Unprofessional Childminder - A question...

[sjack123]

Hi everyone,
I do not work in childcare so I have a strange question, I am not sure if I should do something or just leave it. Sorry about the length...

Earlier in the year I met and briefly dated a childminder (lets call her 'F') and she is independent and ofsted registered. It didn't last long, and I eventually realised that she was a very unpleasant and very dishonest woman. I took a while to get over her.
Last week, I went on a date with another childminder (small world!), so I will refer to her as 'N'. Myself and N started talking about bad dates, I mentioned F, my experience with her and what I considered to be her lack of professional integrity. N was quite interested in that...

F advertises herself as a non-smoker and she is employed on that basis. But that is not true, she is a smoker. She'll go to extremes to hide her habit from the people she works for (one of whom was a neighbour). She would have her smoke breaks when the children were napping. She didn't smoke in the house, but she would go to her secret smoking place - at the far end of the garden, by or in, the garage. From there, the neighbours could not see her. This was some distance from the children - they were, in effect, alone, unattended and out of sight/earshot.

N seems to think this is really bad, the dishonesty to the parents is one thing but leaving the children alone (both under 3) is a betrayal of trust. N is quite passionate about her job and has told me that I have 'a duty of care' and should report her.

For me, this happened a few months ago and I have not seen F for a while. F has also moved house, so she does not have as far to go to her new secret smoking place (her garage is much closer), and also there is the small possibility she might have quit.

Assuming that she is still smoking and having her breaks, is it a risk she is taking? What would reporting her do anyway (aside from making it look like I am being vindictive)??

I would be interested to hear your views.

Thanks

Do you know she doesn't have an assistant who is with the children?
Do you know whether she takes a baby monitor so she can hear them at all times?
Do you know she's still smoking?
I'd leave it tobe honest. She's not smoking near them. It's the same as nursery staff having a cig on their break ( but CM will have opportunity to change her clothes easier)/
I agree it's dishonest to say she doesn't smoke, but I guess she'd be out of a job if she was completely honest.
BTW, if you knew she was gong out to the garage, I'm guessing you were in the house, so the children weren't unattended?

but moo- if he was in the house while she went out, she left them wwith an unregistered, non crb checked person.

How often does she do this? You said she only smokes when the children are taking a nap so it sounds like just one cigarette break at the end of her garden every afternoon. While this is not ideal it does not seem like that big of a deal to me (and I generally hate it when people smoke!). Especially if she is only outside for a few minutes and leaves the door/window open so that she can hear if a child wakes up and starts crying. It is not that different to leaving one child sleeping inside while going outside to play in the garden with another child.

well the children were safe, no one can have children in eyeline at all times, it's not possible; she can hear them; as PP said, no diff to having a child sleeping while you hang out the washing. the smoking though is wrong. Her premises should be smoke free during working hours, end of.

Personally i wouldn't report someone for that. Ask N to do it if she thinks it's such a big deal. Could be that N doesn't like F and just wants you to do her dirty work for her.....

Thanks for the responses...

I think I will probably leave it. I know F has moved and in all honesty, I have no idea what her current practices are (unlike her old house - I think her practices were very risky). If she continues to be dishonest then I am sure she'll be found out - and that is her risk.

Thanks everyone!