CM Club - I am so sick of unregistered childminders around me

[Booh]

And no body seems to want to do anything about it.

I am sure that I have moaned on about this before in the past, but why oh why do I bother when others get away with not being registered.

Ofsted don't seem interested at all

GGGGGGGGGGGRrrrrrrr

Tell me about it, i now of 3 in my area and several that all are over their numbers too. I've complained to Ofsted before and nothing has been done.

Oh my goodness!really!I too would be very angry knowing there were people out there unregistered!
How come OFSTED arnt bothered?I dont understand that atall

All Ofsted do is send them letters to say either stop minding or become registered.

What do they advertise themselves as then?? And how on earth do they get parents to sign up with them in the first place?

The parents don't seem to care at all, its just cheap childcare, one only charges £20per day.

One parent was boosting about it at toddlers this morning and could see nothing wrong with it.

She said CM's are a rip off

wonder what this woman thinks of nannys then?

but yes, very annoying

and if ofsted dont do anything,then what is the point of being a cm and having to be ofsted registered?

I know of 2 in my area who are both looking after 4 under 5's each. Makes me wonder why i bother to continue as a registered CM. Between the training/meetings/paperwork and actual time spent on the job....

Maybee we should name and shame

Is that allowed on MN?

Who's goin first!!!

i would if i knew of any

but name and shame away

I'd persevere with informing Ofsted about them. The first time Ofsted hear about it they are likely to just send a letter, since it may just be the person is doing a one-off favour for a friend, they are family members or they just don't know you need to register to provide some types of care. Add in misunderstandings and malicious complaints and Ofsted would spend all their time visiting people to check on them and never get inspections done!

If the person is dodgy and just claims the kids are theirs or they don't get paid then that's usually it, but if Ofsted hear about the same person several times then they can justify visiting them unannounced to check on their story. Despite this it is still very difficult to prove that someone is unreg minding, if for example they just claim not to be getting paid. Ofsted aren't HMRC and don't have the resources to go through people's bank statements! But if the brash ones have adverts up or parents who use them are willing to talk to Ofsted (meaning no more childcare so not too likely) then they are in a much better position to take action.

Why do parents do this?? An unregistered cm can't get insurance, won't be trained and I bloody well wouldn't leave my children with one!! The safety and welfare of a child should be worth more than £20 per day.

The parents who thinks cms are a rip-off?? Grrrr . Makes me soooo mad - they should try being a fly on the wall for a day in a 'registered' setting and then pass judgement. Bet most of them wouldn't get out of their beds every day to work the hours we work for the peanuts we get paid.

Personally, I would name and shame - calls to Ofsted can be anonymous and they HAVE to follow up on all complaints

Thats so annoying, you should point out Booh to that stupid mother that parents who care a jot about their kids are willing to pay to have them looked after by insured and qualified people.. thaat should shut the stupid cow up..

I never think of myself as a tell tale but with all the paperwork and hoops we have to jump through I would definatly report.. is it a police matter actually as they are breaking the law not just some O fsted guidelines?

Saz - who's that then? Anyone I know?

there was a huge thread on netmums about unregistered CMers

I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole,can't believe so many parents do,guess it all comes down to cost?!

i dont think its down to ofsted if they are not registered is it?

we are only governed by the f* witt if were registered, sometimes i think its a waste of time too!!

Message withdrawn

MissSunny, the problem is that your friend wouldn't be trained in childcare. She won't have taken the obligatory first aid course - having had to deal with 2 life-threatening situations in my time as a childminder, I can assure you that training is VITAL. She won't have had any kind of risk-assessment or have been checked as to her suitability (CRB and medical history). And if, God forbid, anything should happen, she won't be insured. She could face a fine and a prison sentence and you could be charged with neglect.
I honestly can't see why any caring parent would risk it, friend or no friend.

At the beginning of last August, I was shocked when all the parents of my potential after-school children suddenly gave notice. I'd expected to continue looking after them when they went into Reception and it gave me no time at all to fill their places.
I found out when September started that one of the mums had given up work and had offered to take the others at a lower price instead of them coming to me. Now, I've babysat for this mum. She keeps her gardening chemicals in unlocked ground level cupboards in the kitchen and she has an uncovered pond in her garden. Since the after-school venture has been so successful for her, she's taken on a couple of toddlers and she's still unregistered.

Perhaps you could tell me if you think it's acceptable for a trained, registered childminder to be put out of business by an unregistered carer with little or no consideration for the safety of the children in her care? Because, in many areas, that's exactly what's happening.

totally right Tanith. Miss Sunny its actually breaking the law to pay someone who is unregistered to have care of your children for more than two hours a day.

You and she would be breaking the law and liable for prosecution.. thats the problem..

Besides why would you want to use someone who hasnt had any training in first aid or who has no car or personal insurance..

I wouldnt board my cat in an unregistered cattery!!!!

I lost out again this week to a unregistered carer. Parents didn't want to pay retainers and ended up going for the cheaper option. Aparently it came down to money not quality of childcare.

Perhaps you couhld quote the 1989 ChildrenAct which states it is against the law to look after children FOR money for more that two hours or something v similarlike that - Google the act ? you cold quote it to folk ?

SCMA does "unregistered childminders" posters which list some of the dangers. Do the NCMA do anything similar that you could get and put up all over the place?

freya555 - It's now the Childcare Act 2006.

Money is tight for many families so it does not surprise me that parents are looking around based on cost. I'm certainly finding that is the case with evening babysitting.

I know money is tight but it's not fair on CM/Nannies who work hard/train hard. It amazes me, even a local teacher uses unoffical childcare!!

Surely these parents are missing out on Tax credit by using un-reg CM's.