This is the height of lazy childcare and I’m so sick of it

[WizardLizard86]

Just back from a church playgroup and at various points it absolutely reeked with small kids needing their nappies changed. I’m not talking babies, I mean toddlers who at some points are actually waddling uncomfortably with full stinky nappies. The minders seem to just do a nappy change en masse before they leave.

Their ‘carers’ are mainly a big group of childminders (no I’m not slagging them all off just these ones!) who just sit having a chat while their charges free roam and they either don’t check or pretend not to notice. An occasional few are parents who are actually sitting right next to their child but still don’t get up to anything about it for ages.

There’s two changing facilities and a box of spare nappies of all sizes and wipes etc so it’s not that. The changing rooms are just off the hall so no one needs to go anywhere else to sort it, and they’re empty most of the time.

I’m a nanny there with toddler twins and triple checked their nappies loudly to make a point but it doesn’t change anything. (We’re not there anymore and they are napping so I’m not slacking off)

It’s so unpleasant for others not to mention gross and uncomfortable for the child, I feel like they’re should be a sign up or something but it just seems such a basic point of childcare it shouldn’t need to be stated.

is it common at other playgroups? I don’t know what the answer is I just wanted a vent. Puts me right off my coffee and hobnob I tell you.

Is there a church volunteer there. Could you have a word about how stinky environment is putting you off coming and it’s great they have so many facilities but people don’t seem aware. Maybe they could say can we ask that nappies are changed promptly as the smell lingers and other groups use the hall.
I’d suspect it’s because minding multiple kids and can’t leave others to change 1.

Speak to the childminders and possibly inspect?
Why do you think they wouldn't react to a welfare concern?
This is why it is important for all childcare providers to be registered even if you don't see any benefit to yourself - you'd at least have some training and understanding of safeguarding and the regulator's role.

I do have training thank you, with 16 years of experience and some of that spent working in a nursery.

As a nanny Ofsted registration is costly, annoying and has zero benefit to me. I’d only do it if an employer paid for it as they needed it or preferred me to have it. Never been asked so far.

The above suggestion from another poster about speaking to a church volunteer is a good one. I don’t know of you’ve ever had any dealings with Ofsted or experience with them as a body, but they don’t come out to inspect childcarers in any other setting but their home one. They would not come to a church hall playgroup on the off chance of catching a childminder be remiss in nappy changes on a whistleblower’s tip off, Ofsted registered or not.

It doesn’t sound like it’s hours in dirty nappy so not a welfare concern just a by product of minding several children.
How would logistics work if it was change on demand? So she needs to change A but B and C need minding too. Taking all 3 into tiny cubicle often isn’t practical and there’s privacy and dignity - she can’t have a 3 yr old stood watching her change another 3 yr olds dirty nappy. I assume the set up is group nr house and they get nappy changed at set times of day at the house.
Not ideal and not pleasant but toddler groups are usually pretty short.

They would speak to the childminder though.
If they needed to inspect (eg if they were due an inspection or had other complaints) they would inspect at the setting.

I'm assuming that actually there isn't really an issue which is why you're so reluctant to do anything 🤔

No, I never encountered anything like this.

Are the parents of your charge aware of the situation? Do they support their child going to this particular playgroup?

In addition to neglect, it isn’t just an unpleasant environment for the adults, it is unpleasant for the other children. It also speaks to a general level of poor supervision that would not be my choice for an environment for my young child.

Taking all the children to the toilet together isn't an issue.

Yes. It's what put me off using childminders.

There are enough childminders that they could ask others to quickly mind though- there are group leaders who would be happy to as well as other parents. They’re mostly leaving the older ones to have free rein anyway. If one of mine needs a nappy change I take both in and do it as quickly as possible, not ideal but better than leaving them to wander around dirty. I’ve even taken the buggy in and left one strapped in while I do the other and then swap, when they were going through a phase of picking up the toilet brush or in danger of running a hot tap. You just have to work it out! In a nursery they take groups to the toilet if not in the same room so they can stay in ratio.

