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View Full Version : A complaint! What happens now?



chelseabun
24-09-2011, 07:43 AM
My poor poor friend. She has received a complaint against her.

She was at a childrens centre and having a bad day, kids were crying, I think one was teething, and she was very stressed.

Turns out someone called up the local authority and complained and she is being called in.

She's beside herself.

Thinks she's going to be struck off, and imagining the worst.

She's so lovely, I know this, I have seen her with the kids regularly. She was having a bad day, and now she fears she will be struck off.

I can't give her advice, I've never come across anyone who has received a complaint. What should I tell her? She takes her minding very seriously, so she's in a right state. Poor girl.

On a similar note, another local minder has received a complaint, turns out one of her charges was crying at home for some time (have no idea why), and a neighbour complained. What happens then?

This has made me feel so paranoid that someone can complain for any old reason, whether it's right or wrong.

Imagine if you have a teething baby who is having a difficult time, and someone sees fit to complain. What on earth do you do.

sarah707
24-09-2011, 07:58 AM
Childminders are very vulnerable and we do have to be careful in any group situation.

I suggest your friend takes along the evidence she wrote up about the incident at the children's centre to the meeting.

She might have written a report to the child's parents that the child was unsettled or put something in his diary to share with them.

She might have her own diary evidence that she had a tough day ... and how she handled things.

She might have written a reflective account thinking about how she could manage things better next time - that would act as evidence of how she is constantly striving to improve.

If it's just CC staff making a complaint at local level she needs to head it off now before it gets to Ofsted so anything she can do to show she is professional and caring and reflective and spot on with her paperwork will help.

Please pass on my best wishes to her x

The Juggler
24-09-2011, 08:00 AM
oh my goodness - what did they complain about - that the baby was crying or that your friend wasn't coping??? and complaining about crying babies at home - honestly.

Hon, I think all they can do is wait for ofsted and they will see how your friend(s) are with the children. Ofsted often see right through these nasty, unfounded complaints straight away. Could the children's centre manager/or whoever ran the group not speak up on your friends behalf?

chelseabun
24-09-2011, 08:29 AM
Thanks you lot.

It was the centre manager who actually complained. She feels really upset that they could have complained, and didn't say anything to her at the time, but waited a whole week before raising the issue with her.

They can't be that concerned surely if she's still allowed to be minding the kids!

She is fretting about the "meeting" next week. It's with the childrens centre manager and the local authority woman. Ofsted not involved at this point.

I keep reassuring her, telling her they just want to see what she will do to avoid stressful situations in the future.

Surely they can't just sack her, this is her livelihood after all, and she loves it too!

The Juggler
24-09-2011, 08:40 AM
Thanks you lot.

It was the centre manager who actually complained. She feels really upset that they could have complained, and didn't say anything to her at the time, but waited a whole week before raising the issue with her.

They can't be that concerned surely if she's still allowed to be minding the kids!

She is fretting about the "meeting" next week. It's with the childrens centre manager and the local authority woman. Ofsted not involved at this point.

I keep reassuring her, telling her they just want to see what she will do to avoid stressful situations in the future.

Surely they can't just sack her, this is her livelihood after all, and she loves it too!

that is awful hon. cc's are supposed to be there to support childminders in their practice. she should have been speaking to your friend at the time, pulled her aside and offering advice and telling her (if it was that bad) that her practice was not up to scratch but suggesting to her how she could handle it.

Personally I would suggest when she has the meeting that she says this to them and asks them why nothing was said at the time. I might even consider a complaint about the cc manager for not doing so. I agree with Sarah too, the reflective account of her practice that day will show she has already considered her actions that day and is putting measures in place to ensure it doesn't happen again :(

alwaysright
24-09-2011, 11:19 AM
i first of all would be questioning the authority the centre manager has!! your friend is self employed and answers to ofsted not this manager and if the manager feels that a complaint is needed she should go to ofsted and not be calling your friend in for a meeting, maybe its just me but i wouldnt be going to any meeting, as everyone has said they are there to help parents and carers including childminders, if your friend was having a bad day did any of the staff approach her and offer to lend a hand!! what would they have done if it was a parent in the same situation.....phoned social services because the parent was having a bad day!! i doubt it...

