To be concerned about CM ratios

[tickleyourpickle]

DS goes to a CM 2 days per week. She is absolutely lovely and DS is very settled there.
However, CM has recently taken on more children and I'm concerned about the ratios.
CM can have upto 8 children per day, ages ranging from 10mo to 4yo, plus a couple of after school children she collects from school some days

CM has recently taken on the help of another member of staff, however, I know for a FACT that this other member has zero qualifications in childcare or first aid and is not doing any training.
So there are two sets of eyes watching the children but only one is qualified, does this affect the ratios?

I had planned to keep DS there for another year but I'm not so sure now

The ratios (current at 2015) are here:

www.nurseryresources.org/articles/how-many-children-can-a-childminder-look-after

A childminder assistant has to have a first aid certificate and be DBS checked. If she doesn't have this then she shouldn't be left alone with the children and the childminder is over her permitted numbers.
Do you know for sure that she doesn't have first aid training?

Unless she has an exemption from Ogsted under continuity of care she should only have six children under the age of 8 and no more than three under the age of five. She can have as many over 8s as she likes provided that their care doesn't impact on the younger children.

Her assistant must have a DBS check (and be registered with the update service) and a paediatric first aid qualification (minimum of twelve hours of training).

You are allowed to ask to see the relevant certificates relating to DBS checks and qualifications, anyone who is operating legally should be happy to show you these.

If you have concerns that's she can't address them seek advice from Ofsted. Their helpline number is on the website.

Thank you, so definitely over her ratios then. CM had 4/5 under the age of 5 even before the assistant started.
The assistant is DBS checked but absolutely no experience or first aid training although I don't think the assistant would be left alone with the children.
On some days she can now have upto 8 that are under the age of 5, 1 of which is under 1yo

The assistant only needs a DBS, she does not need to complete the first aid unless she us being left with the children. Which came first, the 8 children, or the Assistant? A childminder working with an assistant can have up to six children under five, and up to another six between five and eight. So if your childminder only started looking after that many children after taking on the assistant, she isn't doing anything wrong.

If you're worried can't you talk to her about your worries? If she is a good cm she will listen and reassure you. But don't go in assuming she is over her ratios.

Sorry I missed your last update - if she had four or five under five before the assistant then she was almost certainly over numbers - she can self variate those ratios but only in exceptional circumstances (twins, having her own baby, continuity of care for a new sibling of existing child) but it's up to the cm to prove they can meet the needs of all the children if they do self variate, and it shouldn't be to have five children.

Are you absolutely sure she has too many? My CM recently got into trouble because she drops off a little one as she picks my dd up. She then has an empty pram to push home. So at a glance it looks like she has 4 kids, but in reality only has 3. It couldn't be a misunderstanding like that could it?

She recently took on an assistant and recently took on more children. Sounds like it was a planned progression.

Just ask her? It sounds to me like you just don't want your child to be with that many children, nothing wrong with that, just look for a new minded that is better suited to you

Thank you, so yes before she took the extra children and the assistant then she was above the ratio, but now she's got the assistant she's within the ratio, if I've got that right?
I absolutely don't mind DS being with that many children, it would be good for him, I was just worried that she had too many too safely watch and look after all of them
She's brilliant and DS loves her so I wouldn't want to move him