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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

I walked my neighbours year 3 mindee to school today!

29 replies

Saltire · 05/02/2009 09:47

We were walking along and her daughters and a little boy were in front of us. The boy was walking really slowly. The girls ran off in front saying they were going to be late. I got Ds2 up to school and came back and this boy was jsut standing there. I said to him "would you like me to get your childmidner" and he said no,a nd looked really panicked and started walking slowly again. So I got him to school gate and then stood and watched him, but he was jsut standing int eh playground, and was crying, so I called the office and told them and they said was he not with a parent and I said no, but that I thought he maybe had a CM but wasn't sure. They came out and got him from playground.
I am at her not walking him tos chool, its just across the road, I always walked mine to school.

OP posts:

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ChippingIn · 06/02/2009 23:37

Lotster - it makes a little more sense when you add in the changing her as well, but I still think this woman must have issues to worry about someone feeding her baby. I feel very sorry for her. Life is going to be tough, especially once the little one starts at nursery. Your sister sounds great

The woman the OP describes, pretty much describes most parents nightmares about CMs. Thus making it much more difficult for the good ones like your sister and many that post here!!

wotulookinat · 06/02/2009 15:13

Saltire, I remember your thread about her leaving them strapped in highchairs. She sounds awful. That little boy was alone and could have been in danger. Please report her. Parents are paying her, believing that their kiddies are safe and well looked after.

Lotster · 06/02/2009 15:02

Hi Chippingin - I have read back waht I wrote and it does sound bizarre, sorry!! I was doing an edited version of the way my sister explained it to me really. The child's mum had asked that only my sister should feed her and change her if she had friends or family around.
When I asked what harm me popping a spoon of food in her mouth could do, my sister said that from what she understood, the mum though some people might "enjoy" these tasks if they were a bit, for want of a better word, perverted.

Anyway, no-one would have known if I'd helped when I was there, but my sis respected her client's wishes, which really impressed me. The woman the OP describes let's her mate look after/drive these kids around - it's not allowed, she's not insured and probably not CRB checked.

It's long been my worry about childminders you have no previous relationship with, that you have no idea about what happens behind closed doors - mainly if they are lazy or unkind with the children, and the OP has a valuable insight here in to this with her neighbour, which I'm sure the parents of her mindees would be so grateful/angry to know about.

mawbroon · 05/02/2009 21:51

Saltire, I would call the Care Commission tbh. I bet she's not even registered.

Have you looked on the childlink website to see if her name is on it? Saying that, if she's not on, it doesn't mean that she's not registered.

Care Commission are supposed to insepct every year, but I was due mine in October and they still haven't been! There was talk of making less frequent inspections to care providers with good previous, but I stuggle to see how this woman could convince them, unless she is very good at talking the talk.

ChippingIn · 05/02/2009 21:34

The mother had specifically said no-one else was to feed her in case they got off on it

Well, that has to be one of the weirdest things I have heard in a long time?? Who the hell 'gets off' on feeding a child??

Lotster - how has minding this child worked out for your sister, I would be very dubious looking after a child whose mother felt like that, unless there was a very specific reason for it...

Saltire - I agree that you should report it. I can understand your husbands feelings, but as long as you tell Ofsted that they mustn't allow the neighbour to know it is you, then it should be ok. I imagine that if people are leaving their children with someone like that they must have some degree of knowledge of what she is like... but what if they don't?? I couldn't live with myself if something happened to one of the children and I hadn't tried to get something done about it Also, hopefully she will improve or the kids will go somewhere better to be looked after

Ripeberry · 05/02/2009 19:28

You must report this! I'm a registered childminder and the CMs you are talking about are really bad.
Just ring the Ofsted number in the morning 08456 404040 and tell them of your concerns.
They are always very helpfull and won't think you are a nuisance.
If they get enough concerns then there will be an UNANOUNCED inspection and they will sort them out.
Do it, for the sake of the children!

skramble · 05/02/2009 19:20

I don't know if that is the way to look at it, sometimes you need to hear other opinions before having the nerve to do something, its not any easy decision to make.

tankie · 05/02/2009 18:55

I think it's a bit off that you keep complaining about her on here and not doing anything in real life

If I had concerns about children's welfare I wouldn't just bitch about it on the internet.

skramble · 05/02/2009 18:40

I think Ofsted need to know, if you give information, it should be investigated and she will have to justify how she cares for them and show evidence of actvities and some sort of planning.

