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

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

Childcare

Absent CM....Should I tell the parents?

49 replies

FuzzyWuzzyFuzzFuzz · 02/05/2007 19:59

I live near a local CM and she looks after a friends 2yr old.
I have noticed over the last 4 weeks or so that the CM goes out in the daytime when she should be looking after the children, either to walk to the local shops or out in the car but no children with her.

I've also noticed she now has a young baby to look after as well and I'm fairly sure he's there as well.

It maybe that she is leaving the kids with her daughter or DP however they all went out today and I know the 2yr old was in her house all day.

I really don't know what to do. I really want to tell the parents. Thoughts?

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crace · 03/05/2007 09:33

Yes, but don't they have to be registered c/m before the assistant can be left alone with the children?

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mykidzrmyworld · 03/05/2007 09:57

HOW do u know so much about this CM comings and goings? Do u have nothing else to do??
If your right (then i will be really surprised) what child aged 2 would be left in a hse all day and not cause a fuss! He'd have to be locked up etc....i think you've blown this out of all proportions and dealt with this wrong
this obviously is "MY opinion"

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MrsWeasley · 03/05/2007 10:04

CAn you call in at a time when you think this lady is out and see who is there. (make up an excuse your DD is looking after a friends rabbit and you think you saw it in her garden!, Have you noticed a delivery van passing as you had just nipped out and are expecting a parcel.)

How can you be sure that the children are there? I am a cm but on wednesday I had a very unexpected day off, although parent did call in first thing to drop someting off with me so From an outsiders POV it might have looked like a normal "Dropping kids off at childminders!"

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PinkChick · 03/05/2007 10:05

i also think you needed to be more certain something was amiss before speking to parents, but if they are very good friends then that i understand.
I would call even now and say you are looking for chlidcare,, but were condidering a ursery as you cant be let down due to sickness etc, does she work alone or does she have assistants if she is unavailable?

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Booh · 03/05/2007 10:06

I think that you have done the right thing but telling the parents, I understand why it would be hard to ask the CM herself.

Sometimes I do leave children asleep to pop to my car on the drive, but I would never leave them in the house alone, even with DH being here.

I really hope this gets sorted soo.

Mykidsmyworld - Your comment was a bit harsh, FuzzyW....was just trying to protect her friends child, and I am sure I would have done the same thing

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PinkChick · 03/05/2007 10:10

i wouldnt even go in the bath on tuesday night when i had mindee till 10.30pm!

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Booh · 03/05/2007 10:13

Pinkchick - No I don't have a bath if I have mindees late!

DH is not an assistant he never gets left alone with any children!

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PinkChick · 03/05/2007 10:17

that wasnt to say people would, i was saying i would even go in bath neevr mind leave midees in house alone/with dp to do school run

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ThePrisoner · 03/05/2007 20:36

I know some of you have said that a CM would never leave mindees alone and that there may obviously be a sensible explanation, but I do know of a childminder who did leave mindees alone in a house (asleep) whilst she did a nursery run in her car!! She was duly reported (not by me).

FuzzyWuzzy - I totally understand why you are concerned, and I also understand why you have mentioned it to your friend. It does make life very difficult for CMs if they are reported for something that they haven't done, so I would only progress down that route if you are pretty sure that something is really amiss.

Hope you manage to get it all resolved, it is certainly not a nice position to be in.

How have your friends dealt with the information you gave them?

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Josie3 · 03/05/2007 20:44

If i had been in th OP's position and thought the mindees were alone then i would have been over there like a shot knocking on the door!! I wouldn't have just sat there and thought the worst!!

handled wrong IMO

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excuseme · 03/05/2007 20:49

I I was your friend I would want you to tell me. I saw a friends child out with the childminder and commented on how happy the child was to my friend and she was so pleased to hear but siad if you ever see anything odd do tell me

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maximummummy · 03/05/2007 23:18

sorry but i think fuzzywuzzyfuzzfuzz sounds like a bored curtain twitcher

surely if anyone truely believed that a 2yr old & a baby were being left home alone they'd be straight on the phone to the police NOT online posting this on mumsnet

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littlepicklesmum · 05/05/2007 20:42

I would be devastated if people were discussing me like this, As a childminder I would MUCH prefer if some had doubts to come to me and ask. This is how all sorts of stories are started, likewise as as mother I would want my friend to tell me. Even though I am currently at home all day (due to having operation) i still couldn't tell you all comings and goings of outside. Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy. If the CM is doing wrong then it will be a warning to her and if not your mind is at rest and that is the end of it

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vixma · 05/05/2007 20:48

Yes! Yes and Yes.....where are they? Mabe the parents have them, however if they don't they need to know...as soon as possible. Please get back to us if you do talk to them..Goodluck.

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quietmouse · 05/05/2007 20:49

this seems really odd to me. Has your friend mentioned it to the cm yet, do you know?

It sounds unlikely imo that she would go out and leave children completely alone.

Do you live opposite her? How are you able to check if anyone is in the house with the children?

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vixma · 05/05/2007 20:50

And that is even if the childminder has arranged someone else to look after them ie...mum and dad need to know just incase they are not aware of this arrangement.

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nappyaddict · 05/05/2007 21:03

ring ofsted anonymously.

hijack

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FuzzyWuzzyFuzzFuzz · 05/05/2007 21:30

I spoke to the parents again today and the CM aparently logs what she does on the diary sheet and she logged she went out that day and left Danny with her daughter whilst she was out. So as long as the parents are happy with it that's fine but I'm not sure they are really. They're gonna speak to the CM next week.

Surely if other people are looking after the children in the CM absence shouldn't they be registered as 'assistants'?

OP posts:

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maximummummy · 05/05/2007 22:16

if the people who are left with mindees aren't registered
surely the insurance policy is invalid

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Katymac · 05/05/2007 22:19

For up to 2 hrs a day children can be cared for by unregistered people - it's just not good pratise for a C/Mer to do this (imo)

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nannynick · 06/05/2007 08:48

2 hour rule would not apply in this case, as it is care for up to 2 hours in any day on that premises. As the child would have bee in the care of the CM for some period of time already that day, on that premises, that period of time would count towards the 2 hours. Does that make sense?

If not, let me see if this is any clearer... lets say two adults care for the minded children at one premises. The first adult cares for 1.5 hours, the second adult then cares for 1.5 hours. As the period is less than 2 hours they feel they don't require to register... when in fact care is being provided at the premises for 3 hours... which DOES require registration.

Note about assistants: Remember that Childminding Guidance says "Assistants are not registered in their own right and cannot be in sole charge of children."

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Katymac · 06/05/2007 09:07

However OFSTED say that assistants can care for children for upto 2 hours with signed permission from the parents (NCMA mention it somewhere think)

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nannynick · 06/05/2007 09:25

News to me, but then again since when did Ofsted publish all their little 'rules'. !

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littlepicklesmum · 06/05/2007 14:38

Well I'll be interested to see what the outcome is.
I mean going out everyday and leaving children is not the same as for an emergency or agreed school run or something. A registered CM will understand how easy it is to have the finger pointed and a caring childminder will always have good practice and records..
My point is you just don't know the agreement they have in place with the parents, Its has now been mentioned to the parents they can speak with the CM, if there is an issue it will be stopped, if not there will be cause for concern.

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