Fellow CM's - I need to ask you all something

[Saltire]

Where I live I am the only registered childminder. There is a woman who has 2 children after school for 2 hours on occasional days but apart from that there is only me.( 2 8 year olds)

I have found out about a woman who lives here who is childminding she has 3 reception age children and an under 5. She is not registered, nor is she insured, although she has a CRB check.

Part of me thinks i should report her. The other part thinks I can't be doing with any more crap.(I was the victim of a malicious smear campaign against me last year, including having lies told to OFSTED about me)

So, WWYD?

Would report - do it annoymously if feel that would help you personally - but report. Operating with no registration; de facto no OFSTED checks; no insurance (& poss not an enhanced CRB) is at best illegal and at worst dangerous. DEF report. And sorry you've had shit to deal with before.

You should report her. I always think if they would break the law by not registering, they are not trustworthy honest people and that may well be reflected in how they look after the children. Plus she is presumably avoiding tax and may also be claiming benefits fraudulently, plus it's not fair compewtition for those who do meet all the legal requirements, pay fees, do al the required paperwork etc.

I would report as well. It is not safe I think.

Also, another question, I know a registered CM who avoid paying taxes by refusing to take anything but cash... She is good, but is working illegally so would you report her? (sorry to hijack!)

I would report tax evasion and anyone working unregistered.

As ofsted registered childminders, we have to jump through so many hoops and it isn't fair for people to undercut us just because they are practising illegally.

I would report it as well, if you're sure she is childminding and not nannying.

blue how do you know the CM is avoiding tax? If you know for definite then I would report her too, but just being paid in cash doesn't mean she's not paying tax....

She said it to a parent... She asked for cash only and doesn't accept vouchers because she doesn't want to pay taxes and said it to the parent during the initial interview. The child is now with me two days a week.

She told the parent that she doesn't pay tax at the interview?! I would definitely report her (as long as you're fairly sure the parent didn't misunderstand what she was saying).

I get really annoyed about people looking after other people's children for money. I don't like calling it childminding and get annoyed when they refer to it as this. They aren't childminders as to be a childminder you have to be crb'd, trained and registered and inspected by Ofsted. When I. Have to follow pages of rules and regulations why should they be able to do my job without jumping through hoops. And as for the tax thing. Don't get me started on tax avoidance!

This subject really winds me up. I hear about countless childminders who have malicious/stupid/false allegations made against them, and are immediately jumped on, sometimes shut down and loose business while waiting investigations.

Then.....

My ex-friend and ex- childminder, got fed up with all the paperwork, decided to deregister, she was dreading an inspection as she wasn't at all prepared. She claimed she would give up when her current children had finished, but 2 years later is still actively "minding", moans to others about her charges, told someone the other day about an incident (can't say as would out me) which she blamed on the child but could have resulted in a serious accident/injury. She was reported to OFSTED, they sent a letter asking if she was still minding, she sent a reply saying "no", and that was the end of it.

Makes my blood boil.

I know the hoops we jump through, and the paperwork and rules and regs. I also know what its like to be a victim of a smear campaign. It is really annoying me though that this woman is calling herself a CM. She is very open about the fact that she's not registered etc. What winds me up even more is the fact that the local nursery deputy manager is her best friend, so must know, and therefore condone what she is doing

Well in that case report her anonymously but say you feel you have to as deputy manager of a nearby nursery . No not really - I am just feeling wicked!