Childminder breaching safeguarding

[Lis96]

I’d like to know if our childminder has breached the terms of the contract by withholding information and for breaking safeguarding rules.

my son has been going since October and has been happy there but sometimes I’ve not been happy with her communication. For example one time she posted a picture on social media of my son at a pet shop, and I didn’t even know she was taking him out (we expressed to her when he was settling in that we don’t like the idea of him travelling but we wanted to be informed).

anyway I have found out from someone that she has her adult daughter living upstairs in the house she uses for childminding. The daughter has bipolar disorder and has been sectioned before. So obviously we’re now petrified at the fact that she would not by law have to inform us about her living there, nevermind the concerns that my 3 year old son being in the same house as someone with diagnosed mental illness.

we would have never sent him there if we knew about this, and now we are withdrawing him immediately. I’m upset at the fact that I now need to find him a nursery and hope he can get started there straight away. But I also know how money oriented she is and she will probably say we need to pay her for next month as part of the contract.

Is the fact that she did not disclose this information, the safeguarding concerns, and also I doubt the daughter is DBS checked, will this be enough to say the contract terms have been broken, so we don’t have to pay.

In a final note, the person who told us this knew for sure that this was happening also.

There are 3 of them that are approved for childminding at the house and they have up to 10 kids a day. But unbeknown to us the main childminder and her husband leave at 3pm everyday, even though the pick up time for children is 5pm. I think some kids only do mornings so it may not be 10 kids that she’s left with, but it’s definitely over 5 kids and I think she only has a level 2 qualification

Were you aware she had an adult child living there before you signed? I'm curious because when I used a childminder she told me everyone who lived in her house including the pets how she handled the pets around the children and anyone else who looked after the children and their qualifications should she be called away

I just assumed this was the normal amount of information 😅

1. People with mental illness are not serial killers.
2. The daughter will have a DBS check.
3. You want your child to stay indoors all day?
4. The childminder is not "money orientated", she is running a business.

If you want to have total control over your child, look after them yourself.

Op how are you going to cope when your child goes to school???

Isn't it something like 1 in 4 people will be diagnosed with a mental health problem at some point in their life? Good luck finding a childcare setting that is only staffed by the other three.

People sectioned are most likely to be sectioned for suicidal intentions.

Honestly mum you sound a nightmare. Dictating to the child minder your child can't go out, so every other child there also has to miss out. Sorry that's not acceptable, I think you need to get a grip.

I'm a safeguarding officer, being bipolar is neither here nor there for a dbs. You have no grounds to avoid paying notice

No childminder will accept a child that isn't allowed to leave their home. You need to use a nursery if you want them to stay in one place.

Her daughter's medical history is none of your business.

Fuck me I am glad I don't childmind any more.

I wouldn’t dream of sending my child to a nursery to be honest and this is coming from someone that has worked in one and is going back to work in one.

my childminder lives next door to her eldest son and his wife and kids etc. her youngest son also lives there who also works in a school. I wouldn’t dream of complaining cause she still had her son at home.

I also don’t understand the problem with them going out? Surely that’s all part of the fun for them I’d hate it personally if my child was stuck in all day everyday. My childminder does a range of different places and my daughter goes everywhere. I wouldn’t knock her for that and I assume your child isn’t the only one she has so you’re expecting her to stay in for you.

i do get it but this is it now until they leave school. You won’t know everyone in and out but I think your paranoia got the better of you.

What a revoling attitude towards people with a psychiatric illness. I've reported your post

My best friend has a diagnosis of bipolar. She’s the most brilliant person and an excellent mother. Feel sad reading this OP that someone would automatically think someone with her diagnosis is some sort of risk.

There is so much wrong with your post. Just so much.

You don’t want your son going on? That’s part of child minding. Taking the kids out for enrichment. They should be out, they should be visiting places and having experiences. Sometimes it isn’t possible due to the number of kids a childminder may have or drop offs and collections, so when it is possible, you should be grateful and pleased that your son got out the house and had a great day trip. You’re attitude here is totally wrong. She also doesn’t need to ask your permission or inform you every time. Grow up.