nikki thomson
24-09-2011, 12:16 PM
Hi, can't offer any advice but just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of your friend, I would be exactly like that if I had a complaint made against me.
I don't understand some people, sad little lives with nothing better to do than complain about a baby crying!!! My goodness a baby that crys!!!, how unusual.
My lo spent most of last week crying, full of cold and completely miserable, just cryed and cryed and cryed, absolutely nothing I could do, it doesn't mean I'm a bad cm, we all have days like that and for me personally I would never ever make a complaint against another cm unless I was absolutely sure that there was neglect, or other unreasonable behaviour which I thought put the lo in danger would I make that call. Hope it all gets sorted soon. Xx

The Juggler
24-09-2011, 12:48 PM
i first of all would be questioning the authority the centre manager has!! your friend is self employed and answers to ofsted not this manager and if the manager feels that a complaint is needed she should go to ofsted and not be calling your friend in for a meeting, maybe its just me but i wouldnt be going to any meeting, as everyone has said they are there to help parents and carers including childminders, if your friend was having a bad day did any of the staff approach her and offer to lend a hand!! what would they have done if it was a parent in the same situation.....phoned social services because the parent was having a bad day!! i doubt it...

I see where you are coming from but at the end of the day the cc managers are supposed to support cm's and although this cc manager has not really handled it well (leaving it so long/getting the DO involved instead of simply offering support and advice) at least they can thrash out what seem to be the issues here without ofsted being involved. I personally would rather this than the cc manager went straight to ofsted.

Playmate
24-09-2011, 01:10 PM
that is awful hon. cc's are supposed to be there to support childminders in their practice. she should have been speaking to your friend at the time, pulled her aside and offering advice and telling her (if it was that bad) that her practice was not up to scratch but suggesting to her how she could handle it.

Personally I would suggest when she has the meeting that she says this to them and asks them why nothing was said at the time. I might even consider a complaint about the cc manager for not doing so. I agree with Sarah too, the reflective account of her practice that day will show she has already considered her actions that day and is putting measures in place to ensure it doesn't happen again :(

I agree with juggler, what is the matter with these people?? Fair enough if it was a safeguarding issue, then it should be reported immediately. But for something like this your friend needs support :angry: I think a reflective account would be a really good idea.

A friend of mine went through something similar with one of our local CC's, they repoted her to our CDO for the way she spoke to her own son. It was one of those days, son pushing evey boundary possible and she was pre menstrual and having some tough family problems. She spoke to her son in a way that was not really acceptable for a CM, but he had hit her last nerve! It would have been so much better if the person who complained about her, had just taken her to one side and offered support. Instead it caused complete ill feeling between the CC and all the CM's. As it was, our CDO was supportive and arranged a very experience CM to mentor her for a while which all worked out very well.

Childminding is so isolating and we can be very vulnerable. I so wish other professionals could see this sometimes! Hope your friend is OK.

chelseabun
24-09-2011, 01:17 PM
Well, the local authority woman mentioned she has "concerns about safeguarding".

How? Isn't that a bit extreme?

Fair enough if they think she's permanently stressed, but it was a one off. Not really a reason for this big meeting.

I will update you all, just rang her, she is sobbing away.

The Juggler
24-09-2011, 03:53 PM
Well, the local authority woman mentioned she has "concerns about safeguarding".

How? Isn't that a bit extreme?

Fair enough if they think she's permanently stressed, but it was a one off. Not really a reason for this big meeting.

I will update you all, just rang her, she is sobbing away.

:( :( :( :( hon, tell her not to worry. if she goes in that meeting showing she has reflecting on her practice and that she is questioning THEM about they way they handled the situation I think she will feel more in control.

wendywu
24-09-2011, 03:54 PM
If i were her i would write a plan of action on how to cope with dealing with screaming distressed children. To allow herself to cope but not get stressed with the situation.

She can then take this with her to show at the meeting. Tell her to remember that we all have bad days children and adults. :thumbsup:

jane5
24-09-2011, 08:17 PM
Childminders are very vulnerable and we do have to be careful in any group situation.

I suggest your friend takes along the evidence she wrote up about the incident at the children's centre to the meeting.

She might have written a report to the child's parents that the child was unsettled or put something in his diary to share with them.

She might have her own diary evidence that she had a tough day ... and how she handled things.

She might have written a reflective account thinking about how she could manage things better next time - that would act as evidence of how she is constantly striving to improve.

If it's just CC staff making a complaint at local level she needs to head it off now before it gets to Ofsted so anything she can do to show she is professional and caring and reflective and spot on with her paperwork will help.

Please pass on my best wishes to her x


Excellent advice from Sarah :thumbsup: