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Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

CM's - can you ell me how many children you're allowed to look after at one time?

53 replies

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 31/10/2011 19:53

I've just received a text from our cm saying that she has had an out of the blue inspection today and been told that she's over her numbers and so can no longer have our 2 ds's!

She has been looking after them since the end of August!!

How many children, and of what ages are cm's legally allowed to care for at any one time?

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nannynick · 31/10/2011 22:10

Good luck with finding yet another childminder. I do feel you should be looking for another one, as you are going to be needing someone to provide childcare. Are any other childcare options available?

Until you see the certificate you won't know for sure if she was in numbers or not. It may well have been the case that they had an inspection visit, or it may be that for some reason they don't want to care for your children anymore. Hard to know at this stage, given they are not responding to your attempts to make contact with them.

Original poster
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 31/10/2011 22:15

What do you mean about any other childcare options NannyNick?

School don't have a before or after school club and ds2 is only there for 2 1/2 hours a day and I can't have all school holidays off work(or even most of them) so that wouldn't help.

I think (haven't looked into it for a couple of years but can't imagine that it's changed much) that a part time nanny would be too expensive for us.

Could you suggest any other alternatives?

OP posts:
Flisspaps · 31/10/2011 22:18

Au Pair?

ChippingInAutumnLover · 31/10/2011 22:22

Nursery?

Original poster
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 31/10/2011 23:43

Do all au-pais live in? We've not got space for anyone else!

No nurseries round here do school drop offs and pick ups at ds's school- I investigated that when ds1 left his lovely full time nursery to start his half days at school.

I don't mean to sound defeatest but am really in the pits of despair at the moment.

I have 1 day to sort out childcare for our 2 sons before I'm next due in work!

OP posts:
ChippingInAutumnLover · 01/11/2011 00:16

Well, no, nowdays you do see 'Live Out Au Pair' jobs being advertised - but I'm not really sure how that works?? It's really just a 'Crappily Paid Part Time Live Out slave Nanny needed' ad as far as I can see! All the disadvantages of being an Au Pair and none of the Advantages.

That's a shame, the nursery here does do school drop offs and pick ups (but it is just across the road - they have a cute little Caterpillar Crawl Grin).

How much longer is he on half days at school? When he's full time can he do breakfast and after school club?

You don't sound 'defeatest' just desperate!! I wish I could be more help! ... and I know I can't because I'm not in Wales and you don't have a spare room Grin

Feck feck feck.... I'd be on to her early in the morning, see if you can go around and see her - get to the bottom of it, if it is a numbers thing between you, you should be able to sort it out as her numbers are really low, if it's a problem then she needs to give you proper notice.

nannynick · 01/11/2011 07:01

Any friends in the village, who don't work the same hours as you?
Grandparents living nearby?
Your partner/dh?
Local teenager or college student to 'babysit' after school?

Original poster
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 01/11/2011 09:41

DS2 is in half days until next July. School don't have a before or after school club unfortunately.

Most of my friends have now gone back to work full time, and none of their dc go to the same school as my ds's so there's no avenues there to explore.

Grandparents unfortunately aren't in good health atm.

DH will have to help a bit in this time of crisis!!

Teenagers/colleg students not really an option due to ds2 only being in school between 9am-11.30am.

Trying to get some concrete information from CSSIW now - they're due to call me back.

NCMA Cymru recommended that I call the Full NCMA in Bromleight but they say that they can only adcise CM's and not parents!

Just want to know what to say to he when I go round - which I'm going to do before picking up ds2 at 11.30.

Think I'll ring my work and let them know that I may not be in this week - I'll be extremely unpopular though.

OP posts:
Original poster
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 01/11/2011 10:05

Just rung work and spoke to my boss who was lovely and very understanding which has made me cry!!

Not good as I wsa going to go and see CM now - just need to pull myself together first!!

This place is good to pour my heart out to even if I don't seem to be making much progress!!

OP posts:
ChippingInAutumnLover · 01/11/2011 10:22

Pour away.

It's always good to hear a 'nice boss' story!

