Is it ok for childminder to ask a friend to step in?

[NumptyNu]

Is it ok for the childminder we use to ask someone else to look after my child for an hour while she goes out to run an errand? I'm quite shocked that this happened without my permission - is it normal?

Unless they are their assistant (& this is officially recognise by Ofsted) absolutely not & should be reported.

My childminder had her childminder buddy registered in our contract to do just that.

While I don't think it's a big deal, I do think you should have been warned and that the friend should be CRB checked and approved by Ofsted.

Thanks. The friend was neither qualified nor registered (she is not a childminder).

Nope! Not ok.

No. She should only do this if it is an emergency (ie taking another child to hospital in an ambulance).

Ok, thanks guys.

Agree with others - only in an emergency, (as in went to hospital with another child) or if it was previously agreed with you first.

So, once when my ds was little, CM had to go to a hospital appt, and her Mum very kindly offered to have my ds for those couple of hours. I was very grateful for the offer as I couldn't take time off work, but the difference was, this was just a "babysitter" that I'd agreed to allow to look after my child.

It wasn't an emergency, so I will check out the ground rules with her. Thanks everyone!

Even though I'm sure the friend is lovely. Ofsted would see this as a safeguarding issue.

Like misscph my childminder has a friend who is a registered cm and it is in her contract that she may be used in an emergency.

Posted too soon Your situation is not on.

My childminder would use a childminder buddy who she made sure I met on settling in days and they always go to groups together and to each others houses to play. So my son knows her well. She may also look into making her husband her assistant who you can leave the mindees with for a few hours, so that in bad weather if he is home, she can leave the pre schoolers at home while she does school run.

Yes, my instinct was that it didn't feel right, but in the interests harmony, I didn't want to cause a fuss about nothing. I will have a chat and agree with her what I'm happy/not happy about.

When I was CM, I had two registered CMs that I saw quite often, so the mindees knew them (we did activities and outings together) We covered for when we were sick/on hols etc. Our parents were all aware of this.

Leaving a mindee with a non registered person, when it is not an emergency (and I mean a blue light type of emergency), is definitely not on. It's a safeguarding issue and will probably invalidate her PL insurance

Absolutely not! Definitely a safeguarding issue. It is quite a worry that your CM would even contemplate that, let alone do it.

Honestly, that's a safeguarding issue and I'd be looking at reporting your cm to ofsted and finding a new cm.

She literally left your child with a stranger who is not trained or crb checked. It's not ok.

My childminder has a named neighbour and relative in our contract who aren't childminders but are people she would leave children with if there was an emergency - eg. she or a child had to go to hospital in an ambulance.

Not on and should be reported to Ofsted

I am surprised that your cm does not know this is a major safeguard dong issue and that is a worry in itself. She should be aware of her responsibilities to safeguard the children in her care. The fact that she isnt aware ia a major issue
Or she is aware and has chosen to ignore her legal responsibilities.
Either way she shouldn't be operating as a cm