WWYD if you knew of an illegal childinding business?

[apotomak]

Would you shop them to Ofsted?
I just found out there is someone in my area minding without a registration. She doesn't even want to register and is still actively advertising her 'services'.

If it was parents helping each other out, I personally wouldn't. But if she is advertising herself and having children at her house regularly for more than 2 hours per day, I'd consider it. That really is taking the p**s!

Oh for God's sake, have you nothing better to do?

Just because someone is not registered does not mean they cannot be perfectly good childminders.

I know of a few of them around here, and they are excellent at what they do. What business is it of yours???

Advise them that registration is free and easy and protects them if anything should ever go wrong. It is in their best interests to register if caring for other people's children.

Agree with Nancy10 re. parents that are already friends helping each other out but it's definitely NOT ok if she's advertising. I'm surprised that parents are happy to leave their children with her if she is not registered! What about the CRB check?!?

I wonder why she hasn't registered. I know there's alot of ofsted bother, but it really is in the interests of the children. She is also much more likely to find work.

Report them

There are two near me that have been minding for over 6months unregistered. Ofsted will give them a good chance to register as a childminder - and they are quite helpful about it to begin with.

Its illegal, and the children could be in danger (no insurance, no first aid training, no CRB etc) ao that is why you need to report it

You don't need to leave your name

Lol@nikita!

It's ILLEGAL!
Wrong.
Against the law.
Avoiding paying Tax.

Report her now!

Snitch to the authorities, eh? Like East Germans, telling the Stasi about their neighbours and their unpatriotic, unregulated activities?

Just listen to yourselves.

Just because someone is registered, that does not mean they are a good CM. And the reverse also applies. Yes, you might want to lean on your neighbour to regularise her arrangements, but really, snitching in the absence of any evidence of harm? Is that right? Or is it just protectionism?

Hang on, you have no evidence she is avoiding paying tax.

If she's looking after kids for 1 hr 59 minutes or less at a time, or teaching them rather than just CM, then it's not even necessarily illegal.

She has her two 3 year olds in part time nursery at the moment (the free allowance), she is looking after a 1.5 year old full time at the moment and yes she is getting money for the care she provides. She actively advertises in the local area ( she even set up a website)claiming she has a very low fee of £4 an hour. She is not registered, no first aid training, no insurance and no CRB and of course she pays no tax. She is currently advertising she would like to take another under 5 y o which is even by Ofsted own rules not alowed to be done by registered childminders due to safety.
You know I have been thinking she's only trying to make some money but why not do it properly register, pay the tax etc. It doesn't take that long and costs not a lot either.
I'm absolutely not trying to undermine her skills but I don't beleve that unregistered childminder is a better childminder than the one who did register and plays by the rules. What about other local childminders she IS taking their business?
I have no idea why the parents of the girl she looks after chose her. I would personally stay away.

If people have a private arrangement between them, I would leave well alone. But advertising and charging the public for a service which is not legally set up is wrong. Like advertising yourself as a completely unregistered, uninsured, unlicensed mini-cab is wrong. The parents who take thier children there may not know about registration etc.

I would be inclined to lean on her heavily whilst pointing out that it's free to register ...

... BUT a lot of CMs on here (rightly) moan on and on about EYFS, OFSTED and so on, and how many regulatory hoops you have to jump through for little reward, so perhaps this is someone who is simply not prepared to put herself through all that?

That is exactly why this person should be compelled to register if she wishes to continue; because "The parents who take their children there may not know about registration etc". Who is going to tell them about it? And surely they should be told, so that they can make an informed decision as to whether they would prefer to leave their children with somebody who is insured, CRB checked, First Aid trained and who is required to meet certain standards of care.

This is not just about fraud regarding income tax and national insurance, this person may also be claiming benefits which may be affected by her undeclared earnings. If she cannot be bothered to register properly do you think she is likely to register with HMRC as a self employed person?

If she knows that it is illegal to receive payment without being registered, and has chosen to continue then I would have no hesitation in reporting her to Ofsted.

well exactly BoffinMum - lots of CMs put themselves through the hoops, do it all above board and properly. then someone else turns up and takes their trade without making the effort to register, get CRB checked, be insured, do first aid, submit to regular assessments ... why should they get away with that?

OP you should report them!

I sympathise with burocracy fatigue, I really do - but the alternative, sadly, is uninsured,unregulated and maybe unsafe practice. And parents not even realising it.

yy what Blu said

Thing is, I see unsafe practice by regulated people all the time. I don't think the regulation is helpful at all. It gives the illusion of competence when it isn't always there.

And parents are not idiots. They are capable of working out whether they want their children looked after by someone or not. We seem to assume they are not able to make a judgement.

Anyone that takes their child to this women knows she is not registered because it means they cannot claim back for her services through WT credit - it is a private arrangement and i would leave well alone. It is a parents choice to take them there as it is your not to.

Wholeheartedly agree with BoffinMum & tartyhighheels etc

In your OP you say 'I just found out there is someone in my area minding without a registration.' then further on you say 'She is not registered, no first aid training, no insurance and no CRB and of course she pays no tax.' you seem to 'know' an awful lot about someone you have only just found out about.... how do you know she isn't first aid trained, how do you know she isn't insured, how do you know she hasn't been CRB'd and how do you know she doesn't pay tax??

As an aside, being CRB checked means next to nothing. I wish people would stop thinking it means they are safe people to leave their children with - all it means is they don't have a record/haven't been caught - it does not insure against them being paedophiles/neglectful etc

I think that if a parent uses un-registered care (when paying for it) and has not checked out that person, then that parent should be fined as well as the person who is unregistered.
If parents did their homework, then these kind of people would not exist.
Unregistered CMs are just lazy people who want to get easy money for little or no outlay.
Shame on the parents who use them

I would rather leave my child with a childminder I knew, could trust & I liked that was unregistered, than one I didn't know who was registered - so shoot me.

FGS - who said the parents haven't checked her out or haven't known her for years - whatever - don't make assumptions!

Maybe she is just another person who thinks Ofsted is just a crock - and really, would she be so wrong??

(BTW I am not a childminder)

CRB-checked staff under suspicion of assault

Fully trained, CRB-checked idiot nursery worker, presumably with a First Aid certificate, gives 10 month old a piece of raw apple to choke to death on

Need I say more

Ripeberry, that is horrendous as a notion. That would leave only the very flawed Government model for care as an option for most people without extended family, and in some cases these facilities are dreadful. Parents should choose what they think is best for their children, not what they think bureaucrats might approve of.

Your argument is a very dangerous line to go down.

I would want my children to be looked after by someone who would teach sound values by example, and for me that would mean I would want my childminder to be completely law-abiding, honest and above board, not someone who would knowingly flout the law or fraudulently claim benefits or avoid taxes. I obviously don't know this person is doing all of those things, but being the sort of person who would do any of them would rule them out for me. But then with parents who would chose to use illegal childcare, what chance do the children have of growing up honest?