Nursery manager thinks my husband is "confused"

[Severa]

Last week when I dropped my son off at pre-school the manager says that the children on government funded hours can't come in due to staff shortages, annoying but this happens quite a lot there, but she also says that her colleague called my husband and spoke to him about it and that they'd already rearranged another time for him to make up the hours. I think this is very strange as I was just with him and he didn't mention anything. When I get back I check both our phones and there's no calls from the nursery. My husband is there and says they haven't spoken to him at all.
I asked the manager about it today and she doubles down and says her colleague definitely called and spoke to him, and says maybe dad is confused. She's acting like he's suffering with dementia or something. I was at home during the time they said they called as well, about half an hour before, she says. She just wouldn't listen to logic — her colleague had called my husband and spoken to him. iMad.

Report them to Ofsted and find a new nursery. This is many flavours of dodgy

I wouldn't have been that mad if they just accepted their mistake, I'll get them to check the numbers today but if they're sticking to their guns then I don't see what I can do. I don't get why she was so adamant, especially since it wasn't even her who supposedly made the call.
Yes, I'm in England. It's a Busy Bees nursery, pretty big chain.

100% report to local authority. Totally unacceptable. They have been paid in advance. They might not like the rate but they have contracted to supply the hours.

She's adamant because she likely knows she's wrong. Gaslighting you so that you stop asking questions and give up, cos they effed up. People who are secure in what they are saying would be working to reassure you, not shut you up.

I would have called them after checking with DH and said 'nobody has spoken to DH, can you please check the number you have on file!'

It actually sounds like the person who was supposed to call didn't do it but pretended to have done in order to not get into trouble.

I would tell them without hesitation that their medical judgement on my DH was out of line.

I would also consider changing nursery because al this messing about when they are short of staff is unprofessional and very disruptive for the DC

Are you in Liverpool?

It's standard for Nurseries to ask the parents of government funded children if they can do early pick up etc, if they are short staffed.

I know this because I babysit for a few people.

This isn't good enough op. While it may not impact you if they're chopping and changing availability due to normal staff management issues (i.e. barring any unusual event like a snow in) it would be enough to ensure the parent loses their job!

Please report the nursery, after your DC leave if it's easier, but do report them.

I think someone else is being confused with your husband - maybe both called Brian or something. It happens. All sounds quite odd though.

I really expected something else entirely after reading your title...

Government funding is worth hardly anything. Most nurseries would rather have full fee paying kids. Harsh but true.

I'm just shocked they'd essentially accuse me and my husband of lying/being crazy.

It's an odd stance for them to take OP, & if you still wish to challenge it, tell them that they must have confused one husband for another, as they certainly did not speak to yours - as your phone records, & theirs should they be moved to check them, will confirm.

There may be another dad with a similar name they’ve confused him with

So they’re essentially defrauding the govt by charging for hours but not allowing children to use what’s been paid for?

Sorry, see you can make it up. Still not good though, I’d be cross about being messed about.

For closure: I went there with my husband just now to pick our son up. As it happens when I asked to speak to somebody it was the administrator who was alleged to have called up who came. She told my husband to his face that she'd spoken to him on that day and he denied it. I also said I wasn't happy about what the pre-school manager had said which she kind of accepted was inappropriate but laughed it off. When she produced the phone numbers for us it was an old number for my husband which we forgot to change over, since they always call me first as we've requested then we never noticed. In the end she says she has no idea who she spoke to but is certain she called everybody on her list — Awesome.

So she called a random stranger who has your husbands old number who then agreed to not drop off your child at your nursery and he at no point said I don't have a child at that nursery? Well, erm, ok then.

I would have huge concerns that they don’t even know who they’ve bloody spoken to!!!!!! What a shit show

I'm betting she called it, didn't get an answer then carried on with her list and forgot about that one unaccounted for parent. She's just told her manager that she made all the calls and it was fine.

The issue is trust, you leave your child with them and so you really need to trust them and you obviously can’t. They’ve proved that they will lie to cover their arses.
I removed my DS from a very good childminder because she lied to me. The lie didn’t matter and if she had told the truth it wouldn’t have been an issue at all but she lied and then lied some more when I challenged her so as far as I was concerned I couldn’t trust her to look after my child - what else had she lied about?

Bilben - because they're inconveniencing one set of children and prioritising the other.

This is pretty feeble. I would be looking for a new nursery.