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Original poster

Childminder breaching safeguarding

80 replies

Lis96 · 28/01/2024 16:49

I’d like to know if our childminder has breached the terms of the contract by withholding information and for breaking safeguarding rules.

my son has been going since October and has been happy there but sometimes I’ve not been happy with her communication. For example one time she posted a picture on social media of my son at a pet shop, and I didn’t even know she was taking him out (we expressed to her when he was settling in that we don’t like the idea of him travelling but we wanted to be informed).

anyway I have found out from someone that she has her adult daughter living upstairs in the house she uses for childminding. The daughter has bipolar disorder and has been sectioned before. So obviously we’re now petrified at the fact that she would not by law have to inform us about her living there, nevermind the concerns that my 3 year old son being in the same house as someone with diagnosed mental illness.

we would have never sent him there if we knew about this, and now we are withdrawing him immediately. I’m upset at the fact that I now need to find him a nursery and hope he can get started there straight away. But I also know how money oriented she is and she will probably say we need to pay her for next month as part of the contract.

Is the fact that she did not disclose this information, the safeguarding concerns, and also I doubt the daughter is DBS checked, will this be enough to say the contract terms have been broken, so we don’t have to pay.

In a final note, the person who told us this knew for sure that this was happening also.

There are 3 of them that are approved for childminding at the house and they have up to 10 kids a day. But unbeknown to us the main childminder and her husband leave at 3pm everyday, even though the pick up time for children is 5pm. I think some kids only do mornings so it may not be 10 kids that she’s left with, but it’s definitely over 5 kids and I think she only has a level 2 qualification

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Eightfour · 28/01/2024 17:08

The daughter probably is DBS checked, I had to be many years ago when I turned 18 and my stepmother was a childminder. I can only imagine it’s got stricter. Her mental health history is no business of yours and your prejudice is showing.

Childminders do generally take children out and about. That’s their whole thing, you are putting the child in a more casual family like environment, although the arrangement sounds more like an ad hoc nursery.

I think a nursery will be better for you but I also think you need to unclench a little. The only safeguarding concern I can see is the photo on social media.

And yes you will have to pay her, that doesn’t make her money oriented.

Bkjahshue · 28/01/2024 17:07

I think you’re being very dramatic about the mental health aspect which won’t help with this post and the replies you get but I’d expect anyone living in the home of my childminder to have a DBS check so would argue that it was a breach of trust and fair enough to terminate the contract with immediate effect as I thought part of ofsted registration is adults living in the yoke having a DBS

Marblessolveeverything · 28/01/2024 17:05

YABU, her daughter's private medical information is nothing to do with you. I very much doubt if DBS does a medical check on other family members.

She hasn't broken the contract you have so yes she is entitled to be paid for the notice period.

There are 1.3 million people in the UK diagnosed with bi polar and there is no law demanding access to medical issues when applying as a childminder. So you won't know who has it.

Simonjt · 28/01/2024 17:03

You do know that people with mental health conditions can and do work in nurseries. Lots of parents also have mental health conditions too, you possibly need to explore the fact that you yourself may have a mental health condition.

KateyCuckoo · 28/01/2024 17:00

Lots of assumptions, no facts, yes you will still be liable for the notice period.

The childminder does not need to divulge her family's health information to you. Ofsted decide all that and you have no proof she doesn't have a DBS check.

Assistants can be left with children up to 2 hours so that sounds OK too. Possible too many children but again you don't know only guessing.

Childminders do not need permission form outings, in fact it's encouraged. Unusual choice of setting if you want your child kept in one place.

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