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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To "grass up" this childminder to ofsted?

133 replies

Bluemonkeyspots · 08/01/2013 11:55

Now i know the general mumsnet opinion is to mind your own business but please hear me out first, then you can tell me to mind my own business if you want ;)

Friend has started using one of her friends for childminding, she has her 2dc during the week, she has also recommended cm friend to another friend and her 1dc will be starting soon.

Cm has 3dc of her own and also watches 2dc full time for another parent.

That will be 8dc overall and 5 off them
are preschoolers.

When I asked about ratios friend said she knew cm did not have a variation for ratios but her and her friend were happy enough to carry on with the arrangment and the other mum who user the cm full time will be none the wiser as she will drop off before the other mindees arrive and pick up after they have gone home.

My problem with this is that i am a mum who uses childcare and i would be really angry if this happened to me, I don't know this mum at all but she is paying the same rate as other parents do but her dc will get much less attention and I'm also not sure that cm's insurance will be valid (not to mention car sears etc)

What would you do?

OP posts:
plantsitter · 08/01/2013 14:36

I would tell the other parent. Even if it were fine by OFSTED, if I found out my child minder was actively keeping a secret from me I would be furious and wonder what else she was keeping quiet.

meboo · 08/01/2013 14:43

You can now have no more that 6 kids under the age of 8 years.

LesbianMummy1 · 08/01/2013 15:08

I am on the fence here as their maybe a genuine confusion regarding ratios. The revised eyfs was not clear about circumstances that numbers could be altered and Ofsted told my friend who is also a childminder she could have six babies if she wanted. Luckily i know that was inaccurate and I was able to explain the circumstances that she could have more than three under five but there was and still is a lot of confusion regarding changing numbers. When the dfe wrote the framework they should have made it all crystal clear.

IF the childminder knows and understands the regulations then report her if she is deliberately breaching them. Be clear that all the children are cared for together though as some children may be part time.

Today I had three toddlers this morning and then another come at lunchtime. One goes home at lunchtime and another arrives ten minutes later. One child has been collected early and then the other is asleep.

I have a seven leader car and I have four toddler seats and two seats for older ones. I also carry a spare car seat incase i hand a child over at the school and need a different type of car seat.

Do not ignore but check you have correct details. Nobody should ignore child protection however establish the facts first Ofsted will investigate and will probably do a full inspection because of welfare concerns. In this circumstance they will establish facts.

If childminder is definitely over minding or over using the car her insurance and registration will be void.

AlexanderS · 08/01/2013 16:57

It is not the OP's job to check if the childminder knows and understands the regulations lesbianmummy1, it is Ofsted's.

vintagewarrior · 08/01/2013 17:03

How can anyone say mind your own business?
For christs sake, if something happened, fire / accident, how would she cope? & you'd never forgive yourself.

I knew drug dealing childminder, had to report it!
Children need protection. This woman is putting £ infront of safety.
You lot are mental sometimes.

shewhowines · 08/01/2013 17:09

I was on the fence but the car seat issue is the clincher for me. She is knowingly willing to put children into danger and is willing to lie and conceal this. What else is she willing to do that we don't know about?

Tell Ofstead.

Lilithmoon · 08/01/2013 17:16

Report for sure.

TheSkiingGardener · 08/01/2013 17:29

Those saying butt out, are you serious? It's not about the CM, or the other parents and their need for childcare. It's about the safety and welfare of the children in her care, and if you don't think that's important then shame on you.

EnjoyResponsibly · 08/01/2013 17:35

Report.

If she's all above board she's got no problems and won't mind Ofsted asking questions will she.

If she's not, we'll oh dear, but all the Parents have an absolute right to have 100% transparency on their Dcs care.

LesbianMummy1 · 08/01/2013 17:47

AlexanderS what i said is the childminder may be mistaken not that op must check childminder knows regulation

i also said report her if childminder does know so e.g. if she really told op friend she knew it was too many children report her or if she has too many in car.

It could be mix up though as she has not been seen with these children it is based on hearsay also what happened to asking question?

if it deliberate it's different to a new childminder making a mistake that she could correct there and then without endangering any children just by somebody asking if she knows she has too many children. Childminder may just tell new parent she made a mistake or pass her to another childminder.

JustFabulous · 08/01/2013 17:49

I am puzzled as to why so many people are saying for you to MYOB. Wouldn't they want to know if their childminder was doing this? If it was their child not getting the care they deserved and the care you are paying for. Ratios are there for a reason and worse case a child could be injured or even die because the CM had too many children to be able to care for them safely.

