Suspending childminders

[Tanith]

There have been a few threads recently about individual cases of childminders being suspended by OFSTED and I didn't want to hijack those.

It seems that OFSTED are still automatically suspending childminders for an initial 6 weeks, with the possibility of further suspension if their investigations are not complete.

Does anyone know why?

Given that so many malicious complaints are made, that this disrupts the childminder's business and childcare for parents and children, how is this justified?

I'm sure most people will remember the case of the little girl who died at Eton Manor nursery: that nursery was closed for 4 days before being allowed to reopen. Similar timings have occurred in other nursery settings being investigated.

Why is there such a discrepancy in dealings with different types of provider? I'd have thought it was much quicker and easier to investigate a childminder.

I've no idea, is this a new thing? I've had 2 malicious complaints myself where Ofsted have turned up at my home. Both full of pretty bad stuff, the 2nd a lot worse than the 1st although it clearly wasn't a parent complaining and it wasn't about abuse to a child as such. I continued to work and was never told I was at risk of suspension? I really wish we were able to find out names of people who make up the malicious complaints, especially if you get suspended and loose money/business because of it - you should be able to sue!! I do think 6 months for investigating seems a bit much, especially as you say that nursery was 4 days!

I'm just so glad I'll not have to worry about this stuff much longer as I'll be quitting childminding soon!

I'm not suggesting that complaints are never justified or well-intentioned, but I know several people who have had what they claim, and I believe, to be malicious complaints made against them, and have been threatened with one myself by an unscrupulous parent. The injustice of having a good reputation dragged through the dirt is compounded by the draconian measures adopted by OFSTED. To all intents and purposes it is guilty until proven innocent, and scant comfort to be vindicated when one's livelihood is destroyed by the suspension. I think the mischief-making complainants are becoming more aware of the havoc they could wreak with an anonymous phone call and this is encouraging the blackmailers, jealous competitors and outright crazies.

I agree. And what they did with my first complaint was like a mini inspection and because there was something she didn't agree with (that children happened to nap at very similar times and upstairs), this meant my complaint stayed on file for all to see (even though it had nothing to do with the complaint - she said it wasn't there job to decide if it was true or not, just to see if I was meeting the welfare requirements). Anyway, took 6 months of fighting with Ofsted but I won and had everything overturned in the end but I felt that was very unfair that one inspectors 'opinion' could mean my complaint would stay published!

I'm not saying they shouldn't be investigated; it's the difference in time scales that really concerns me.

6 weeks is enough to wreck a childminder's business, whether guilty or innocent, and I can't understand why it should take so long.

It's not a new thing: some years ago, I was on a forum with another childminder who was suspended for a couple of months before being cleared.

It's in everyone's interests to deal with this level of complaint as quickly as possible. So why don't they?

Totally agree with you, and realised I put 6 MONTHS instead of 6 weeks so not as long but as you say, still long enough to damage your business. No matter how loyal a parent is, not many could wait 6 weeks without finding someone else to care for their child.