My childminder left my daughter all day with her assistant

[Glamourgal1989]

And I have just heard about it ! I’m absolutely furious. Her husband got really sick so she needed to go with him to hospital, I could have accepted the first time it happened but it happened more than once and she left the children with the assistants for much more than 2 hours. I only know about it because a friend mention it in passing and I put 2 and 2 together.

I mentioned it to the childminder and she admitted it but also got very defensive when I told her I was unhappy and that I should have been told. I never would have left her in the care of the assistant. I want to take my daughter from her care and complain to Ofsted. Would you do the same ?

Also it also depends what it says in the contract you agreed with her.

If it states children will never be left with the assistant for longer than 2 hours, for example, then it doesn’t matter if the assistant is Mary Poppins - it shouldn’t be changed without discussion.

What does the policy say?

You need to find out what qualifications that assistant has and what the ratio was before going as far as complaining to Ofstead.

I sounds like it was an emergency. Would you have preferred it if she'd cancelled you? I can't see what you're getting worked up about TBH

Unless there is some backstory about her assistant actually being 15, this is my reaction too.

She absolutely should have told you, and given you the choice whether to go along with the arrangement or not. Personally I would have gone along with it if she is confident that her assistant is appropriately trained etc.

In assustant childminder arrangements the parent has already given permission for the child to be left with the assustant. ....in a nursery you get no say on staffing inclufing agrncy staff in for one day. The managers of settings are the ones ensuring suitability not tge users.
I an emergency chikdmindees are allowed to leave children with a suutsblr peedon...normally set out in the policies most dont read

The only issue is why the parent wasnt told...presumably the cm was back by colkection time or they would have asked where she was....so was it even over 2 hours?

In assustant childminder arrangements the parent has already given permission for the child to be left with the assustant

It depends on your contract how long that’s acceptable for.

For example, the CM I use states that parents will be contact if the child is to be left with the assistant for longer than an hour to give the option for collection.

Same with the emergency. It states that the CM can leave the children with another local registered childminder in an emergency and that parents will be called or messaged to advise of the situation and informed if they need to collect or to ensure they are happy for the child to stay with the alternative.

I hope she terminated your contract...

You know childminders don't have to be qualified either don't you? It's not like a nursery where you have to have a certain proportion fully qualified.

They may not need Level2/3 childcare qualifications, but they do have to be registered with Ofsted as a childminder and have appropriate training.

A childminder assistant is not a childminder and there's a 2 hour guideline for a reason.

I'd be less concerned if it was a one off with an established assistant and the childminder called me to say that it's approaching 2 hours, would I like to collect or not. I'd not be happy with lack of communication on any situation where my child is being left in a situation that I'd not signed up to, and certainly wouldn't expect to find out from other parents.

she has my sympathy for her husband, she really does have it. I chose her because she is caring and warm and completely felt she was the right person for my daughter. The area where we are (north London) has a lots of childcare demands so she decided to expand her setting and I have supported her because I trusted her judgement. She has now up to 8/10 kids and 2 assistants (and her dh helps too when he could) the assistants are youngish and nice enough but as I said she has had at least 4 since she expanded. Again I was supportive even thought I was nervous. Her husband got really ill and she had to leave the assistants in charge for much longer than 2 hours at the time. I barely know these women, I signed a contract with a childminder and it was to be in a home from home environment not this set up.

OP
It sounds like the service being offered now is different to the service you originally were seeking.
Some people might like the larger numbers and extra assistants as it's a half way house between smaller childminder and a nursery. Others won't, either because they want home from home smaller childminding settings or they want the structure and predictability of nursery.

If you've got concerns that things have changed too much, it might be better all round for you to find somewhere that suits you better.

I signed a contract with a childminder and it was to be in a home from home environment not this set up.

If the set up you signed up for has changed then find alternative childcare and terminate your contract.

Exactly. You sound unhinged.

The rule for all assistants with first aid is a maximum of 2 hours....co minders all day....in emergencies it is advised to have named people but they dont need first aid or to be an assistant just suitable ....as i already said the parent should be told....and non registered people should definetly be a call to collect asap....obviously if someone close to you is rushed to hospital that is an emergency.
I was replying to the comment that the cm should seek permission first.....they already have permission was my point.

On meeting did you not ask what happens in emergencies? Does she not give policies?
Why is your dds safety compromised?

Calling OFSTED over this would be a real dick move and you should be ashamed for considering it. For your childminder’s sake, find someone else. You sound bonkers.

You're going to shit your pants when they got to school!!

The OP says her DD was left all day - they don’t have permission for that.

I know but you said seek permission you can not get permission for anything not allowed becouse its not allowed......but in an emergency there should be a procedure and you should have signed the policies in an emergency the cm can use anybody they deem suitable not just a registered assistant. The op needs to check the policies she agreed to.
As I've already said the op should have been informed.....strange she didn't ask where the cm was on collection I would have done

I didn’t say seek permission…

I was saying that contracts vary and there’s no guarantee that the OP’s contract states the child can be left with the assistant as was stated in the comment about parents already having given permission.

The example of my CM was that two hour thing isn’t relevant to my CM contract because it states one hour is the contact point.

Why are you labouring the point....ive already said read what you signed...contract and policy. I've already quoted Eyfs/ofsted maximum is 2 hours. The only thing she needs to check is emergency policy....is it totally unreasonable to think that her first priority is her husband not once she knows they are safe the children...childcare proffesionals love children but they are human....the eyfs does not have a time-limit on how long an emergency can be for its not a normal contracted situation such as a school run.

I’m not the one labouring it - you’re the one that jumped on a point I didn’t make

Why? I'm in school safeguarding, if I cared more about people loosing their jobs than following policy would you be happy with that? I could forgo DBS and use my judgement on the people working with the kids, don't tell ofsted, how would they pay their mortgage.

How is this different? Complain to Ofsted? I get your kid expelled? Yet at the sametime people gasp.at how Jimmy Saville got away with decades of abuse. People chosing to interpreting what safeguarding means depending on who it is.

Maybe just tell her in future if something like that happens to call you and you can make a decision around whether you will go and collect your child?

@Glamourgal1989 legally, an assistant cannot be left unsupervised with childminded for longer than 2 hours in any day. That is all that matters here. You are completely justified in being upset.