Hello everyone

sorry to start on such a sour note, but I'm so upset and confused.

i have had a letter telling me that someone has made a complaint about me directly to ofsted stating that i dont take my children out, that they are left at home when i do school runs and also that other ppl do school pick ups sometimes.

i have spoken to all my parents who are very supportive and have written letters in my defence to pass on to ofsted with my reports that i have to make.

sometimes if needs be my (adult) daughter or my hubby if he is around do pick up, but this is with parental consent and they are both crb checked and my daughter is lvl 2 childcare qualified(so meet suitable adult criteria)

anyone any idea what to expect?

im gutted that someone has done this, especially as my parents have no complaints

You know that you've done nothing wrong, so don't worry about it. But it is not nice for someone to be stirring things up like this. The parents are on your side and that's all that matters :)

Sorry this has happened.

Under the EYFS, any children over the age of 5 that you care for must only ever be cared for by yourself. This includes school collections, even if your hubby and daughter are CRB checked. Are either of them registered as your assistant? Even registered assistants are not allowed to be left in sole care of this age group.

Maybe this is where the complaint has come from? Via another childminder?

I had a very malicious complaint made against me some years ago.

I still remember how horrible it felt so I do sympathise with you.

Have all your evidence ready to show Ofsted, be as calm as you can be if they come to visit and if you do not agree with what they decide, you have the right to appeal.

I thought they were wrong so I appealed and I won. It does happen.

Stay strong xx

Oh and welcome to the forum! :thumbsup:

Sorry to hear this

Good advice from the others

Hope you are ok and hope you get this sorted out

Angel xx

Sorry to hear this too poppy. I agree with what Berkschick says you should have been picking the school mindees up. It does sound as if that is the reason. It makes me mad especially if it were another childminder, who could have spoken to you about it before thinking ahead to reporting you.
Good luck and I hope you get it sorted out soon xx

It does sound like another childminder, who else knows all the rules, even we struggle.

I hope it runs smoothly and that ofsted come soon to chat and realise everythings fine.

i too have had very mailcious complaints made against me so i know just how you feel.

sarah is right gather your evidence talk calmly to ofsted and explain why you possibly did what you did or didn't do as the case may be

i was so devastated when they called round to my house that the inspector had to calm me down before she could start the investigation, it turned all in my favour and i ended up with nothing on my report and the complainants have proved them selves to be rather stupid as they didn't let it go.
pm me if you need a little help with this
welcome to the forum too
hopefully we can chat under better circumstances next time
mandy xx

I too had a malicious complaint made against me I'm pretty certain I know who it was and it is horrid cos I now see this parent every day in the playground and it is so difficult not to say anything.

The other week at toddlers I had a call from the school to go collect a mindee cos he wasn't well and I was going to bring him back to toddlers. I had 3 little ones with me so rather than take them I said to another childminder can I ask you to look after them and she said best not cos you know what some people are like so obviously there was someone there that she suspected reported people.

Ithorrible when we get singled out esp when we are only trying to do our jobs properly. Good luck and hope it gets sorted soon.

I've had a malicious coplaint against me too, about 7 years ago. I had no warning about it just that 2 Ofsted inspectors turned up wanting a word.

I hadn't done anything wrong, but they gave me advice about how to improve my practice.

It does sound like it's a childminder and like everyone says, it should be you picking up the children from school. All you need is to get written consent from your parents that on occaisions you may leave the under 5's with your husband or daughter if a child is asleep or weather is foul when you need to do school run.

Good Luck and don't worry

If needs must and someone else has to pick this age group up from school and it is an emergency just let Ofsted know what has happened and why :)

i know to how you feel i have ofsted turn up on my door no warning saying someone had complained i was over my numbers when i was on outings i shook me up so much that when she left i started to cry and was pysicaly sick then i spent the next few months suspecting everyone as i couln't belive someone would do this to me. it was all unfounded and i was in my numbers and i think it was someone just being nasty. i am over it now but it is horrible at the time and suspecting everyone nearly killed me as i couldn't talk to anyone

