Help!! my fab childminder has been suspended!!!

[mad4mainecoons]

hi all,

im really hoping you can give me some advice. i have a fantastic childminder who my dd (18m) goes to one day a week and she phoned me last night, very upset to say that she had been suspended pending an inquiry!!

all she could tell me was that there had been an incident last monday with a boy she minds, and his parents had objected to the way she dicaplined him and had complained to ofsted. i dont really know the other parents or this little boy so i have no idea what to think. she is certinaly not the type of person who would ever even shout at a child so i cannot imagine what she could have done that would warrant a suspension!

do ofstead automatically suspend if a parent makes a complaint?

how long is the suspension likely to be, the ofstead website mentions a 6 week automatic period but then also says it will end when they are sure the children are not at risk?

am i ever likely to find out exactly what happened?

my dd and i love this lady, she is so super with us, very relaxed and brilliant in the activities she does with the children. i so dont want to move dd into a nursary (my only other option aside giving up work) as she has been so happy, but this issue has worried me

if anyone can offer any advice or experience i would be so grateful.

thanks

missed the bit about the letter you got from ofsted..just get another provider - this allegation will be more than just a smack with some evidence :(

i am a cm and ofsted very rarely suspened cm
something really really bad must have happened
i am surprised ofsted have not phoned you (they normally would)

I agree. You saw my earlier post and the list of allegations and yet I wasn't suspended. Having said that, the first time she said I would have been if I'd been accused of harming a child in any way so not sure if they need evidence or not, this person has definitely been at the very least 'accused' of something bad like harming a child :(

If you trust her and your child is happy with her I wouldn't give it another thought but do as chippin said and employ her as your nanny.

We had the most wonderful CM for all of our DC. She loved children and was totally devoted to mine. The children thought of her as another granny really. But she was critisised by Ofsted for being lax with record keeping and not having a full accident book It seemed totally arse-about-face to me.

Ah, read further and see that won't work.

And to top it all, some parents use UN registered CMs. Now what goes on there?
If I was the OP, I would move my child anyway. Getting suspended is serious and can you ever trust them again?

Wow! Guilty until proven innocent - how very ungenerous! At least allow the woman an investigation before branding her untrustworthy.

Reading Dmo's comment with regard to Ofsted phoning the Op,
Im not sure, but I dont think Ofsted would call the Op, unless the op's child was involved?

OP did you ever call Ofsted with regards to how long they thought the situation would be going on?

Maybe Im over thinking this but
I wonder if you could call SS (if you know the name of the child/family concerned) and again they wouldnt be able to give out specific information but if they know your child is with this CM, you could tell them until this incedent you have no concerbs/they may ask you a few questions with regard to how you feel the care of your DC has been since being with CM.

Just a thought..