You think she is very money oriented? Again, grow up. She is self employed and no matter what job you do when self employed, you always get people who don’t pay or pay late. When you don’t get paid, you can’t pay your bills or buy food. She needs to be firm on payments, and have little leeway. It’s her living! I’m sure you check your bank on pay day and use the money pretty quickly on bills. If you opened your bank account and saw you hadn’t been paid, you’d be straight onto your employer and you wouldn’t accept excuses or delays, you’d want your salary. Are you just very money oriented money grabbing? No. Neither is she.

The daughter with mental health problems…. She will be DBS checked, you have no right to know about her mental health or any other health issues. Your son will go to school and plenty of teachers will have diagnosed mental health issues, when you find s nursery it is very likely that some staff member will have some issue or other because these are all real people out in the real world, all with struggles and issues and everything. Just like in any other part of the society.

You just really need to grow up.

Nice try, Op!

Of course you're liable to pay the notice period. Grubbing around for excuses to avoid it won't wash with us. We've seen it all before.

Yes, all adults in the house need to be dbs checked but you have no idea the dd isn't. You don't fail a dbs just for having mental health issues.

I remember when DD was only about 18 months old, my childminder casually mentioning at drop off 'oh yeah I'm going to take them into Chinatown (city centre a good 30 min drive away) today for some lunch and they can see the Chinese New Year Decorations'. I was a bit taken aback, I think coming from a teaching background where a trip like that would have involved about 6 months notice, me sending constant reminders and chasing up all the signed permission slips etc.

Of course I said it was fine, and it was indeed fine and a great experience for DD. And indeed a real perk of using a childminder I thought, that she would be out and about having these great experiences as well as the more normal day to day stuff like nipping to the post office or going on the school run - I just liked that idea more than being cooped up inside one setting all day.

It did feel weird though, that first time - so I can kind of empathise with you on that feeling, but you do have to get over that and look at the benefits I think - because no childminder is going to consent to sitting home all day with all their mindees just because you're weird about it. And as others have said, even nurseries take them out.

The other stuff, mental health etc - not so much.

Ultimately, I trusted our childminder completely. I did my due diligence, checked reports and certificates and got recommendations etc, but also just had 'that feeling' from day one that she was absolutely the right choice. And I was right, she was ace and we're still in touch even though DD has moved on. If you don't have that - for whatever reason - then yes it's best to move your child - and yes, you'll have to pay the notice period.

Childminders take kids out but posting pics on socials is a no no.

Other than that, I can see your prejudice towards mental health seeping out in your post and hope she holds you accountable for being in breach of contract.

@Whattodo112222 you have no idea if the social media is restricted to the parents of children the childminder is caring for. Schools do this all the time.

Why wouldn't you want your child taken out? Being taken out is good.

Sounds like the childminder will be better off should you withdraw your child - you sound very hard work. Most childminders take their charges out and about - Its kind of the reason most people choose a childminder over a nursery. The daughters mental health problems are, quite frankly, none of your business. I would be surprised if the daughter isn't DBS checked - the childminder will know that anyone over 16 needs to be. That's just an assumption. I would also imagine that someone wanting to be paid for their job and time doesn't really make a person 'money orientated'...

Is she even ofsted registered?
Presumably the people leaving early then breaks ratios.That would be a concern to me.

Why think any of that? If children finish early or part time the childminder does not need to maintain all staff on premises and can leave for two hours as guidelines say....the assistants must have first aid. It's no different to in a nursery where often staff attend training, have meetings or time off.
What about the post makes you think she isn't registered?

Op you do know that when your child starts school the teachers there may have MH issues and they’ll potentially be left alone with them in a class for a number of reasons.
There will also be trips out. Why don’t you want your child to have days out?! I couldn’t think of anything worse than staying in all day.

@jannier because the OP doesn't state that she is and then several people reference ofsted where it may not even be relevant.

She doesn't need to be Ofsted registered if she's with a childminding agency.