Childminder suspension - What to do

[Spongeymum]

My childminder was suspended and we went through the full process to it being lifted, so I thought I'd post what the process is to help others because I couldn't find any information out there on what to do and Ofsted and the authorities weren't very helpful.

I received a phone call on a Wednesday from my childminder to say her license had been suspended effective immediately and she couldn’t childmind, the initial time was for 6 weeks and that might be lifted sooner or last longer depending on the outcome of the case.

Firstly, why was she suspended? One of the little boys who was around 1, bumped his head whilst he was crawling, it was very minor and there wasn’t a bump. Unfortunately, the mother of the boy was very unhappy that she wasn’t told immediately, the childminder told her at the end of the day. I’d met this mother a few times and she was quite a panicker. She was also very angry that the childminder wouldn’t take her son when he had chicken pox.

We knew the childminder well, and good ones aren’t easy to come by, our DS was settled with her too, he'd progressed very well and we wanted to keep things as they were. I had a chat with her, and she mentioned she thought it would be lifted in a week, so we decided to borrow favours from grandparents for the time being and stick with her. I called Ofsted for advice on time, but they simply said it takes as long as it takes.

I and the other mothers rallied together and wrote letters to Ofsted in solidarity supporting her. I googled around and it seemed that this could take longer than a week to be lifted, but still, we decided to make things work before we jumped into other childcare options, in case things changed quite quickly. We have a lot of family and friends who were very helpful.

Here’s how the process works, the mother had raised the complaint to the police and Ofsted, which meant there were multiple levels and organisations involved. The police booked an interview with the childminder the following week after the suspension, which was then rescheduled 3 times, so that took 2 weeks to finalise (they then said they wouldn't pursue the case and left it to Ofsted), following this Ofsted performed a house visit (they were happy with the setup and accident procedures) which took another 2 weeks, and from there Lado did an inspection, followed by child services all parties were happy. This whole process took 40 days. I found in some old reports that the average is 47 days from suspension being given to suspension being lifted.

Finally, our childminders license was approved to begin again, we were very pleased she had her name cleared. However, our happiness was shortlived the level of stress and sleepless nights she’d taken on through all of this left her very defeated, she said her 25+ years with an outstanding Ofsted reputation had been tarnished and she'd lost her earnings from the suspension, so she notified us the same moment that she would be resigning from childminding effective immediately.

My advice to anyone would be to look into alternative childcare right away and find something you like because the chances are that even if the suspension is lifted the stress might mean the childminder doesn’t want to do the job anymore, and of course, you have to respect that decision. The report can tarnish their reputation as it goes on their file, so if they struggle to get work, their business might be over. It’s very hard for them and sadly a small minor incident is enough to ruin years of hard work.

I hope this helps anyone who has a similar issue to mine, and it’s worth knowing that licenses are suspended very quickly (which is great for protecting the child) but the process from there isn’t quick, so a backup or new option is what you should consider.

This situation is unfortunately so common that PACEY now recommends all childcare settings should budget an emergency fund for when (not if!) they are suspended.

Nurseries are being affected by exactly the same rule: a complaint can mean an automatic suspension for at least 6 weeks while Ofsted "investigates". Ofsted is so bogged down, thanks to their encouraging every little thing must be reported to them, that they cannot cope with the volume of investigations and it's common for the 6 weeks to be postponed again and again.

Quite frankly, it's a disgraceful situation that parents are suddenly left with no childcare like this - and most complaints are unfounded, malicious, or so slight they'd be cleared up easily by just talking to the provider.

Parents like the one you mention, Op, are disgusting.

https://www.the-cover.com/articles/is-ofsted-too-keen-to-suspend-childcare-providers

That's heartbreaking for your childminder. I hope she at least found some comfort in you all rallying together for her.

Childminders are so vulnerable to malicious complaints or unfounded complaints. Just one of many reasons so many are leaving the industry

Ofsted suspend if they believe children may be at risk of harm. The threshold is low for this. Often parents won't know the reasons. However it is important that children are safeguarded in this way until children's safety can be assured

But this must put children more at risk. Parents need childcare, inappropriate temporary childcare must be more risky.

Who'd be a childminder in these circumstances - long hours, low wages and a whole business ruined because of one overreacting parent!
Poor woman, not surprised she quit!
So hard for the other parents too - how are they supposed to work when childcare can be do easily compromised?

Sorry i know this is an old thread. But can anyone tell me where to find historic suspensions? I am considering a registered childminder who was apparently suspended last year to my complete surprise. And she is outstanding according to her recent ofsted?!

Read her Ofsted report a new inspection will be done if there was a complaint....but be aware a childminder can be suspended for things like malicious complaints until investigated, if a child is put under SS investigation a suspension is issued even if the problem is with the child's parent...until it's investigated. Pending health reports if she notified them of new medicines or conditions they may say we need a new GP report...including any family members conditions until they are happy it doesn't effect her work.
If there is nothing on her report she hasn't been found in the wrong.

Ok thank you!

@amispeakingintongues - just chipping in here that there is direct information from Ofsted about suspension of childcare providers in a blog here, which explains the "harm" test they use. https://earlyyears.blog.gov.uk/2024/04/26/why-we-might-suspend-a-childcare-providers-registration-and-what-happens-next/

A previous poster has seemed to suggest that a childcare provider would be suspended if a child was under a safeguarding/child protection investigation, even if the problem is with the parent - and that's not really the case. If it was a situation like an explained injury to a child and social services and the police don't know if it was caused under the parents' care or the childcarer's care, then that may lead to a suspension while the police try to establish who caused the injury. But you're not going to have something like a complaint of parental neglect and a child being placed on a child protection plan, then Ofsted going and suspending the childminder who that parent uses. The childcarer would have nothing to do with the actions of the parent.