I worked in nurseries and a few have that same issue

FFS ofsted aren’t going to be interested in a child being left in a nappy for 1-2hours by a parent/childminder.

i agree it’s absolutely vile and I really feel for the kids so I’m not for a minute saying it’s acceptable. If my dc ever went to a childminder and were treated like this I wouldn’t be happy at all.

however judging from the OP and also the other responses this sadly seems to be a common issue. Do you really think Ofsted has the funding or inclination to tour all the individual playgroups around the UK and inspect nappies?

unfortunately I’m sure they’re overwhelmed with much bigger issues. To suggest the OP is failing in her duties by not being OFSTED registered is a joke

I don’t think it necessarily a childminder thing, our childminder treated ours like she does her own, was always super interactive in play, nurturing and kind.
I think it’s a lazy adult thing, I used to take mine to baby groups and there were toddlers there that weren’t checked for the two hours despite it being obvious someone had poo’d (even when obviously checking ours it didn’t make others check theirs)
I was always sat on the floor near mine whilst playing so he didn’t accidentally hurt anyone that was smaller, was sharing the toys and helping him on some of the play equipment. The norm was for the adults to sit in the corner and essentially only get involved if someone was actively crying.

I can understand it being smelly and grim but not enough for an ofsted complaint.
Some parents change nappies immediately some are more relaxed (perhaps cost issues, multiple children or generally more relaxed - see debates in here re towel and bedding changing or showering). A child minder has multiple factors to consider eg if she did leave room to change A’s dirty bum and relies on her friend keeping eye and B is injured or runs out of hall B’s mum will rightly say why did you leave B unattended, A’s bum wasn’t an emergency could have waited 30 mins until back home.

But the issue isn’t at the setting, so it’s irrelevant. The issue is at church playgroup where they socialise with each other and don’t mind their charges properly.

And I still don’t think it would meet any kind of criteria for an Ofsted complaint.

Yes, they would be interested in children left uncomfortable for hours in soiled nappies? That's a basic welfare issue.
They're not social services, they're not just dealing with child abuse! Welfare is exactly what they deal with.

Ofsted don't tour playgroups, they call and visit providers in their settings.

You clearly don't understand what Ofsted do or what their role is.
They aren't travelling playgroups catching childminders out, they would speak to the provider about the complaint and ask them to address it.

YANBU.

I remember something similar at a small soft play when my DD was a toddler. Dad of another toddler rocked up with nothing I.e no nappy bag, change of clothes etc. His son had obviously done a poo within minutes of arriving and the smell was awful. He just carried on as if nothing was amiss. Was playing with son at some points and the smell was clearly coming from his child but he didn’t care. The loos for men had a changing table and wipes and if I had forgotten or ran out of nappies would have just asked someone for one, but not him!

I wondered if he ever even changed nappies.

Someone else eventually asked a staff member to say something and the dad then left but I saw him just put the child in the car. He could have just changed his toddler!

As I said, this isn’t something I’m able to observe at their settings. It happens because they use church playgroup as a chance to socialise while their charges are amused by other toys and activities. It’s just incredibly unpleasant and lazy. It’s really not something Ofsted would follow up on.

I think I’d have told her directly her baby needed changed, did she want to do it or would I. I couldn’t sit with tea and cake while a baby was left sitting in their own mess.

I think it might be you that doesn’t understand Ofsted and their capabilities but thanks for the feedback and maybe we can agree to disagree!

I vowed never to use a childminders after the ones I witnessed at the children centre I used to go to.

A baby of a minder left alone in the soft play when another minders kid (around 3/4) kicked the baby in the head! They were too busy nattering over a coffee and bitching about the parents to notice.

At the end of the group, she’d shove all the kids in high chairs and pass around cold chicken nuggets.

Of course there will be good ones but I’m not taking the risk.

Yours are related/same family though?
You can’t have a 3yr old in room watching you clean another 3 year old. If anything happens to charge then cm is on hook. I know they can ask someone to keep watch but ultimately she’s responsible for them.
I personally wouldn’t have used a cm after seeing some when I was mum at groups.

This is just laziness.

Genuine question- how do you think they manage in their home settings then when children of different ages need toilet support or nappy changes? Put a screen up?

I definitely understand 😆 I'm guessing you've never dealt with them either making a welfare complaint or being inspected?