Rant About Unregistered Childminders

[adedwards68]

I was talking to one of the mums at school today, who looks after 2 children, 1 after school and a 4 month old 5 days a week. I'd always assumed that she was registered but little things she said made me wonder if she was. I'm in the process of reregistering so have had to re do courses, DBS etc and she would say "Oh you have to do a lot of paperwork" and was surprised when she took on a 4 month old and said "oh babys mum is going to get me some toys and pushchairs to keep at my house". I know from minding previously that my house was full of toys, a selection of pushchairs, travel cots etc. Well today she mentioned that she wasn't Ofsted registered and the mindees mums don't mind, which I'm sure they don't if she is charging them a lesser rate, she has nothing to pay out for with regards to childminding. I know there is nothing Ofsted can do and she can just say she is looking after them as a favour but it really gets my back up when everyone else has to go through training, spending a lot of their own time setting up their business , spending alot of money etc. Ok Rant over now, feel slightly better. :)

[Velleity]

That'd make me mad too. I have invested a lot of time, effort and money into my business, doing things properly and am struggling to find any 0-5's to look after at the moment!

[clareelizabeth1]

What always gets my goat is that the parents don't care enough to find a registered childminder. Instead will just leave their children with anyone.

[nikki thomson]

What always gets my goat is that the parents don't care enough to find a registered childminder. Instead will just leave their children with anyone.

I don't know whether its that they don't care but we are living in very tough financial times and tbh most parents don't have a clue or care quite frankly about what paperwork we do an the eyfs. As long as there child is well cared for and happy and if that means leaving them with a friend who isn't registered and it saves them money I don't blame them.
If all the registered childminders in there area charge lets say £4 hr and a parent needs 8 hrs a day every day the parents going to save £160 a month if her friend will do it for £3 an hr.
I agree it's not right but I think it's a little unfair to say these parents don't care there just trying to do there best while keeping there heads above water by leaving there children with friends.

[adedwards68]

I don't know whether its that they don't care but we are living in very tough financial times and tbh most parents don't have a clue or care quite frankly about what paperwork we do an the eyfs. As long as there child is well cared for and happy and if that means leaving them with a friend who isn't registered and it saves them money I don't blame them.
If all the registered childminders in there area charge lets say £4 hr and a parent needs 8 hrs a day every day the parents going to save £160 a month if her friend will do it for £3 an hr.
I agree it's not right but I think it's a little unfair to say these parents don't care there just trying to do there best while keeping there heads above water by leaving there children with friends.

I agree with you but as a parent I would want to know that the person looking after my children had some sort of first aid knowledge, that they had had a dbs check, and yes most parents don't know about eyfs, especially if its their first child. I know for a fact that the 2 mindees that this mum is looking after are not family friends
Another strange thing was that she said the 4 month olds mum and dad both claimed childcare vouchers, I thought you had to be registered to be able to claim these

[FussyElmo]

I agree with you but as a parent I would want to know that the person looking after my children had some sort of first aid knowledge, that they had had a dbs check, and yes most parents don't know about eyfs, especially if its their first child. I know for a fact that the 2 mindees that this mum is looking after are not family friends
Another strange thing was that she said the 4 month olds mum and dad both claimed childcare vouchers, I thought you had to be registered to be able to claim these

You do have to be registered to claim the childcare registers - the childminder has to send a copy of their reg certificate off. So is she registered maybe she registered before all the changes came in the amount that paperwork that was needed was minimum and she just is comparing it to then.

I don't have a house full of pushchairs etc in fact mindees mum brings me a pushchair as I don't have one. Have got a house full of toys though :thumbsup:

Edited to say - just read where you said she said she wasn't Ofsted registered - it does seem strange there is no way she can take the vocuhers without a reg certificate :thumbsup:

[jackie 7]

Probably not paying tax either.

[adedwards68]

Probably not paying tax either.

Probably how she can afford the new car she has bought

[adedwards68]

You do have to be registered to claim the childcare registers - the childminder has to send a copy of their reg certificate off. So is she registered maybe she registered before all the changes came in the amount that paperwork that was needed was minimum and she just is comparing it to then.

I don't have a house full of pushchairs etc in fact mindees mum brings me a pushchair as I don't have one. Have got a house full of toys though :thumbsup:

No, I know for definite she is not registered, and not done any training etc Most childminders will have some sort of equipment in the house. I know that babys mum is not bothered about doing any activities with the baby, but she has the baby lying on the floor whilst watching tv and do the ironing!