I guess you have already left for the CM's... but if not, good luck! Ask to see the certificates etc You need to determine if it's the truth or if she's trying to make space available quickly!

minderjinx · 01/11/2011 10:43

Could it be a simple misunderstanding i.e that either the inspector has misunderstood what the CM has told him/her about how many children the CM was minding (for example not picked up that some were her own) or perhaps that the CM has misunderstood something the inspector has told her? It does get complicated if you have different combinations of children at different times - it is important to remember that the numbers of children on the certificate are maximum numbers to be cared for simultaneously, not in total, and that these numbers are in addition to own children.

thebody · 01/11/2011 17:35

get yuou mogso mine was a two minute conversation and an easy form to fill in so expect you right. its silly isnt it to make it so hard when the need is out there and any cm worth her/ his salt can deal with 4 children at any one time whatever age..

iwish, so bloody sorry for you, I think there are cms out there who run a professional business and earn good money tbh and others who are pehaps doing it while their own are at little stage and do it 'small time' and then give up. iycwim and not wanting to insult any cms on here, actually all the cms on here wouldnt dream of acting like this.

she sounds a rite one.

Original poster
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 01/11/2011 19:32

Well I'm not sure where we're at really!

I managed to track down the CM - it's been a lovely day here today so she's been out and about a lot. First I knocked on her door and her husband claimed to know nothing about it - it turns out that he was right. As he's facing redundancy next month she didn't want to tell him yet so I put my foot right in it!! So I went to her local park and found her there!! She seems absolutely devastated by what she's been told by her new inspector which is that her 10 year old daughter should be counted and so she pushes her over what she's licenced for.

I rang CSSIW and spoke to the duty manager several times who doesn't understand why she's been told this and will look into it in their team meeting tomorrow.

So our CM has basically given us 4 weeks notice unless it turns out that the inspector was wrong.

I've not found anybody else who could have our 2 ds's yet so the phone calls will have to continue for that quest.

What a day it's been! I'm going to have a large glass of wine with dinner this evening!!

OP posts:
Flisspaps · 01/11/2011 19:39

I did say the inspector might have been wrong . I would think it very odd that an older child would have to be counted in her numbers - I know in England that it's only under 8s that make a difference to numbers.

Fingers crossed that the inspector is mistaken and that you can continue with your CM - sounds like that would be the best outcome for everyone!

mogs0 · 01/11/2011 20:00

Over 8s are definitely not included in numbers.

Original poster
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 01/11/2011 20:23

Is that true for Wales too Mogs?

I guess even if it is, the inspector could have seen fit to reduce her numbers for some reason or other. Hopefully we'll know for sure very soon.

OP posts:
mogs0 · 01/11/2011 20:27

Over 8s aren't included in numbers and a cm can care for them as long as they don't negatively affect the under 8s

Original poster
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 01/11/2011 20:30

The over 8 is cm's daughter and her dh does both school runs with her. I really can't see how her being there would negatively affect the mindees.

OP posts:
ChippingInAutumnLover · 01/11/2011 22:12

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you - and her!

Original poster
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 02/11/2011 22:01

It gets wierder!

CSSIW can't find any recored of her being inspected on Monday Hmm

Even though when we're talking face to face she seems very honest and quite upset about the whole thing I have a nagging doubt that something's not quite adding up.

She's given is 4 weeks notice so I'm on the lookout for another new CM for our poor ds's and also seriously thinking about my options re:work/not to work. My head is constantly aching.

OP posts:
531800000008 · 02/11/2011 22:06

yikes, I would be a bit Hmm too

I am so sorry, what a blardy nightmare

nannynick · 02/11/2011 22:19

How can she give 4 weeks notice, if she can't care for your children at all.

So is she saying that she can care for them for the next 4 weeks, even though she will be over numbers during some/all of that time?

531800000008 · 02/11/2011 22:25

yes, Nick

either she can care for them or not

fishy fishy fishy

ChippingInAutumnLover · 02/11/2011 22:55

I think she's trying to make space for another family and hoped to do it without giving you notice so made up the story about the inspection. She's digging a hole and I'd be following it up because if you can find alternative care you don't want to be paying her for the next month.

mogs0 · 03/11/2011 07:39

That doesn't sound right. If she was over her numbers then she can't continue to care for all the children at all, never mind the next four weeks.

Having dealt with cssiw quite a lot in the last few weeks, I wouldn't necessarily believe that she wasn't inspected on Monday just because they say they don't know anything about it.

I now have 3 copies of my certificate because the person on the phone didn't know what changes were supposed to be put on it. The lady I dealt with said she'd get another printed and sent out ASAP but when i asked what was going to be different about the next one she said nothing and wasn't planning on getting the correct information on it just going to send me an identical one to the ones I already had Hmm.

I hope you find a solution to your childcare problem. There are loads of cms near me who are desperate for children if you're near the south east of Wales.