care.

[Shoshable]

I cant understand how they get away with no cots, as a CM I was told I am not allowed to sleep children in buggies/pushchairs! In fact I was told by one inspector, after a child had fallen asleep on the morning school run that I had to lift him (which woke him)and put him in his cot!

[maman4]

Hope you find a nice place for her.God I m hopping mad swearing and blinding...sorry but stuff like this upsets both the mum and carer in me

[maman4]

precisely shosh there are guidlines concerning health and safety

[dee24]

I hope so too, will let you know how I get on tomorrow, really hoping one of the two have a place for her.

[bubblepop]

dee. i am shocked and if she was mine i would never allow her to be in that place again..

a girl i have recently met has told me the exact same story about her eldest child,it was some years ago now, the little girl is now about 5 but she was only young at the time, like yours.she came to pick her up from nursery earlier one day, her dd was asleep in a baby swing with a fleece blanket over her head.. her dd had got very hot and was very flushed, she had been sick and her clothes were covered in vomit. naturally my friend was mortified and she reported the incident to the local authority.someone came from the council and interviewed her in her home.there then followed a thorough investigation at the nursery. however, they somehow got away with it, as although the nursery had cctv,the camera was still and the incident was not recorded on camera.all the staff interviewed denied knowing anything about it.

[bubblepop]

dee what area is the nursery in? i wonder if its the same one

[Isababel]

Shoshable. I didn't see any cot, there was a side emergency exit between the baby room and the garden. Babies were put to sleep there as the place was a bit darker than the room. I never found DS there, but I saw other people's children sleeping there while the women were dealing with other things away of that area. I think they put them in the room before the mum was due to collect them.

TBH, At the time I din't have idea about how bad things were in that place or even if that was standard in Britain (international student at the time). I was not until I checked other nurseries that I realised it was far worse than I thought. How they got away with that, I have no idea. This was almost 4 years ago, though. Wonder if requirements have changed in the last years.

[dee24]

There are places in a lovely nursery not too far from where I live, hooray! I had called them when I started back at work but they were full but they now have a few places available. I am so pleased, checked it out and asked around, highly recommended. The childcare agency I worked for previously have also confirmed it is an excellent place and they take good care of the children. And when I called I even knew the lady on the phone, met her at a childcare agency launch last year and she's lovely.
She also said I can drop by anytime to look around, without phoning or anything so that's a good sign, never heard any nurseries alowing you to do that! Feel so much better, burst into tears and everything this morning at work I was so stressed, I am so happy it is working out ok.
Have just finished typing my two letters of complaint, one to the nursery manager and one to the care commission in Scotland.