[Ripeberry]

There are loads of unregistered minders in my area. I was bothered by them at first, but now I just think they are just cheats and liars and they are making trouble for themselves in the long run. I would rather know that I was doing things by the book and doing everything that I can to make my business professional. Karma will find them out soon enough.

[Tazmin68]

Yes there might be unregistered childminders out there but should we not really report it as it is these minders that give the rest of us a bad name. As you said have baby on the floor while ironing. I can see the headline now. " Baby burned by iron while in childcare "

Can we not agree that it is in the children's interests that we have a duty of care to report unregistered minders. I do not appreciate doing everything that I do including spending my weekends attending training when I would rather lend time with my own two boys, ofsted inspections for these unregistered minders to give the rest of us a bad name.

[TooEarlyForGin?]

There are loads of unregistered minders in my area. I was bothered by them at first, but now I just think they are just cheats and liars and they are making trouble for themselves in the long run. I would rather know that I was doing things by the book and doing everything that I can to make my business professional. Karma will find them out soon enough.

I hope so, It bugs me so much, apart from safeguarding issues and tax avoidance, it's illegal to care for someone else child for more than 2 hours without being registered. I understand when friends do it for each other, or family, but otherwise it's wrong. When we hear about the terrible things we can be put through when malicious complaints are made, but these people don't even get checked when reported (I know this from an illegal childminder who boasted about it at playgroups), she just got a letter asking her if she was minding and she said no, nothing else was done.

[MrsP2C]

This really bugs me too, however, I can understand a parent being happy if a friend were to offer to care for her child/ren for less than a registered cm & not even considering the safeguarding/1st aid issue.
Tbh I think the fault lies with Ofsted & the 'powers that be' for making the registration process so long-winded & the on-going paperwork so daunting when in reality most parents aren't in the slightest bit interested in EYFS or charting their child's development especially for under 3's.

[Tazmin68]

I don't have a problem if it is before or after school i know when one of my boys want to invite a school friend home I have to look at my numbers and if I have pace in the car, but I do have a problem with younger children being cared for by unregistered especially of they are being paid.

[singingcactus]

If it wasn't for unregistered childcare here, the poor kiddos would be stuck in car seats for an additional 60-90 minutes each day, unable to interact with their parents while they were bussed to neighbouring towns to find care every day.
It is an unusual situation here but I am grateful for unregistered care as it keeps these poor little ones from being tied into seats, driven on busy main roads and motorways (i live on the motorway), and kept from moving their bodies and playing every day.
Not sure that every unregistered carer has no first aid experience though, I know I had a certificate in first aid from age 7 with st johns, renewed frequently. Even my teenagers have held a certificate in first aid since age 14.
Also not sure it is fair to say that all parents using unregistered care don't care, I have known minders who I wouldn't leave my kids with, but unregistered people I would.

Sometimes I think it would be so much better for families if they were just allowed to chose who they wanted to leave their own children with, instead of having to find a stranger (albeit a qualified stranger) on a lust and basically take pot luck on whether they are worth their registration or not.

[covgalxxx]

I'm not about calling them unregistered childminders if there doing it for a friend, if your skint and friend says I will look after your baby while you go work, you jump at it, I know you shouldn't pay but if your decent friend and you know your friends struggling you would pay them, I know that's wrong, but it happens, if your friend minted and lives in a big house and doesn't need any money your not going to pay them, but times are hard, I was working and had to take my daughter to breakfast club and I got so much money towards her in child tax , but it wasn't enough, I was working for free while she went breakfast club, unless I worked more hours but would mean I wouldn't of seen her, so if someone said they would watch her half the price I was working I would of said yes, even in holidays, but that would of been a friend, if it was someone you didn't know then I'm not going to, when I was 19 my son was only 1 and I went to work, but my help like my parents and friends wasn't there, there was no help for child care so I did let some stranger I didn't know just friend knew her, but my son would come home in dog hair and more dirty than play dirty,I quit work, and struggled after that as would rather be skint then let a stranger watch my child, so if the child is happy its more likely a friend watching that child than a stranger...

[Simona]

Looking after someone else's children for more than 2 hours and getting paid is actually 'illegal'...if she were to be reported she would be encouraged to register
It is not a question of paperwork or anything along those lines...those unregistered carers are without insurance...just imagine what the parent would feel like if an accident were to happen??

