Childminder who is a recovering alcoholic

[connedbird]

Would I be unreasonable to make Ofsted aware of a person who has recently registered as a childminder but who has also recently been referred to AA following a recent mid day alcohol abuse episode which resulted in her children being temporarily removed by the police?

She has a sponsor and is attending AA meetings/ following 12 steps, so is by all accounts happily getting her life on track. Social services have deemed her suitable to continue looking after her own children on the understanding that she continues with AA and doesn't drink around the children. Also that she leaves her partner due to DV from both sides which she has done.

So, I don't want to be a bitch... but having left my own children with childminders from babies, I feel like it would be something I'd want to know that Ofsted had had the chance to assess before my children were left with a minder.

Wondering if I should even stick my nose in... maybe my own concerns about leaving my pfb DD when she was small are clouding my judgement.

Would SS have made Ofsted aware anyway?

What are your thoughts??

[Thebodyloveschocolateandwine]

Her job would be known to SS. They would inform Ofsted I would think.

But of course by a means report her you should.

However this bollocks that safe guarding and standards being higher in nurseries than with cms is very dangerous And lazy thinking.

[Tanith]

But you said it was lone childcarers that concerned you Myrandom. Now you say it's not?

Exactly what are you afraid that my husband and I would do??

[adsy]

Tanith sorry but that would make me feel even more uncomfortable to be totally honest

Why, because she works with her DH? FFS. You would really assume they were in this business to abuse children. My DH works with me and as far as I can see he didn't turn into a lecherous paedophile the day he started working with me. What a revolting attitude. I hope you don't encourage your children to think of all male care givers as abusers.

[guggenheim]

She really hasn't been sober long enough to take on mindees or that level of responsibility- I can see why you are concerned.

since she's extended family I wonder if it might be possible to have a conversation with her about it first and ask her to wait until she has more sobriety under her belt?

I think that if she isn't prepared to wait or even discuss then maybe go ahead with contacting ofsted. In her heart she must know that it would be a difficult thing for her to do and that she is likely to be tempted to drink.

I feel sorry for you and her,what an awful dilema.

[Myrandomfamily]

You insist on making it personal Tanith - it isn't.

Based on this thread I would worry you would argue constantly as you seem determined to start an argument with me!

[connedbird]

In my opinion, not that that's what I meant the thread to be about there are good and bad nurseries and childminders. You get a "vibe" generally. Checks are very good but there are gaps in any checking process and sometimes these things fall through. I guess that's where community comes in to play.

I can say, having had some experience myself, that checks and standards/ requirements are identical in both settings. It's up to parents which they're more comfortable with.

[adsy]

How about a husband and wife run nursery? Would they be as bad or would that be different?

[Tanith]

No, I'm challenging your statements.

You are trying to make it personal.

[adsy]

Based on this thread I would worry you would argue constantly as you seem determined to start an argument with me! I think that's 'cos you're implying her DH is a paedophile!!

[connedbird]

guggenheim sadly that wouldn't go down well at all and I wouldn't want to identify myself as the concerned person.

[MysteriousCircusZebra]

Its not her being abusive though op, its about her making stupid mistakes when she's drunk. An ofsted inspector told me of a case in her area a few years ago where the child minder had given a baby a bath in the day. She walked away and left it for a few minutes and the baby drowned. She had been drinking. If ofsted aren't aware of this they certainly would want to be. She hasn't declared her drinking problems and she should have.

[Myrandomfamily]

adsy that isn't remotely what I said!

My feeling would be that my child would be spending the day with childminder and childminders husband, childminders friends, relatives - different to a nursery setting isn't it?

Some people see the difference as great as they feel a child is in a more homely environment - my feelings are different.

I feel that abuse is easier and therefore probably more likely to take place in a childminding setting than that of a nursery and that is worlds apart from 'good nursery bad childminder.'

Those are my LAST words on the subject as some of you just want to be offended and it's ridiculous.

[adsy]

I've never heard of that mysterious. Did the inspector tell you this whilst you were being inspected?

[concernedaboutheboy]

There is absolutely no way on earth I would place my child with a (barely) recovering alcoholic with an abusive ex-partner.

I would worry she could relapse (very high risk of that with any addict) and what if she drove your child in her car after falling off the wagon? The ex could turn up and get nasty if he knows where she is, restraining order or no.

I would be honest with her, say you are very concerned about her working as a CM at the moment and ask her to suspend her Ofsted registration. If she doesn't agree I would go to Ofsted with no hesitation.

[adsy]

Well it was what you said, although not that remotely. In fact, you just clarified it by saying you think abuse is more likely to occur at a cm's where the CM DH and / or relatives and friends are there.
You need to look up the figures for numbers of abuse cases in nurseries compared to CM's. Made interesting reading last time I did.

[Thebodyloveschocolateandwine]

Thing is though it is personal when you know you run an excellent childminding business and it's your job, not got Pin money but a real career.

Someone just flippantly says oh I would never use any childminders because they could be abusers.

It's such a stupid and crass comment.

You aren't saying there are good/bad cms but that we are
All potential abusers.

If that's not personal what is?

[Tanith]

It might be best if you do retire from the discussion, Myrandom, since you clearly know nothing about childminders

[adsy]

you know what, I'm struggling to tjhink of any other profession where it's deemed acceptable to openly say you think someone could b e a paedophile merely based on their job. I think you really don't get how offensive that is.

[MysteriousCircusZebra]

I've never heard of that mysterious. Did the inspector tell you this whilst you were being inspected?

Yes

[Thebodyloveschocolateandwine]

mysterious do you have a link to that case?

Extremely unusual for a cm to give a mindee a bath. Not normal proceedure at all.

[connedbird]

I had a couple of bath incidents following messy poos

[MysteriousCircusZebra]

No the whole thing was a bit odd. But I don't have a link. Its what the inspector told me.

[Thebodyloveschocolateandwine]

I hope the inspector told you that bathing mindees is only in very specific circumstances like diarrhoea I
Which case you contact the parents and register the incident. Both the bath and why. .

[BlinkingHeck]

OP I would ring Ofsted and give them this information. I do think that had they known this at the time of registration, the CM may not have got through the process. It is very unfair of her to lie. And ultimately the safety of the children is the most important thing.

[Thebodyloveschocolateandwine]

Oh yes conned agree but you log it. And call the parents if the child has diarrhoea.