My CM has been banned by Ofsted with immediate effect

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

Can they do this? She says there has been an anoymous complaint that she has been giving booze to her mindees and took them to the cinema and left them there. Well my DD is the oldest that she looks afetr and she's only 8 and has never been to the cinema with the CM or had any booze from her! The CM has had a falling out with someone in the village lately and we think it may be this person who is being malicious.

The CM says she's going to see a solicitor next week to see what she can do to fight it. I've offered to be a character witness as she has had DD for 4 years.

It seems so unfair that she is guilty with no proof. Does this sound right to you?

No, it doesn't sound right. I would have thought that Ofsted would carry out investigations before revoking a childminders registration.

Have you seen the letter? This doesn't ring true at all.

Is she definitely registered as a childminder? Just wondering as a thought that came to mind is that someone has reported her for not being registered and Ofsted have contacted her to say that she must not mind children unless she does become registered.

I don't know but I'd imagine that in theory they could stop her practising with immediate effect pending investigation if the allegations are so serious. What have they suggested she do with the mindees.

It sounds very strange though! I'd ring OFSTED, quote her CM number and ask what the situation is.

It's unlikely she would have been "banned" in the sense of being cancelled - I imagine she has had her registration suspended while the concerns are investigated? With those sorts of allegations the police and social services have probably been involved as well, and these things do need to be looked at. Suspension is quite a severe step and Ofsted don't take it lightly - they have to consider that children may be at risk of harm in her care and several managers need to sign the decision off.

Even as a parent you aren't entitled to much information while the investigation is ongoing but there is nothing to stop you writing in to express your concern and support. If it is all malicious then hopefully it'll come out in the wash sooner rather than dragging on for a long time.

that doesn't seem right at all SKSS... I agree with MRC and would phone Ofsted to find out the situation before sending your dc's to her again.

Did she re-register in the end stripey? Or did she carry on working unregistered?

They have been out to her once if I recall after she moved (sorry if I have you mixed up with someone else), and got away with working for you unregistered, so not surprise dif someone has reported her again (maliciously or not), Ofsted will have to take a hard line rather than take her word for it that she is not minding unregistered.

Don't get me wrong you won't find me shaking pom poms and cheering Ofsted on in any situation, but they do have to investigae cmplaints.

seems weird to ban her without proof - could there be more to the cm story then what she is telling you?

obv ofsted need to look into any complaints, and maybe they ban to protect the children incase the complaint is true?

Agree it doesn't seem right, but then if the complaint turned out to be true and she'd been allowed to continue while they investigated and harm came to a child, there'd be outrage about that too.

Yes, Ofsted in my view would suspend a CM immediately pending investigation. It does need to be a serious matter for suspension action to be done - giving drugs (in this case alcohol) to children is likely in my view to be grounds for immediate suspension.
It is possible that Ofsted contacted your CM and asked them to voluntarially suspend their registration... or Ofsted told the CM that they were being suspended.
Cancellation of Registration would require court involvement (typically the Care Standards Tribunal are the body who deal with that). Your CM should take a look at the Care Standards Tribunal website, have a look through the Decisions, particularly those which are 'v Ofsted' to get a feel for how the tribunal tackles cases. A solicitor is probably not needed in my view - though your CM may be able to get some advice from a solicitor for free via her childminding insurance company.

Stripeyknickersspotty - yes, and with good reason, your childminder would have to stop minding with immediate effect.

But hopefully, with proof from you, this will all be sorted out.

Also, don't automatically suspect the person in the village for reporting her - it could be the most unobvious person ever.

SammyK - yes it is the same CM and to be honest I didn't think she'd reregistered so was a bit suprised when she said she'd been banned. Someone reported her last year for not been registered and Ofsted came but the CM told me that Ofsted had been OK about it and just told her to get reregistered. She told me se was working towards that, so not sure if she had actutally got that far.

On the Ofsted site it says a complaint was made in Aug 2008 about kids been with an unregistered person but the CM was allowed to stay on the register. Which s a bit odd if she wasn't actually register.

Anyway she's told another mindee's parents a totally different reason for the ban than what she told me. So there is something fishy going on I think. I'm seeing another CM today who sounds very nice, so fingers crossed.

SKS sounds a bit of an odd one, perhaps the complaint in Aug was because the registered person, left the mindees with an unregistered person? as if someone isn't registered ofsted can hardly log a complaint IYSWIM. bit wierd with telling different stories as well, you can always ask to see the complaints record, all minders have to keep one of these and must show it when asked.

Good luck with the new CM.

I've just had a look at the Ofsted site and found the complaint for her, it was published in May this year so very recently and states that someone complained that they hadn't informed Ofsted of a house move. The result says that she was told to keep them informed of such things and remains on the register. Thats the only complaint on the website.

Getting wierder by the min, another differet story think you should definately find another CM this one sounds a bit fishy, people don't make up complaints for fun, although not all complaints are recorded on the public site, she may well have had another that was not upheld in which case it wouldn't show online, the most recent one (closed down) wouldn't show yet anyway.

If I were you I would get to the bottom of it all with CM or walk away and keep my distance, and if you are finding a new CM anyway I would be plumping for the latter option.

I have found a new CM and DD starts there tomorrow, she seems lovely.

I'm just worrying about what has been going on at the old one. My (now ex) CM is also the one who was posted about (by me under a different name) the other week for having been arrested for burglary. But surely Ofsted wouldn't have banned her for that as she's innocent till proven guilty?

I've rung Ofsted, they don't think they can tell me anything but are going to ring me back.....

Glad you've found someone new. She doesn't sound like a childminder of choice, does she? Burglary, fgs?

OMG how did I miss that post was it on this thread?

Well shot I think does she have a stripey jumper and tattoos on her knuckles lol

Yeah I think I would want clarification also I know I would always have a whats gone on with my DD feeling in the back of my mind too.

I think I put it in Chat as I wanted it to dissapear in 30 days - she may well MN for all I know. If she does I've blown my cover now but there you go.

We were worried when we heard about the burglary thing. But decided she was innocent till proven guilty so would wait and see what happened. Poor DD moved schools 7 weeks ago and now has to have a new CM, she's had this one since she was 4.

I am sorry stripy but you gave a burglary suspect the benefit of the dought as your cm.. seriously.. burglary.. you really need to set your bar higher mate..

she sounds loop the friggin loop to me and I wouldnt trust her with my cat.. move on...

I know it sounds bad, but she seems a nice, respectable person. I've known her 5 years and can't believe what's happened.

oh well you never can tell can you really, seriously the most awful criminals can appear so normal..maybe she has a lot of faces and showed you and your dd her best side!!

Glad you've got someone new. I know it's hard when children are settled in a place but being arrested and repeatedly unregistered aren't normally pluses for childminders!