[MrsP2C]

It is not a question of paperwork or anything along those lines...those unregistered carers are without insurance...just imagine what the parent would feel like if an accident were to happen??

Yes but the paperwork is what deters a good number of unregistered 'cm' registering. Rather than the big 3-5 yearly inspection we have now, why is there not just the option of basic registration with a quick annual check to ensure you & your home are safe, you have adequate insurance & current first aid?

[adedwards68]

I know there's nothing we can do but it just p****s me of that I will have spent nearly a year registering , £100's of pounds setting myself up, hours sorting paperwork out, making sure I've done all the necessary courses, registered with everyone I need to, all the stress that goes with it and some people quite openly don't do any of this and get away with it and are caring for other people's children illegally.

[charlottenash]

What always gets my goat is that the parents don't care enough to find a registered childminder. Instead will just leave their children with anyone.

Spot on. This is why I've made clear to prospective parents when they visit. I've told them I encourage them to look elsewhere but to always make sure these people have an Ofsted certificate and that they get to see it!

[Mouse]

What always gets my goat is that the parents don't care enough to find a registered childminder. Instead will just leave their children with anyone.

I don't think that's necessarily the case.

I actually started off unregistered. A friend asked me to look after her son when she went back to work. She was a very anxious mum & I'd regularly looked after her son (for free) from when he was born. She really struggled as a mum and the HV actually advised her to go back to work part time. I was the only person she trusted to look after him. She paid me and neither of us realised we were doing anything wrong. I had 3 pre-school children of my own, so was actually over numbers as well.

It all worked really well. She was happy, her son was happy, I was happy. We did lots of activities and her son was very well cared for. It was only when my eldest child started school that I met a childminder in the playground. We discussed childminding & she told me I needed to be registered. I was always very grateful that she spoke to me first, rather than reporting me to Social Services (no Ofsted back then). She helped my get registered and supported me all the way through.

I would say to anyone who assumes unregistered care means the children are sat in front of the TV all day, it isn't necessarily like that. I appreciate it's illegal, so shouldn't be done, but don't assume it's all bad.

[Simona]

Can you think of any profession where paperwork is not part of the job? nurses, GPs, lawyers...they all do it
One of my parents is a one of the professionals mentioned above and she said it is the same with her
I know ours has gone a bit crazy...those who do not wish to do paperwork can register for the Voluntary part and look after older kids and leave us to get on, after all they are taking our jobs!!

Most of the paperwork cms cannot bear to do is probably the additional and duplication imposed by their LAs...I have seen plenty of it and because of it I have blankly refused to join a Network and waste many trees!!

[covgalxxx]

Yes and people will come to us if they can afford us, you don't want the people that can't afford us so people that go to there friends don't have money to pay for a childminder, not everyone can get a good job I should no it's hard out there and paying for my daughter just to go breakfast club still meant I couldn't take her out or anything and she hated not seeing me.. But not working wasn't a option.. So you can't win

[adedwards68]

The reason I started this thread was the person in question knew that childminders should be registered but because of everything that goes with being registered decided she didn't want to do that. She's not looking after a friends child as a favour or anything. She doesn't do any activities with the children, her words not mine.
I know lots of people are supposed to be registered to do their job ie a gas plumber but is still remains the fact that it is illegal not to be. And to be honest there's enough news about that people should know they have to be registered, might not know what it involves, but they choose not to.
Life would be so much easier if we weren't expected to follow all the rules and guidelines but the majority of us do (Ofsted Reg CM) what makes the others so special that they think it doesn't apply to them.

[adedwards68]

I don't think that's necessarily the case.

I actually started off unregistered. A friend asked me to look after her son when she went back to work. She was a very anxious mum & I'd regularly looked after her son (for free) from when he was born. She really struggled as a mum and the HV actually advised her to go back to work part time. I was the only person she trusted to look after him. She paid me and neither of us realised we were doing anything wrong. I had 3 pre-school children of my own, so was actually over numbers as well.

It all worked really well. She was happy, her son was happy, I was happy. We did lots of activities and her son was very well cared for. It was only when my eldest child started school that I met a childminder in the playground. We discussed childminding & she told me I needed to be registered. I was always very grateful that she spoke to me first, rather than reporting me to Social Services (no Ofsted back then). She helped my get registered and supported me all the way through.