Suspension is meant to be a "no fault" situation - suspending someone doesn't mean they've been found guilty of doing anything, it's just protecting children while a matter is investigated or the situation causing harm is sorted out. It would be like being suspended by an employer while an investigation by HR takes place, you can be found to have not done anything wrong and go back to your job. So a childminder could be suspended and then the case be closed and no regulatory punishment issued. But worth asking the childminder what happened. If it was all sorted out in the end, they should be okay with explaining it to you if you're going to leave your children with them.

And just chipping in that notifying Ofsted of taking new medicines isn't something that would usually get you suspended! Things you have to notify Ofsted about are here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childcare-significant-events-to-notify-ofsted-about. In short "If there has been any change to your health and you think that change affects your ability to care for children, then you should notify us." So being put on new blood pressure medication, probably not. But if you're on new medication that makes you unexpectedly fall asleep in the middle of the day without warning, probably yes, because you're looking after several small children solo day-in-day-out and it could be dangerous.

I didn't suggest that ....the childminder is suspended until the investigation is complete and concludes the parent is at fault.

You and those other mums did brilliantly. That poor lady.
Mothers like the one responsible should be named and shamed so that schools know who to look out for when her kid starts. ‘That parent’ at its finest, destroying lives and careers and as PP have said, discouraging good people from becoming CM. Ok, so in theory naming and shaming wouldn’t work but pity it wouldn’t.

Poor cm. Nice you and others supported her

Mum sounds weird esp I'd thinking could send her child with cp

Tho why didn't she just text the mum to say head bumped but all ok /fine to stay with her till usual pick up time

That's what happens at school. I get an email if mini blondes grazes knee - hits head - nosebleed etx and says


We have assessed mini blondes and we feel that he/she is fine to stay in school.

The threshold for suspension is very low indeed. Often a childminder isn't even told why they're being suspended. Ofsted will then waste time and money searching for "evidence".

I've read the leaflet that Ofsted published about suspension and the reality is so different.
The sooner Ofsted is overhauled, the better. They're causing real damage. On the rare occasions they themselves are inspected, they're severely criticised. The last time, they were labelled "unfit for purpose".
Any regime that repeatedly leaves people distraught after inspection or interview is not fit for purpose. They're costing the country a fortune in lost earnings, reduced childcare places and benefit payments, to say nothing of the stress caused to parents and providers.

The new Labour Government has no need to spend money to attract people into teaching and childcare. All they need to do is to reform Ofsted.

DS's after school childcare provider was suspended back in November. We got letters informing us of extensions to the suspension every six weeks until maybe mid June and we've heard nothing since. The provider is still active on the Ofsted website but there's no update posted there.

We were lucky a childminder who lives nearby picks up a handful of kids and walks them back to her home. DS walked the majority of the way back with them and a small amount himself. He was also at an age where he could start walking himself on occasion, and I work from home a lot of the time.

We figured another agency would be involved given how long the suspension has gone on for. It's at a point now though the staff there must have found other jobs and even the owner must have had to find some other way to earn a living. It's a shame it might not reopen.

My son’s nursery was suspended in March for 6 weeks and the suspension was extended several more times. It’s now been 5 months. The police were involved and a few weeks ago we heard the results of their investigation - a former employee who was fired because of poor performance made a malicious allegation. She made up horrible lies about the children being harmed (suspicious she only reported to the authorities after she was fired not when she allegedly witnessed the incidents). Despite the police clearing the nursery of all charges Ofsted are continuing their own investigation and have essentially said they won’t be handing back their registration due to the seriousness of the allegation. I just can’t get my head around it. The nursery are wonderful, I am so full of praise for them and I’m devastated they will not be able to continue caring for my son. Ofsted have been utterly appalling throughout the whole process. I can’t believe a nursery so dedicated to the care of children could be ruined by the cruel antics of one person.

Ofsted set themselves up as an investigator, but they take the view of what might happen rather than what has happened.
It makes their investigation subjective rather than factual and they are not at all open and transparent as they claim. They are not above lying, either.

This means that any provider with an allegation finds themselves being investigated twice; once by the police sifting through the evidence and presenting a factual case, and once by Ofsted taking that information and misrepresenting it to fit their narrative.

They are an absolute nightmare to deal with and the sooner they are replaced with a decent and proper regulator, the better for us all.

How can parents possibly work when this egomaniacal organisation is suspending and closing their childcare on the flimsiest of evidence?

Same happened to wife’s friend nearly broke her
all her regulars give her amazing support it was a LONG time before she took any new kids
the woman who reported her was fuming that she wouldn’t have her child back

Is it even possible to stand up against Ofsted? There’s a whole army of parents who feel the same. Another local nursery had a spot Ofsted inspection (same investigator who has been leading our nursery’s investigation) and the children were found to be treated terribly. They were left to cry, were dragged by their arms before they could respond to instructions etc yet this nursery were not suspended, they were just downgraded. I’ve contacted my local councillor, filed a complaint against Ofsted directly but I’m loathed to go to the press as it would attract a lot of negative attention for the poor owner.

Parents are encouraged to report every little thing to Ofsted. You see it on here. If anyone ever posts an issue or problem they have with any school, teacher, nursery or childminder, you'll see several posts to report to Ofsted, or report to the council.

Some things should be reported, of course, but Ofsted is now so bogged down with silly little reports, all of which need to be investigated - and often providers suspended while they do it - that they're missing the really big things.