Children's safety and well being should be everyones business.

MrsKeithRichards · 08/01/2013 17:56

How does pick which child goes unrestrained?

Report.

JustFabulous · 08/01/2013 17:57

"Childminder had said to friend that the car won't be a problem as like most large cars cm's has tinted windows in the back so nobody can see how many dc are in it."

ShockShock Oh my God.

ravenAK · 08/01/2013 18:01

I'm quite laid back about safety, really, but if I had two dc too young to tell me what was going on, & I found out that they were being piled 8 kids to 6 car seats for a daily school run AND that the other two mums had conspired with the CM to keep this from me...

...well, let's just say Ofsted would be the bloody least of her worries!

I'm no fan of Ofsted (my own CM had endless grief from them - in the end we employed her as a nanny to cut them out of the loop) - but I think this needs reporting.

If you have got your facts wrong, that's fine, isn't it? CM can just explain to Ofsted that the complaint made to them is incorrect.

The CM could have turned away the business or taken on a p/t assistant to watch the pre-schoolers whilst she does the school run. Presumably she did neither because this way is much more profitable for her.

It's really quite indefensible.

SantasENormaSnob · 08/01/2013 18:06

I would report.

AlexanderS · 08/01/2013 18:52

Lesbianmummy, it doesn't matter if it is based on hearsay - as I said further up the thread any concern about child welfare must be investigated (it was a lack of willingness to investigate child protection concerns based on hearsay that allowed Jimmy Saville to get with away with what he did for a lifetime). The OP cannot be expected to investigate/"ask questions" herself, she should just pass her concern on to Ofsted and let their qualified inspectors do their job. I really don't see what the problem is - you can't help but wonder if the childminders on this thread who are reluctant for Ofsted to get involved have aspects of their own practice they'd rather Ofsted didn't know about. As somebody further up the thread said, real professionals accept that they need to be regulated.

MrsReiver · 08/01/2013 18:53

I'm a childminder - report her. Please.

FutTheShuckUp · 08/01/2013 18:56

Ratios exist for the safety of the children in the childminders/nurseries care.
It really really worries me how people say 'its none of your business' when it comes to the safety and welfare of children! Child protection is EVERYBODY'S business!

breatheslowly · 08/01/2013 19:02

An unrestrained child in a car puts other children in the car at risk when they fly about the cabin in a collision. Even if it is her own children without belts, she is risking the other children.

LesbianMummy1 · 08/01/2013 20:00

AlexanderS I have no worries if Ofsted turn up at my door they are more than welcome to all I am saying is from a person who knows somebody

LesbianMummy1 · 08/01/2013 20:04

Who knows somebody perspective we don't have facts if this person knows its true then report but if its Chinese whispers then be careful. I am sure whatever your circumstances are if your boss at works receives a complaint every time somebody who knows somebody who overheard something complained you would find it hard.

If somebody phoned social services constantly because some bodies aunts neighbours best friend thought she saw you leave your child alone it would be awkward.

Nobody has said not to report any potential welfare concerns,

What has been said is to ensure it not based on hearsay

KellyElly · 08/01/2013 20:19

nokidshere Are you a child minder? If so your comments are an absolute disgrace. I'm thankful I don't have someone like you looking after my children. Its like a social worker coming on here and saying someone is malicious to report possible child abuse unless they are absolutely sure of the facts and to mind their own business.

KellyElly · 08/01/2013 20:27

Who knows somebody perspective we don't have facts if this person knows its true then report but if its Chinese whispers then be careful. I am sure whatever your circumstances are if your boss at works receives a complaint every time somebody who knows somebody who overheard something complained you would find it hard. This is involving the welfare of children, not an adult working environment. If its unfounded then she will be investigated and cleared of any wrongdoing. She's only going to get in trouble is she is going againt the guidelines she has as a registered child minder.

Original poster
Bluemonkeyspots · 08/01/2013 20:29

Lesbian- it's not someone's aunts neighbours bestfriend though.

I was told all this from someone who is involved smack bang in the middle off it, why would she make up her cm told her this is what she is planning to do?

She obviously thinks it's ok but like I said before it had been brought up about the original mum finding out but they had agreed between them she did not need to me.

My issues before reporting her was

1/ the original mum might be as lax as the other patents and just be happy her dc are settled.

2/ even though she is breaking the law she might still be a bloody good cm (it's possible even if not someone I would want watching my dc)

I was looking for advice and thank you to everyone who has posted

OP posts:
LadyWidmerpool · 08/01/2013 20:34

Report it. If she isn't doing anything wrong she won't get in trouble.

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