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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be suspicious of nursery manager? (bit long ...)

81 replies

anotherbadnight · 16/06/2008 12:36

totally willing to accept I may be being neurotic but here goes ... dcs go to a day nursery in a private house. The owners have a swimming pool in their garden. There is no fence around the pool but there is a very high fence with a gate in it (which kids could not open) separating their private garden and pool from the kids' areas. Three times now the gate in that high fence has been open when I've dropped dcs off. I have mentioned it to staff members who have closed it and today I told the owner herself that I was very concerned about it. She said that it was done deliberately as part of her health and safety risk assessment.

Every morning they carry out a boundary check (I think that's what she called it) and leaving the gate open from time to time was part of this risk assessment. She said it was to see whether children would go through the gate. Sometimes, she said, they leave the front door open for the same reason. Then she said it was to see whether parents noticed this sort of thing, and I had so well done! Now this all sounds insane to me but I know h&s can be insane. Could this possibly be true?

I don't get on with her very well anyway and have come close to moving them out before but as one is settled and the other is settling I don't want to fly off the handle.

OP posts:
Love2bake · 16/06/2008 12:53

I wonder if Ofsted would agree that this 'boundary check' was a good idea -
I think NOT.

Report it to Ofsted - I have never heard of anything more ridiculous.

JudgeNutmeg · 16/06/2008 12:55

That is just wrong.

alicet · 16/06/2008 12:56

Not neurotic at all. She is mad. Take your children out as soon as practially possible. They will settle in elsewhere - children are very resiliant. Better a bit of upheaval than the unthinkable if your dc go through the gate when noone is looking or out through the front door!

alicet · 16/06/2008 12:57

And definately report to Ofsted. Now, this minute!!!

CatIsSleepy · 16/06/2008 12:58

yep she sounds like a loon- really can't believe it should be down to parents to notice open doors/gates. And as for her other excuse, if they leave the gate open for an hour and no child wanders through it, does that mean they can continue to leave it open??

what a pile of cack, honestly

Foxy800 · 16/06/2008 13:00

It all sounds a bit bizare to me. I work in a day nursery, not in a house though, but our health and safety is to prevent things like that from happening not to see if the children or parents notice it!!!

As a parent I dont think I would like it either!!

WowOoo · 16/06/2008 13:02

Would you put your kids on the hard shoulder of the M4 to see if they would try to cross the road? Madness. The stuff they come out with...

sweetgrapes · 16/06/2008 13:02

Omg!! This totally sucks!

Report report report report.....

NellieTheEllie · 16/06/2008 13:05

Do they also have an open fire to see if any children will burn themselves, or leave bleach/household cleaning products out to see if any children will drink them?!! Oh, this ridiculous list could go on and on...
The nursery manager is a danger if she actually thinks that this is ok practice. Remove your children now and report, report, report!!!

alicet · 16/06/2008 13:07

In fact name and shame on here too in case any of us have our children in this nursery!

More I read this the more I am. Can't believe someone who behaves like this is allowed to look after children

choosyfloosy · 16/06/2008 13:12

God, do you know, this is (partly) how H&S gets such a bad reputation - because so many people use it as a wnaky excuse.

H&S ought to be really simple. Do anything you like - but know what the consequences could be, and if you don't like the sound of the consequences, find another way or don't do it.

I wouldn't necessarily move the children but I'd want to see something like a combination bike lock or padlock on that gate.

sandcastles · 16/06/2008 13:14

I guess I could understand it IF she did it before starting the day to make sure the staff noticed [as part of in house H&S training] & were on the ball. Then made sure it was closed before the children started turning up....

But agree that it sounds like a load of waffle to me, that you spotted someting she didn't & she dug herself into a hole trying to justify it!

Kewcumber · 16/06/2008 13:20

H&S may have some mildly odd aspects but this woman is insane and the two should not be confused.

alicet · 16/06/2008 13:22

Choosyfloosy I wouldn't necessarily move the children because the gate was open (although I would seriously think about it as it's happened several times). I would do so because this woman who is in charge is either a liar or someone who is leaving children in a dangerous situation repeatedly and thinking this is OK! This is what is far far more worrying than simply leaving the gate open imo

citylover · 16/06/2008 13:27

I removed DS2 from a nursery where a couple of incidents had really bothered me. I removed him with no notice and took him to work with me for a couple of days until he could start at the new one.

Something like this would cause me to do the same.

misselizabethbennett · 16/06/2008 13:28

What an awful situation for you. It's horrible to think you might have to move your kids when they are settled, but I think we are all at the nursery manager.

I almost didn't need to read the OP to know that you were not BU - in my experience, if a mother is suspicious of someone, they're bound to be right!

anotherbadnight · 16/06/2008 13:41

thanks so much for all of this - it's funny that so many people say she's a loon - that's exactly what I've been saying for a while now. I think we're going to get out of there.

OP posts:
memoo · 16/06/2008 13:43

I work in a school, in reception and nursery. She is talking through her Arse to be quite honest, i've never heard so much rubbish in my life. You should definately report her to Ofsted without a moments hesitation

dmo · 16/06/2008 13:48

i'm a childminder who worked in a nursery for 12yrs before
never heard of this
impressed she thought on her feet so fast but i wouldnt trust her anymore, bet she has older children who left the gate open

anotherbadnight · 16/06/2008 13:51

do you think we can move with no notice?

OP posts:
anotherbadnight · 16/06/2008 13:51

do you think we can move with no notice?

OP posts:
blueshoes · 16/06/2008 13:51

The manager's answer, having been caught out, was the equivalent of 'oh, I was just testing you'.

I'd be interested to read where she got her health and safety procedures from. Can she produce chapter and verse?

I'd be tempted to give health and safety a call myself. Can she give you a phone number/contact?

pagwatch · 16/06/2008 13:52

I think you can if you are citing your childs saftey as a reason...
She would be stupid to fight you in those circs.

etchasketch · 16/06/2008 13:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

piratecat · 16/06/2008 13:54

what a load of old flannel. silly woman, no make that a very irrespossible stupid woman.