Ex staff memeber says she's "not heard good things" about DS's nursery. Should I worry/act?

[Cheriefroufrou]

She was an AMAZING nursery nurse, very sad she left, but bumped into her and she asked after DS and said that she'ld not heard good things from a few people about the nursery

It has gone though a lot of changes over the last year, it has gone from fantastic/beyond expectations.. to okay/fine IMO.. I don't trust the new manager as far as I could throw her, she's a liar, she says that DS eats all his food etc when I know he always just picks (and other staff confirm this) and on his first day in the "big" room she told me he'ld rans straight in and was happy all day, however both DH and a member of staff both told me that he had cried for the first few mins. However I like the actual floor staff, I just ignore the manager and her fluff!

should I brush it off as I don't personally have a cause for concern or look into this further?

thanks

I had a similar conversation with a former employee at DS2's nursery a few months before he was due to leave. However, on further questioning, it seemed that her concerns were around the way in which staff were treated, not how the children were being looked after. For that reason, plus it being so close to DS2 leaving, I took no action.

In your shoes, I think I'd want to do a little more digging just to understand where the problems lie, and whether they are likely to impact on your DS. If he's in the 'big' room presumably he can tell you a bit about his day, and you would quite quickly get a view if he was unhappy.

As far as staff are concerned: I think you have to work out why the staff member is saying anything negative? Why did they actually leave? We have had staff contracts not renewed because of their actions(or failures on their part)....they run off to another nursery and were hired quite quickly and then say negative things about the place they left. Sometimes the management knows far more then they can actually say. Even when parents may feel that the staff are good.

As far as the manager is concerned: I would dig a bit deeper....pop in unannouced, and certainly speak to your DS - if he is old enough to say what is happening. Have a real chat with the manager - is the manager even able to say how a particular child's day went?

I don't know, she had recently been promoted to head of the middle room, and I knew for a while that she had been working towards a career change (she is not just gone to another nursery, and she used to talk to one of the other parents who works in the area she has gone into about her courses)

We didn't get notice that she was leaving but that seems to be the policy there, everyone who leaves is gone before we know it (and one of them has just come back and we didn't know she was comming back till she was back, so I doubt she was fired! more likely she semi retired and came back PT because she is quite old), they never tell us about new staff or staff leaving or any other changes in advance, it is always when they had actually happened

She said it was parents she had met since leaving who had given her the bad feedback

"Have a real chat with the manager"

it is not possible to have a real chat with her, she is all front and fob offs, all "yes yes everything's great well do that" to your face.. have to bypass her and speak to one of the room leaders if you actually need anything done or want any information

Unless this ex employee is a very close friend then I would take what she says with a pinch of salt. On the other hand, if you already have concerns about trusting nursery then follow your instincts and look elsewhere.