would you report and Unregistered Childminder???

They don't have to be registered if there is no payment this includes payment in kind

Slightly different question on childminding then, if you have someone looking after your child for a few days a week but aren't paying them, does that person have to be registered then?

My sisters going to have ds when I go back to work.

Yes I would - and I have done.

I reported a local unregistered CM who was in direct competion with me, but mainly because the children in her care were in danger (being transported in a car with no seat belt, let alone a car seat!)

Ofsted took it very seriously, (as they had had other complants about her) and went to see her a few days after I reported her and she has now stopped work. She also got fined, but that happened a bit later.
Oh you do not have to give your name or anything to ofsted!

i cant understand the "i trust you" response at all. as far as im concerned, its not going to offend a potential childminder to ask to see these things...and well if it did then id think she had something to hide!

Yes, it is payment of any sort!

It doesnt have to be money changing hands its payment of any kind I was told.

I show my certificates because i work so damn hard to build up my portfolio but alot of them 'I trust you' or 'i dont want to see it' I reply 'well yes you do, you need to know that i am registered etc etc' Have never been asked for any paperwork.

You'd be surprised at how many parents don't ask. I've only ever had a couple set of parents say yes when I ask if they want to be shown round (and it's not because they'd already decided they didn't want me as they signed up!). I automatically show my paperwork in case parents aren't sure what to ask for!

ah right yes i get that.

i dont know really, if its a couple of friends and the woman is paying her friend for taking care of the child then no, i wouldnt say anything. if the woman in question is bascially childminding (for strangers) without being registered then i probably would. i imagine the parents would know if the woman wasnt registered, wouldnt you usually ask to see all the paperwork before you signed anything? i know i would.

you really do have to be on low pay though..it's tough paying for childcare if as a couple you earn the minimum wage

Yeah, depends how you define low wage. I assure many who don't qualify for any kind of support do their share of struggling.

but if you are on a low wage and you claim tax credits you will get up to 80% of your childcare fees paid anyway, as long as the childcare is registered? so it would be better to use a registered carer. (doesnt say here whether its a couple or single parent?) (can couples claim tax credits, i have no idea?)

If you report her, will she know who reported her? She will surely be very unhappy? And what about the children's parents, will they know? And they may be very unhappy with you as well. I'm not sure what I would do. It's a tough one. I would need toknow more about the circumstances. Like, are the children's parents and childminder old friends? relatives? Is it financial (i.e. is this childminder cheaper than the registered ones in the area?). If she is cheaper and the parents are using her for that reason I imagine they'll be rather displeased if you ruin that arrangement. I'm not saying it's right. Just that you might want to consider all possible consequences before running off to OFSTED.

If the person is advertising herself as a registered childminder yes you should report it, but is there a possibility that it is just parents who have come to an arrangement?

Yes I would – because I would absolutely not be prepared to sit by and watch my business (that I have worked very hard to build) threatened by someone who is not - as equally as I have to be - prepared to train, to be insured, to be ready at all times to be accountable and to pass the rigorous standards of an Ofsted inspection, or to pay their taxes.
As a parent I would also wonder what they had to hide that made then not want to register.

Isyhan - if there is no money changing hands then there is no unregistered minding. What happens at your daughters school is just friendly and nice

If the parent knowingly uses unregistered childminding then should Social Services or the police be involved (ie if an accident happens or something) then technically it could be classed as neglect - which is really sad and makes both the minder and the parent open to prosecution

"Perhaps the childs mother has been to see a few registered minders but didn;t feel comfortable with them and so she chose a woman who would care well for her child and that she had a rappor with also"

That may be but why can't she suggest this woman register with Ofsted? What if the child had an accident and the woman hadn't had any first aid training? What if the woman has a criminal record or medical issues that would prevent her from registering? I could go on ...

Its ridiculous. Just about every parent in my daughters class does it as there is no childcare. they all drop off and pick each others kids up from school. They are not paying each other they just do it to help each other. Parents have been doing that for years!

I wouldn't. If the mother is happy with the care her child/ren is receiving and she is aware that the minder is not registered then she must feel confident enough in the minder to leave her child/ren there. Perhaps the childs mother has been to see a few registered minders but didn;t feel comfortable with them and so she chose a woman who would care well for her child and that she had a rappor with also?

If, however, she was telling the parent she is registered when she is not, then I would report her, but IMO you need to find out more details before doing so.

I believe that strictly speaking "swaps" are considered payment in kind and probably not allowed if more than 2 hours. But loads of people do it - viewed more like "play dates" than a childcare arrangement really. I think this is quite different from the "cowboy childminder" who is earning money without any insurance, first aid, training or ofsted inspection, paying tax etc.

if it was basically a swap arrangement between friends with a bit of "expenses" to compensate then no..if it was done with the knowledge of all aprties probably no as well

but if i thought a child was at risk then yes

not if it's only 2 hours. Think the maximum is 3 hrs? before you need to register

this is a tricky one. On principle, I would generally say yes to reporting someone. However, what do MNers think of this scenario: a friend of mine returns to work after mat leave in a few weeks. Her older dd starts reception in sept, the same school as the son of a good friend of ours who also start reception there. So my 2 friends have come to an 'arrangement ' where the days friend 1 works, friend 2 will collect both kids from school and look after friend 1's daughter for a couple of hours until she is collected by friend 1, and friend 2 will be paid a bit.
Strictly speaking is this illegal? becuase it seems like a good idea to me.

Yes, I would. It puts the child/ren she is caring for at risk as she will not have had all the checks, she will not be insured etc.
If anything happened to one of the children, the parents wouldn't have a leg to stand on as they would have left them with an unregistered person.

The parents could get into trouble for using her services.

And, as already said, it's not right that the rest of us have had all the checks, do the training, keep our insurance up to date etc and others arw working unregistered.