To Tell School About Childminder?

[NCForNosies]

I've been in a desperate predicament, DC just started school in September and I knew I was going back to the office in October. In September asked about getting a place at the before and after school club on a couple of days but they are full so can't accommodate after school.

I looked for a childminder for the school pick ups which would cover DH coming home less than an hour later. No one seems to do DC's school, so I looked for a nanny for wrap around but there's no one qualified.

I then asked the school and they have me someone's details but said they can't say it's a recommendation as they don't know but they know they are Ofsted registered and qualified. They said this person picked up from my child's year too. They were so helpful and I'm extremely appreciative, even now.

Here's the AIBU - I looked them up and they are inadequate according to Ofsted. Not just a little bit but, I read the report and it's damning. They lost a child a couple of months ago whilst out which triggered an unannounced visit, they discovered that they don't pay attention to the children, some of the toys are dirty and their assistant only watches the kids as they are not qualified. I kid you not, there was not a single redeeming factor for this childminder, it made me feel so uneasy.

The school may or may not be aware but should this be brought to their attention? I doubt there's anything they can do about people using them and they did say it wasn't a recommendation but I don't think this person's name should be given out, even if it's information I could easily get myself.

Again, they were lovely and it won't be me complaining, just a heads up about the childminder for anyone else who asks. I get anyone else should do their research but what if they don't?

But they can just say 'we don't hold that information'! They don't need to keep a database!

Legally if asked if there are any OFSTED registered childminders locally, the school cant decide not to give a childminders name because they are no good.
I suspect they know the situation which is why they emphasised this was not a recommendation.
Those saying a school should not give details of an inadequate childminder do not understand the law.

Would you give them the name of the one that gave you salmonella?

If I was asked in a professional capacity that meant remaining strictly impartial then yes.

And obviously Environmental Health would be involved with that restaurant anyway, just as Ofsted are with this childminder.

@julieca

Legally if asked if there are any OFSTED registered childminders locally, the school cant decide not to give a childminders name because they are no good. I suspect they know the situation which is why they emphasised this was not a recommendation. Those saying a school should not give details of an inadequate childminder do not understand the law.

What is the law concerning schools recommending third party childcare providers?

@RainbowCrossing

But they can just say 'we don't hold that information'! They don't need to keep a database!

Lie and risk their jobs you mean?

Why on earth would they do that?

If they give details of good ones, they need to give details of all of them. It's not up to school staff to judge who is/isn't worthy of a mention.

Facts are facts and the fact is, this childminder is on the register.

Yes the only other option is to say we cant give details of any afterschool care. Legally this would have to include an afterschool club run by a third party in the school. So you can see why schools don't tend to do that.

Childminder here and I absolutely would inform the school because the childminder in question is collecting / dropping off on school property so the school should be mindful incase there are any issues like missing children as we all know how busy schools can be.
I've alerted my child's school to a new childminder as lots of parents contacted me when the wrap around at school closed however I couldn't take on all the children, out of nowhere a new minder sprung up refusing to give her ofsted reg to parents and weirdly she herself contacted me to care for her own child !
Turns out she is registered after all but regularly going over her numbers and not operating in a safe manner whilst out and about that I, the school and other parents have reported her.
When I say over numbers we're talking 5 children 3 and under definitely not within the rules of exceptions to ratios.

This is just an informal conversation though presumably? I'm not aware of any legal duty in schools to provide impartial information to parents about childcare?

So this is just, 'Oh we do know Mabel and she picks up from Y1. Can't recommend her obviously.' And if I had said that I would want to know that Mabel has been losing kids and is now inadequate so I could say, 'No I don't know. Have you tried looking on adequatechildcare.com?'

[quote RainbowCrossing]This is just an informal conversation though presumably? I'm not aware of any legal duty in schools to provide impartial information to parents about childcare?

So this is just, 'Oh we do know Mabel and she picks up from Y1. Can't recommend her obviously.' And if I had said that I would want to know that Mabel has been losing kids and is now inadequate so I could say, 'No I don't know. Have you tried looking on adequatechildcare.com?'[/quote]
This is just an informal conversation though presumably? I'm not aware of any legal duty in schools to provide impartial information to parents about childcare?

It's against my Local Authority rules. Staff have to remain completely impartial towards local businesses, places of worship, charities, residents groups and 1001 other things.

I'm pretty sure that's a standard policy across most LAs.

You could drop the school a line to ask for another recommendation as you won’t be pursuing the one they initially mentioned as she has poor Ofsted report. That brings the issue to their attention without complaining about anything. Good luck with finding someone good.

Yes I would tell them and send copy of the report

@WorraLiberty

The thing is, schools have to remain impartial regarding local businesses.

Because of that, if a parent asks "Are there any local Ofsted registered childminders in the area?"

The school aren't going to lie and say "No", because that's not being impartial.

The best they can do is exactly what they've done - give the details and make it clear it's not a recommendation.

The rest is up to the parent to check out, just as the OP has done.

The op should definitely tell the school what she has found out. I know the school are just giving the op the name, but to be honest if they say this person is Ofstead registered and qualified, other parents might think this is as good as a recommendation! It’s easy to say that parents can look up the information on the childminder themselves, but other parents may not do this.

Anyway, surely Ofstead should also be informed that this Childminder is not meeting the required standards anymore and the Childminder’s registration should be cancelled!

@Whoopy1 the OP has literally said she looked them up and Ofsted have scored them as inadequate.

@Whoopy1 Ofsted are aware they've investigated, downgraded and made the incident public on the report. They would also have put measures in place for the childminder to improve.

Plus, if parents see it as a 'good recommendation' after the school made it clear it's not a recommendation, and they don't bother looking the childminder up on the register, there's absolutely nothing the school can do.

They're not there to wipe parent's arses.

I wouldn't bother telling the school, they probably know, if they don't, it's still irrelevant to them, you asked if they knew of someone, they said yes, but can't recommend, their job isn't finding you out of school care.
Also, that childminder will either have a much better report in the next few weeks or no longer be registered.
Just find something yourself, it's not the schools responsibility.

[quote RainbowCrossing]This is just an informal conversation though presumably? I'm not aware of any legal duty in schools to provide impartial information to parents about childcare?

So this is just, 'Oh we do know Mabel and she picks up from Y1. Can't recommend her obviously.' And if I had said that I would want to know that Mabel has been losing kids and is now inadequate so I could say, 'No I don't know. Have you tried looking on adequatechildcare.com?'[/quote]
There is no such thing as an informal conversation when you are a teacher at work talking to parents. If you ask someone as a friend who happens to be a teacher, outside work, then yes that is an informal conversation.
Things used to be very different. But now there are lots of rules in place for schools.

But OP doesn't say they sent her a list of childcare providers. So either there is only one who serves the local catchment (completely impossible for school to know this) or they have just given her a name they know informally. In which case they had no duty to do so and could just as well not give it out in future.

I also can't see the downside in OP sharing this with the school? Even if they say 'well we would love never to mention this provider ever again but them's the rules.'

@RainbowCrossing sure Op can share it with the school no issue.
I got the impression from OP that she couldn't find childcare, so maybe this is the only one locally with spaces.