You are lucky you got a letter and they didnt just turn up as I have had in the past There are really jealous and malicious people around and im afraid to say when I had a complaint it was another childminder ignorant of my variations and use of assistant.Do you have it stated on your certificate you can work with an assistant.If your husband and daughter are not registered assistants under ofsted regulations they would not be allowed to take or collect children from school or stay at home even if parents agree
A complaint is extremly distressing and affects care of children people should consider this More often than not is it not parents who complain but you become distrustful of everone and torment yourself on trying to work out who the complainant is
The good thing from a complaint is you lose weight
The bad every ring on the door or letter you expect to be ofsted with a complaint
Hope it gets sorted for you

Just wanted to send ((((HUGS)))) hun - it does sound like some malicious individual has done it and hope it sorted out for you soon

I just can't understand the petty mindedness ( is that a word ? ) of some people.
I would think people are busy enough running their own lives without interferring in the lives of others - obviously not !!
It seems there are some who just don't have enough to do with their time :rolleyes:
Sorry you are going through this - come on here anytime to get advice or just have a rant - we all do that ;)

I had a complaint made against me around 5 years ago. I received a letter in the post from Ofsted about it and the parents who had just left me for someone cheaper (who had just looked after them for me while I had a holiday) They had listed a complaint about me against every outcome. I was gutted but I contacted my cis people and they guided me through. I gathered together photos of the kids doing things (cos parents said I had just kept them in living room) I showed pics of them out and about, pics of them painting etc. got other parents who were there at the time to give their side of the story These parents had been with me 18 months so I stated this in my letter and said if they werent happy surely they wouldnt have stayed that long. Anyhow to cut a very long story short . I sent off all this evidence in a letter ( well an essay and I got a reply from Ofsted dismissing the complaint. They did not come and see me at all. I stated in the letter that they had left me for someone cheaper and did not want to pay notice.

Some people will do anything. I also no minders around my area that dob in others for minor things. Anyhow hugs babe I do know how you feel. But I;m sure the outcome will be good.

just want to send a great big hug x

Try not to worry, we all have odd moments when we make mistakes, after all we are only human. I am very cautious though especially at school about other people watching and listening to what I do and say as I wouldn't put it past some people. Does sound like another childminder though. I think people should discuss things with you before they go off on one. I don't agree with some of the things I see other childminders doing but I would tell them before I reported them.

Any way sending big hugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi I am really sorry to read what has happened to you. There is a mother at the school where I do my drop-offs who clearly does not like me so she watches me and my mindees like a hawk I can even feel her eyes burning a hole, but back to you i a sending you a massive hug and do not let the get you down as we are ALL FANTASTIC at our job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Every childminder I know who has had a complaint against them, has been very fairly treated by Ofsted, they know people can be vendictive


Allie

Just wanted to give you my support and hope that everything is going to be okay.

It's such a shame that someone has done this to you, good that you have the parent's full support though.

xx

Every childminder I know who has had a complaint against them, has been very fairly treated by Ofsted, they know people can be vendictive


Allie

That's really good to know,thanks for that. I've only been minding a short time and am always paranoid.I recently fell out with a parent because she was late and I only had time to give children toast instead of usual porridge. She claimed that I had sent her children to school with no breakfast!!!! I was livid. She also said that I humiliated her children by saying they were late for school every day {it was actually the 11 yr old mindee that had said they were late in a bragging tone}

I was so scared that this woman was going to complain. It was so hard having her children as one had hit puberty and one had adhd.But I tried always to remain professional.{I always had to hassle her for money too}

Sometimes it does make me cross that I fall over myself to accommodate ,only to get it thrown in my face.:mad:

I got a complaint against me once - I accidently was over my numbers after taking on a settling into school 4 year old - I thought that as she was attending school she didn't count in my ratio - another childminder told me I was wrong, so on the advice of my childcare advisor, I wrote to Ofsted to tell them that she would be full time in school soon and I had made an honest mistake.

They issued a complaint about me submitted by me.!!

Took months to get them to lift it - find out from your top childcare advisor who the top Ofsted person is for your area.

Good luck

If you have had a letter then it is a good sign - if Ofsted thought the children were in danger then they would be on your doorstep.

Just send back what they are asking for and they will then make a decision. If there isn't anything to be upheld then this will not go on your record.

