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Paid childcare

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

Original poster

social worker put kids in her car without car seats!!!!!!!!!!!

50 replies

bigdonna · 23/11/2007 18:23

my two mindees were being picked up this morning by a social worker for a supervised visit with their dad.She turned up 25 mins late and took the 10mth old,3yr old in her car without seat belts,still cant believe it.

OP posts:
Original poster
bigdonna · 23/11/2007 18:26

when the mum came to collect i told her i would not let them go with her next time if she has no carseats,what would all you other childminders have done, in hindsight i should have refused for her to take them ,i did warn her she would be fined .

OP posts:
dd666 · 23/11/2007 18:27

omg you should report her! she is not safe to take children of that age without them!

pinkspottywellies · 23/11/2007 18:29

I think you should report it to her manager. This is NOT ok! They should both be in a car seat surely?

NAB3littlemonkeys · 23/11/2007 18:30

This does not constitute an emergency.

smeeinachristmastreeinnit · 23/11/2007 18:31

wtf??? a 3yr ols bad enough but a 10 month old?! OMG!
report her,that is shocking.

CranberryMartini · 23/11/2007 18:32
Shock
NAB3littlemonkeys · 23/11/2007 18:33

10 months ???? My God, get on the phone now!

How on earth did a 10 month old sit in a car unrestrained!

And what did the mother day???

Original poster
bigdonna · 23/11/2007 18:33

my mindees mum will report it as this was the first time they have seen their dad for a long time,but could not believe she strapped 10mth old in front seat.if i had done this there would have been hell to pay

OP posts:
BoysAreLikeReindeer · 23/11/2007 18:33

Donna, you know you have to report it.

I am gobsmacked.

Original poster
bigdonna · 23/11/2007 18:36

he didnt stay sitting up.the mum was shocked when i told her .the social worker said it was ok because she was going back to her office to get car seats.the 10mth old left screaming and returned screaming

OP posts:
dd666 · 23/11/2007 18:45

you need to report it as you seen it really to police and the manager of her department as she should now as a sw that the children needs carseats and she would have known she was collecting your mindees she needs to be disaplined!

persephonesnape · 23/11/2007 18:58

thats absolutely scandalous.

nannyL · 23/11/2007 18:59

it is illegal to have a child in the front seat without a suitable child restraint... full stop.... even if its an 'emergancy' you still cant.

Given that it was obvioulsy a planned trip she was also obliged to have car seats as onyl short or unplanned trips can be a reason to not use a child restraint.

that is absolutley shocking and she needs to be reported before SHE KILLS a child

nannyL · 23/11/2007 19:00

shoud have said child under 3 years old in front seat without suitable child restraint

NAB3littlemonkeys · 23/11/2007 19:01

Why leave the office to collect children and then go back to the office for the car seats? She is a flipping disgrace and should be sacked.

mumlove · 23/11/2007 19:08

I would have sent her back to the office to collect the car seats before I allowed her to take the children.
Were they in car seats when she returned them to you?

NAB3littlemonkeys · 23/11/2007 19:14

Curious as to why you let them go?

nannyL · 23/11/2007 19:36

NAB (or anyone else) dont social workers have a legal right to take the children hence a childminder couldnt stop it even if she wanted to?

I still cant believe that in 2007 and social worker would not use car seats, especailly for such small children.

She Needs to eb reported asap

frannikin · 23/11/2007 20:17

nannyL - not if said social worker was endangering the children's health and safety. The childminder would then have a legal duty to prevent the social worker from taking the children.

nannyL · 23/11/2007 20:23

ok frannikin...

and im just asking thsi question genuinely... does that mean a childminder could refuse to give the children back to the childrens parents if they didnt have suitable car seats?

whats the difference when its a person who is legaly responsible for caring for the said child?

Original poster
bigdonna · 23/11/2007 21:32

yes i think in hindsight i shouldnt have let them go but she just picked the baby up and put him in the car.yes and i have had parents pick up their kids and not put in car seats too.i think my mindees have seen enough violence in their little lives to see their childminder and social worker argueing.

OP posts:
Original poster
bigdonna · 23/11/2007 21:35

oh and mumlove not sure as i did not see her park or her car but my 3yr old mindee said yes he did(but he says yes to everything).

OP posts:
frannikin · 23/11/2007 22:07

Well technically yes, nannyL. In the same way that childminders aren't supposed to hand over the children if the parents are obviously drunk or drugged.

It's a tricky one though - because if something happened it could be argued that the childminder was liable knowing that they let the children go into a sitation where they were at risk.

And we all have 20/20 hindsight. Important thing is your mindees weren't hurt, bigdonna.

nannyL · 23/11/2007 22:36

thanks for clarifying frannikin.... i have learnt something new today

(I had assumed that parents (or alternative legal guardians) had a 'right' (if thats the correct word?) to the children at all times,, or at least their wishes could over ride a childminders...

but obviously (and quite rightly) that is not the case if the children are going to be in obviouse danger.

LOONEYplayingachristmasTUNEy · 24/11/2007 00:02

OMFG Deffo needs reporting!!!!

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