childminder left girls in park with another woman

I have once done this when dealing with a medical emergency. I had to leave the children while I travelled in the ambulance with a anaphylactic shock case. I was actually quite proud of myself - the hospital said that the first aid I'd done probably saved the child's life - there's something to be said for all childminders being trained in first aid!

I rang the parents first to inform them and the person I left the children with was a CRB checked primary school teacher.

So I can't help wondering just how many childminders WannaBe actually knows to claim that they all leave their mindees. I thought she was a nursery manager, not a childminder? Or am I confusing her with someone else?

Basically if a CM employs an assistant they have to have the following

1. Permission from Ofsted
2. Full enhanced CRB disclosure
3. References / employment history checks and first aid, other training etc.
4. The registered person (ie CM) also has to have Employees Liability Ins
5. Also must have signed consents from all parents agreeing that an assistant may be left in sole charge of children, for short periods of time, although these periods of time are not specified by ofsted, and must have regard for the EY and CC registers and ratios of child:adult.

If it was an emergency such as the CM chopped her arm off and had to go to hosp, a CM can leave minded children in the care of a responsible adult, most CM's have a policy which names their emergency procedure and persons they would leave mindees with in emergency.

An emergency however isn't popping home from the park for 10min or nipping to the shop for bread.

As a registered CM if I had an emergency and had no choice but to leave mindees with a responsible adult I would write an incident report, detailing exactly what, why and when it happened and send a copy to ofsted as well as all parents involved.

I would not DREAM of leaving a minded child with anyone else - shocking!

Ofsted I guess, if they found a childminder was leaving children with someone who is not a registered assistant and CRB checked, they could cancel her registration?
Also how would she stand with regards to her public libility ins, supposing she has any? if anything was to happen?

so who decides if they can do it, ofsted or if the parents agree in contract/in writing that cm can leave mindees for few mins with someone they know/trust

saying that LutyensCBA story is awful - leaving mindees with a 15yr old

Of course you must tell your cousin.

I have told a friend twice when I have seen her child doing something dangerous and she was appreciative both times.

My ex CM used to do this. I found out she'd been leaving DD with her unchecked lodger and was not happy.

Have a nice new CM, however another parent removed her child from there as the CM left the kids with her sister while she nipped to the shop (less than 5 mins) to get bread. I didn't have a problem with that, I think it would depend who the other person was.

But if you tell your cousi nat least she can decide if she's happy with that or not.

Thank you for that coral.

In my situation she was always within her personal ratio. I liked the arrangement as it also meant if my childminder had been ill there was someone who could take my daughter.

Of course I don't know if this was the case in the OP but wanted to raise it as a possibility.

marcopront, the other childminder would only be covered insurance wise if (having taken in the additional child) she was still within her own personal allowable ratio numbers unless it was a genuine emergency (eg carting someone off to hospital as oppossed to a doctors appointment.

LutyensCBA Thats appaling!

That CM is breaking the terms of her registration and it would be a very serious breach.

I'm gobsmacked at what some people say that CM's do on here, it devalues the good CM's work, not all CM's break rules lots of us are very good.

obviously. i have no idea what obvioualy means

My friend's CM regularly leaves some of her mindees under her daughter's care while she does the school run to pick up the older kids. My friend knows (I assume the other mums do too) and is all right with it even though the daughter is not a registered CM. In fact the daughter is 15 years old, so not even an adult actually.

Like I said, the mums of her mindees obvioualy approve but I was ! If I was looking for a CM, this would be a deal-breaker for me.

I think you are all making assuptions here without knowing the OP's cousin's childminder.

My former childminder worked closely with another childminder. This meant that my daughter knew this woman, and I was happy for my daughter to be left with her. This could be planned, e.g. going to a school induction day with another mindee or an emergency, e.g needing to go to the doctor. This was in the contract and the other minder was covered by insurance. If it was planned I knew in advance, if it wasn't planned I was told afterwards.

My interpretation of the situation is, two childminders went to the park together. Childminder 1 had two children who were about to be picked up. She took them home leaving the other mindees in the care of childminder 2, they were picked up and then she went back to the park.

OK I'm making assumptions too but it is nice to try to think the best of people.

MB = Mum Boss

Owl MB is the baby's mother, used by nannies as shorthand

what is an MB?

Agree with Blondes and Missus - I am a nanny and would leave a child with a friend - again my boss trusts me with her child and knows I will/would make the right descisiions etc at the time.

As a nanny I would do this in a situation of for example leaving one child with a nanny friend while taking another child to the loo (or leaving a child with another nanny and going to the loo myself) in a park or cafe. But, actually leaving the building/area seems a bit much without prior parental permission.

Yes def needs to be mentioned to your cousin

nannys are different from cm. I have left my charges with a friend while gone to pick up eldest from school/tennis etc

difference is that I can do that and my MB knows and trusts my judgement

I also know if a cm who has done this. Was at park with her and she went back to the car to get a nappy leavning her mindees with me and another mum

I am not saying it is right but seems silly/pointless to put children in buggy etc and walk back with them taking double time

I did point out to her what would the mums say and she said she had cleared it with them on another day

so does that mean she had permission and can legally leave with someone esle foe what was about 3 mins?

As a registered childminder we have to have our minded children in sight or hearing of us at all times - we also have to have public liability insurance - if either of those girls had had an accident in the park whilst the childminder was not there (assuming that the other adult was not an assistant) then the childminder would not be covered by that insurance.

Seeker - whilst you would be happy with people who you know looking after your children these are adults who you personally know and trust, would you be happy with a childminder leaving your children with someone who is effectively a stranger to you?

Coral - another cm who has never left any of her minded children with another adult - not even her husband! when those children are in my care they are solely my personal responsibility as they parents have trusted me to look after them.

Well from the CMs POV her insurance is invalidated.

Secondly I assume you choose your CM in the same way you'd choose a friend or relative to leave them with. In this case it's the CM choosing and they may not have the same standards as you do. Would you really not be annoyed if, say, your sister was looking after your children and then left them with her friend who you've never met for 10 minutes while she went and did something?

Once again, I am the odd one out. I thought that the whole point of having child minder care was that it was as near as possible to being family. I wouldn't have aproblem with a friend or relation who was looking after my children doing this, so why would I mind if a child minder did?

if a cm had been reported doing this, why wouldn't parents remove their dc from her care?

I know a CM that regually does this. But I don't know anybody else that does. It has been reported but unless ofsted catch them in the act then there isn't much they can do as its your word against theres. But your cousin should def be aware of it, and if she would report it then it would at least be on her file.

I am a CM and would never do this. DH is a registered assistant for the very reason of just popping somewhere for 5 mins and not needing to drag all the mindees with me.