Make a record of it in your complaints register.

How awful for you, big hugs x x x

Just wanted to send (((hugs)))) and I hope everything gets sorted out quickly for you.

This is one thing I am worried about and i haven't even started yet as the area I live there a few other childminders who watch everyone just to see who they can report. It's a shame as we should all be working together and supporting each other

i hope everything gets sorted out soon

gosh i really feel for you - this has got to be a cm's worst nightmare and i dread a complaint against me if its wrong. hope all sorted soon x

Just wanted to send you lots of hugs hun...xxx

thankyou all so much.
im feeling a bit better now as I sent off my report and am just waiting for ofsted to get back to me.
i didnt think people cud be so petty
u live and learn i suppose:panic:

i've only been registered a month,

yet i had a complaint made against me BEFORE i was even registered :eek:
at my pre reg inspection she told me there had been a complaint made against me, stating i wouldn't put the needs of the children first and would discriminate against children with red hair

well, i was :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

i explained i KNEW who had made the complaint, gave names, address of the 2 :censored: who complained, as they were people i knew on another forum i had left, they were slating my son for having ADHD saying that he just needed a ****** good hiding etc etc

she wrote it off stating i had "sound experience of caring for minority children"
she said to me that if someone wants to complain then they'll find ANY reson to do it, and to keep my friends close but my enemies closer

big hugs to you xx

Why did they pick children with red hair for goodness sake:eek: How can you get a complaint against you as a minder before you even start minding :panic:

cos her daughter (who is adorable) has red hair,

they did it to try and stop me being registered :angry:

thing is, they live in liverpool and i'm in newcastle

and they arn't happy that i passed with flying colours :laughing:

thankyou all so much.
im feeling a bit better now as I sent off my report and am just waiting for ofsted to get back to me.
i didnt think people cud be so petty
u live and learn i suppose:panic:

I've only just seen this Poppy - hope Ofsted deal with this quickly for you.

Try not to worry, I'm sure it will work out fine.

Miffy xx

What a sad little life some people lead :panic:

Perhaps Ofsted should write a book on the mad bad and sad (untrue)complaints they have received :rolleyes:

reading through all these posts its amazing how may people have had malicoius complaints agains them. i think when a parent leaves and doesnt want to pay notice they think they can just make a complaint and wont have to pay.

reading through all these posts its amazing how may people have had malicoius complaints agains them. i think when a parent leaves and doesnt want to pay notice they think they can just make a complaint and wont have to pay.

That sounds about right Karen, but from what I've been reading on here,Ofsted pretty much know the score and suss out if they are trying to get out of paying. Still makes me cross tho' because the childcarers that are really failing seem to get away with it!!

Hello everyone

sorry to start on such a sour note, but I'm so upset and confused.

i have had a letter telling me that someone has made a complaint about me directly to ofsted stating that i dont take my children out, that they are left at home when i do school runs and also that other ppl do school pick ups sometimes.

i have spoken to all my parents who are very supportive and have written letters in my defence to pass on to ofsted with my reports that i have to make.

sometimes if needs be my (adult) daughter or my hubby if he is around do pick up, but this is with parental consent and they are both crb checked and my daughter is lvl 2 childcare qualified(so meet suitable adult criteria)

anyone any idea what to expect?

im gutted that someone has done this, especially as my parents have no complaintshi poppy i had a complaint i had a mum who brought her baby in dirty nappy every morning it had been on all night when i asked her about it she told me to pee off she then told ofsted it had only happend once and i was very nasty to her they gave me a warning you have to be carefull with parents plenty of nasty one's ive had a few annmac:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

It is terrible when Ofsted turn uip on your doorstep with a complaint we had 5 one year and each childminders statement inadvertantly led to another childminder being investigated, we did however find the culprit, a childminder who when had indeed had a complaint against her said something like'well they all do it'. We were all exonerated but this did take a year meanwhile some of the minders were near to breaking point.

Under the new EYFS you CANNOT allow another person to collect from school even WITH parental permission, however I do believe you can allow you assistant to collect if they have a level 3. You can leave your under 5's at home with assistants :huh:


Don't worry too much:thumbsup: