Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Paid childcare

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

Original poster

Childminder Revenge?

60 replies

MoonlitTeardrop · 09/07/2023 21:23

Hi everyone

Complete newbie here. Hoping you can help me figure out what is going on 😣

I have told my childminder on Friday that our little one will be going to nursery as of September giving her almost 2 months notice instead of the required one month to be nice and give her more time to find another child.

No reaction from her until 9pm that same night giving me notice that she will be closed Mondays and Fridays for August - we need full time childcare as both of us work full time and all this time my girl has been with her she has always been Mon to Fri.

I cannot fathom why she did this as this has put us into a very difficult situation. (Her excuse was to spend more time with her son as she has only taken time off with him when he was ill due to the other kids bringing illness into the setting making him ill which is not true.)She already knows that my OH and I have very little holiday left as we used up most of it to cover for her, she has taken 8 days in the last 2 months alone for holiday and moving house, and she knows that we have no one around us to help out with childcare. We have always been so understanding and supportive 😔 Even when we lost the tax free childcare as she had a beef with the ofsted inspector and meant she was no longer ofsted registered we stayed and paid the extra money.

I am going to be calling the nursery tomorrow with the hope that they can take my girl sooner.

Am I unreasonably worrying about this? I am worried if this is revenge she will also somehow take it out on my little girl.

Any advice? 😅

OP posts:
DinkeyDonkey · 09/07/2023 21:27

Isnt she also required to give you notice to do that?

RoseslnTheHospital · 09/07/2023 21:27

I doubt it's revenge. If she's no longer OFSTED registered then is this even a legitimate contract situation? Aren't you breaking the law by having her look after you children whilst unregistered?

Original poster
MoonlitTeardrop · 09/07/2023 21:29

She has given me a months notice but puzzled as I think if we hadn’t told about nursery she would not have done this

OP posts:
vincettenoir · 09/07/2023 21:30

I wouldn’t describe it as revenge. Rather she’s just choosing to do what suits her because she no longer needs to keep you sweet long term. So I don’t think you have any need to worry about her changing the way ahe treats your daughter.

Original poster
MoonlitTeardrop · 09/07/2023 21:31

She is now a registered nanny 🤷‍♀️ didn’t think it was illegal

OP posts:
TheGoodEnoughWife · 09/07/2023 21:31

Being Ofsted registered is a legal requirement not just a nice to have.

I would have taken my child out from that point. I was a (Ofsted registered) childminder for years.

Hopefully your nursery can start her earlier.

TheGoodEnoughWife · 09/07/2023 21:32

Ofsted registration as a Nanny?

KateyCuckoo · 09/07/2023 21:32

I doubt it's revenge but sometimes you do things you don't want to do to keep your clients happy and when they are leaving anyway you lose that incentive. You've not worried about giving her notice so why would she feel a desire to carry on missing time with her child for you?

And I won't even get started on using an unregistered childminder....

KateyCuckoo · 09/07/2023 21:33

MoonlitTeardrop · 09/07/2023 21:31

She is now a registered nanny 🤷‍♀️ didn’t think it was illegal

At your house?

So why have you called her a childminder?

SecretVictoria · 09/07/2023 21:33

Not the pint of the thread, but can’t you have whoever you like looking after your children? If you choose an unregistered Ofsted person, surely that’s your choice?

Original poster
MoonlitTeardrop · 09/07/2023 21:34

I guess that’s fair - should have just given her the one month myself and learn business is business - being nice just bites you in the backside 😒

OP posts:
RoseslnTheHospital · 09/07/2023 21:34

But she's not a nanny for your children as she's looking after your child (and others?) in her own home. That's a childminder not a nanny. I would think that not being properly registered would invalidate any insurances that she has/had and I would have removed my child the minute she dropped out of OFSTED. Was the "disagreement" with the inspector because she failed the inspection??

KateyCuckoo · 09/07/2023 21:35

SecretVictoria · 09/07/2023 21:33

Not the pint of the thread, but can’t you have whoever you like looking after your children? If you choose an unregistered Ofsted person, surely that’s your choice?

In your own home yes, but not in the carers home, they must be registered as a cm.

TeaKitten · 09/07/2023 21:35

I’d have ditched her when she managed to loose her ofsted registered status, not resigned her contract as a nanny that’s not even in your home. The warning signs that she would behave unreasonably were clearly there for you to see OP.

Original poster
MoonlitTeardrop · 09/07/2023 21:37

Nope at her house. I guess it may have been our naivity about the whole unregistered thing didn’t think a childminder being ofsted registered was a legal thing - anyway that’s not what I asked advice on so please don’t judge me on that - I left daughter in her care as we genuinely thought that was best for her as she was happy and well looked after 😊

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 09/07/2023 21:38

MoonlitTeardrop · 09/07/2023 21:31

She is now a registered nanny 🤷‍♀️ didn’t think it was illegal

It sounds like she's a registered bullshitter tbh.

It sounds like you're better off out of there. She doesn't sound very professional, who knows if that will impact how she cares for your child.

Theunamedcat · 09/07/2023 21:38

Congratulations she has changed the contract and I think that means you dont need to give her notice get someone else ASAP

NuffSaidSam · 09/07/2023 21:39

SecretVictoria · 09/07/2023 21:33

Not the pint of the thread, but can’t you have whoever you like looking after your children? If you choose an unregistered Ofsted person, surely that’s your choice?

Not quite.

True if they are working in your house like a nanny, babysitter or au pair.

But not true if they are running a childcare business from either their house (childminder) or another building (like a nursery).

TimeToRecover · 09/07/2023 21:40

You cant be a registered nanny in her home. It doesnt work like that

snoozingbaby1476 · 09/07/2023 21:43

She can't be a nanny in her home. Does she have other children besides yours? If she's not ofsted registered she's not a childminder. She may not even be insured for this type of work.
You don't just lose your registration for falling out with an inspector. You can challenge an inspectors decision but you wouldn't just get taken off the register without serious concerns. Did she resign?
It all sounds very odd. I'd say try to get your nursery place asap.

Original poster
MoonlitTeardrop · 09/07/2023 21:48

Yes she resigned - this was over a year ago and had no issues until now.
Fingers crossed nursery’ll say no problem with her starting in a month 🤞

OP posts:
AutisticLegoLover · 09/07/2023 21:49

Revenge? Really? The whole situation sounds ridiculous. No ofsted=big problem.

Justcallmebebes · 09/07/2023 21:53

Theunamedcat · 09/07/2023 21:38

Congratulations she has changed the contract and I think that means you dont need to give her notice get someone else ASAP

This. She's changed the terms of the contract and therefore you're not obliged to retain her services if it's no longer convenient to you

snoozingbaby1476 · 09/07/2023 21:57

She could be in serious trouble if she got reported for trading without her ofsted registration.
I doubt it's revenge she probably just thinks she doesn't owe you anything as you're leaving so she's taking the time off that she wants with her son.
Draw a line & move on as fast as you can. Sounds dodgy.

snoozingbaby1476 · 09/07/2023 21:58

@NuffSaidSam not if you are paying them. You can get paid to look after children for a max of 2 hours in your home without being ofsted registered.

Swipe left for the next trending thread