I would say to anyone who assumes unregistered care means the children are sat in front of the TV all day, it isn't necessarily like that. I appreciate it's illegal, so shouldn't be done, but don't assume it's all bad.

I agree back in the day when SS registered CMs people didn't know a lot about becoming a CM. but nowadays it's very different.
You say you didn't know that you had to be registered which is completely different from this person who chooses not to register.

[TooEarlyForGin?]

I am very tired of those that justify it.

I understand the reasoning behind having "basic" care, but it doesn't exist at the moment, and the law is to register. If it isn't enforced what is stopping all of us, who are getting fed up with these terrible inspections that are going around, and the constant battering in the press and changing face of childcare, de-registering.

Yes, there is sometimes a stupid amount of paperwork, being a minder that has offered funding for the last few years, I have had double, but as Simone says, every job has some paperwork, insurances, rules and regulations. At the least a tax return! We are looking after the most precious thing anyone can ever own. If you want to do that and earn money, register, then do the bare minimum of paperwork.

[covgalxxx]

But what I don't understand is your saying unregistered childminders, so are they going round saying they are a registered, cause any parent would check, if you want your child looked after by a childminder, you would compare them with others, and if there was no contract I think you would talk to someone that this childminder didn't have contract /info about them selfs, certificates its the 1st thing you do if you want a childminder for your child .... , if a friend that was looking after there friends kids then there not gonna say there childminders, my friend looks after are other friend kid, she never goes round saying she is a childminder,

[Tazmin68]

Can I just remind that if someone is providing childcare for 2 hours or more and being paid for it in money or in kind it is Illegal it does not matter if it is a friend or not they need to become registered.

I think some are missing that point.

[adedwards68]

Thank you. That's my point. If someone is looking after a child in their own home for more than 2 hours a day it doesn't really matter what they call themselves, if they're not registered and receiving money it's ILLEGAL!
Some people seem quite happy that these people are earning money not having to do all the registration part, the paperwork , paying out for equipment probably not paying tax.

[covgalxxx]

Yes I know that, but I know how hard it is in the really world I was a single mum for 14 years and I couldn't work as couldn't afford childcare at 1st then I had my 2 nd child who was fully disabled in wheelchair and needed a lot of care, so I didn't worry about money, then she died and I was lived with £150 a week to pay everything half the time I had to decided if I wanted the heating on for the other kids or cook them dinner, I knew I had to go work but I was grieving for my daughter ( I still do) when I final went to work child tax would only pay for so much childcare so I still had use money to pay for breakfast club and still left with nothing being a home carer so I was working for free,

You know they want people to work but after paying for childcare the kids still be sitting in the dark, so paying your friend £5 or £10 a day instead of £30 /£40 a day you can understand why they do it, and at the end of the day most people don't know it's illegal they just think there doing there friend a favour..

And just for the record I don't live near my friends as moved away after my daughter passed, so I don't know if the exchange money and I won't ask

[covgalxxx]

And if my friend come to me to childminder there child I would so no.. as after they signed a contracted they can't say I pay you next week will you look after so so longer, so when they do you got to treat them like anyone else, and b4 you know it you lost a friend, which any best friends are like family and treat them like that and help just the same as you would help your sister/ brother

[Tazmin68]

You have to put professional head on not friend head. I do care or a friends child and all contracted and above board. I had to explain that I needed to remove her from Facebook as I now childmind her child and she was fine about it.

[caz3007]

Just seen an advert on a local selling page saying Babysitting work wanted...weekends, after school and school holidays. A while ago there was one who was charging £6 per hour and didnt matter how many children you had. They may be doing it in the childs home, but its still not right

[adedwards68]

Again I agree with what you are saying but my original point was those people who know they should be registered but chooses not to
I've been registered before , I know what a childminder is expected to do, Ive been a teacher before, I've bought up 4 children of my own, I don't need to register to know what to do but I'm registering as it is the law and I know friends do it for friends but the majority of them know, nowadays with everything that he hear in the media, that its not legal to do it that way and I get a bit fed up with people making excuses for them all the time

[covgalxxx]

Well where I moved I have lived here for nearly 3 years and haven't made friends here, so seems I shouldn't unless there kids are older or have no kids, then I can't get myself into trouble,

[adedwards68]

Just found this certain person on childcare.co.uk website, not under childminders but as a nanny (although she is minding in her own home) and she charges £7 an hour!!