Lotster · 05/02/2009 16:39

Christ this woman sounds awful and you should have reported her back with the highchair incident TBH. Don't mean to make you feel bad, but if you'd done it back then, the little boy in the street on his own incident might never have happened.

Your heart is in the right place to be concerned but without doing anything it's pointless, be brave!

As for the friend driving and minding the kids - my sister is a wonderful childminder and wouldn't even let me help feed one of her mindees as I'm not CRB checked. (The mother had specifically said no-one else was to feed her in case they got off on it). I was a bit but in hindsight, it's great that my sis's clients can trust her behind closed doors and this woman's clients clearly can't. She's abusing her position for cash she doesn't properly earn.

SammyK · 05/02/2009 16:23

How would you feel if you didn't raise this issue and something happened to one of her mindees? Could you forgive yourself?

Original poster

Saltire · 05/02/2009 15:50

I know because when I stand outside at my back door, I can see right into her living room, the rooms have huge lowish windows.I was talking to her and could see in, I also said to her, "oh where are x and y today and she said indoors in their high chairs so they will be ok"

OP posts:

skramble · 05/02/2009 15:46

How do you know the children were strapped into high chairs? Not being arsey just wondered how you know, smae with how do you know they were all inthe playpen?

If you know these things are facts then you should report to someone.

Devendra · 05/02/2009 15:36

Oh god how awful for those kids.. please report her..imagine if it was your kids!!

SammyK · 05/02/2009 11:11

Saltire Bradfordmum is right, you need to report her, and you can do so anonymously, without even mention you cm yourself. Do it.

HSMM · 05/02/2009 10:50

Are you sure she's registered?

I am a CM and I would never treat the children like this!

If I was out in the garden tidying up for 2 hours, the children would all be out there with me 'helping me'.

LisaD1 · 05/02/2009 10:34

Well, I'm in England and I had my initial inspection last August and am due another in the next couple of weeks, then I think its' 3 yearly.

You can be completely anon with Ofsted so she does not need to know it was you.

The more you say about her and her friend the more I want to urge you to report her!

Original poster

Saltire · 05/02/2009 10:30

How often do OFSTED inspect? In Scotland the CC inspect every year.
DH is a bit reluctant for me to report her becasue we live next door,and he is going away soon for 4/6 months and I will be here on my own! Her friend is very scary, she's the kind of person you would avoid in the pub. She was banging on our door one day and kicking it becasue Ds2 had hit her son with the football whilst they were playing football. She said "I want the little shit out her so I can ask him WTF he thinks he was doing kicking a ball". I did point out that's what you do when playing football - you kick it!

OP posts:

BradfordMum · 05/02/2009 10:26

Sorry but you should do something about her and not just jkeep coming on Here telling us. We cannot do anything but YOU can!

LisaD1 · 05/02/2009 10:26

I can't believe this woman is getting away with such blatant disregard for her mindees and the EYFS. Her treatment of the children she is supposed to provide care for is horrible.

Oftsed really need to be told about this woman.

Lizzylou · 05/02/2009 10:24

REPORT!
She sounds awful
I am realising how lucky I am with DS2's CM, she looks after him so well and they do so much.
She has her Mother ofsted registered as well, so she will leave children with her Mother if she needs to do school run etc. This was explained to me before I signed the agreement, her and her Mother are stars (both gave DS2 Christmas presents, and DS1, despite never minding him!).

Original poster

Saltire · 05/02/2009 10:21

I have mentioned on here before about my neighbour. last summer she was in the garden for 2 hours tidying it up, whislt her mindees were strapped in their high chairs in the living room. She goes out and leaves them with her friend - who is there from 9am till at least 2 every single day. They go outside and smoke. She never takes them out, now admittedly I work 3 hours a day, but she ahs said to me she doesn't even have a double buggy (and she has 3 buggy age children to mind).
I saw her one day with one of her mindees in her friends car, the friend was driving.

OP posts:

BoffinMum · 05/02/2009 10:16

The point was that he was upset and crying, so clearly something is wrong here.

If he had skipped down the road happily and unproblematically it would have been a different issue IMO.

2pt4kids · 05/02/2009 10:13

I think that the school would be terrible if they didnt call the boys parents given that they had him turn up, upset with no adult with him!
Lets hope they do and perhaps you should report your neighbour to Ofsted too as the other childrens parents ought to know whats going on too.

Seeline · 05/02/2009 10:13

It really depends on what the arrangement is with the little boys parents doesn't it. Whilst you may always walk your children to school (as do I) they may be perfectly happy with this. On the other hand if they believe that he is being taken to school, then they should be made aware of the situation.

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