flea bit need urgent help !!!!

**Kat** · 10-11-2010, 02:22 PM

Hi

Not really my problem but my friend’s. She is a childminder too and she has cat.
One of her parents called her in the evening and said: ‘my child won't come to you any more as got bit by a flea’ .

My friend didn’t discus but she just ask how does she knows that was in her house as her cat didn’t had flea and is wearing flea collar all the time. Child is a school child so she was picking her up after school. Mum said it happen in your house as you have a cat.
Week later mum she said pictures and form for GP regarding flea bits and as we are expecting she will send all this evidence to Ofsted or local authority. Not sure where?

My friend asked all other parents about any other evidence like that but al parents were very surprised as didn’t see anything.

What possibly happen and how to help my friend.

**Zoomie** · 10-11-2010, 02:53 PM

Assume your friend has a RA for her cat, (and if not, get one done pronto).

then do a complaint form about the flea bite, cross reference it with cat RA and improve if necessary, otherwise just file it in complaints file.

perhaps do a letter / response to parent stating that flea collar is always fitted, is still effective (not sure how long flea collars last etc) and file it away.

From a personal point of view, what hogwash about a flea bite, bites can come from millions of place, and one or two flea bites is not the end of the world. If child is covered in them, then just a different story, but OMG

**Kat** · 10-11-2010, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by Zoomie

Assume your friend has a RA for her cat, (and if not, get one done pronto).

then do a complaint form about the flea bite, cross reference it with cat RA and improve if necessary, otherwise just file it in complaints file.

perhaps do a letter / response to parent stating that flea collar is always fitted, is still effective (not sure how long flea collars last etc) and file it away.

From a personal point of view, what hogwash about a flea bite, bites can come from millions of place, and one or two flea bites is not the end of the world. If child is covered in them, then just a different story, but OMG

Hi Thank you for your reply ... what does it mean RA ?

**Zoomie** · 10-11-2010, 03:08 PM

Risk assessment

**Mookins** · 10-11-2010, 03:36 PM

some people

great advice already given, perhapps mindee has had allergic reaction in which case still not cm's fault if she wasnt warned/ told about it....

perhapps just another parent trying to get out of a contract!!

fleas are everywhere, they lay dormant in empty house you move in it heats up out they pop...

id make a date of when cat waslast defleaed, treated and when next one is due and when collar was put on and when next one due...but then cm probably already has that in her risk assessment

xxx

**caz3007** · 10-11-2010, 04:09 PM

I keep being bitten by something and its not fleas. Is there a difference to the bite, would a doc know it was definately fleas, surely a bite is a bite, and hard to differentiate to what insect did the biting

**michellethegooner** · 10-11-2010, 04:41 PM

Funnily enough I had a parent who started with me about 3wks ago, the same wk she was due to come she broke out in spots mum thought chicken pox but it wasn't then last wk she came on tues doesn't come on weds was due on thurs but rang to say she was taking her to gp as the spots where back, took her came in yesterday and said it was flea bites kind of insinuated it came from my cat/dog, till I piped up no-one else had had any 'bites' and that my dog & cat are regularly treated for fleas and the cat always wears a flea collar

Could it be there is something going around that looks similar to flea bites? and how can parent be sure it was from your friends animal

**sweets** · 10-11-2010, 04:52 PM

i would contact the mum and ask them not to bring the child because you dont want your/dog to catch fleas off her

have a 48hr excusion policy for fleas drawn up

**jellybean cc** · 10-11-2010, 05:41 PM

We do get many little mozzy type insects that will bite and leave a little spot. I would think it would be hard to tell one bite from another as different people react differently to bit's.

I used to get little red itchy spots all around my ankle when ever i walked in long grass, no matter what time of year it was, Dr just said it was insects in the grass and i was sensitive to there bites. It lasted a few years then stopped.

If my mum is bit she comes up in a blister that weeps, horrible then heals up.

I have a cat so will my RA on him includes flee prevention, he already has his own policy.

**Kat** · 15-11-2010, 04:59 PM

Hi Just to up to date ... For now mum didnt make any complain anywhere or at least we dont know nothing ...

My friend did:
complain form
risk assessment for a cat
Check with Vet
and wrote letter to the rest of parents reg incident and asking to sign...

And we will wait

**sarah707** · 15-11-2010, 06:12 PM

It sounds like your friend acted very professionally.

Hopefully she won't hear about it again.

It just makes me cross on her behalf that she was automatically blamed

I have had a few bites recently, nothing to do with fleas

**Kat** · 27-11-2010, 04:11 PM

Hi

up date ... :

Mum send a letter asking to refound some money which is around £100 or she will complaint to ofsted about the situation regarding her child...

never mind money but now we have legal problem ...

My question is: do we (childminders) need to inform Ofsted about any of our coplaints or we dont have to?

**Zoomie** · 27-11-2010, 04:44 PM

Do not refund the money parent is asking for. It is blackmail.

I would contact OFsted and say that you had a complaint a few weeks back, but have dealt with it (as you previously mentioned), but want to warn them . OFfer to forward paperwork to Ofsted and leave it at that.

With regards to parent, say you are not refunding payment as cm was working in terms of contact (ie service being available) and also say that the incident has been reported to Ofsted and they don't get involved in contractural disputes (ie the fees side).

That way, you have prewarned Ofsted, and basically called parents bluff with regards to malicious complaint.

(sorry i know this is your friend cm, but it is easier to just say you instead of other cm, fykwim)

Pipsqueak · 27-11-2010, 04:55 PM

agree with Zoomie. this parent is really trying it on and if the CM'r gives in to it then she isn't going to have a leg to stand on. also prempt before she does anything else and contact Ofsted as Zoomie says.

THEN write to the parent.

**Blaze** · 27-11-2010, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by Kat

Hi

up date ... :

Mum send a letter asking to refound some money which is around £100 or she will complaint to ofsted about the situation regarding her child...

never mind money but now we have legal problem ...

My question is: do we (childminders) need to inform Ofsted about any of our coplaints or we dont have to?

I would do as has been suggested above, but I would also contact the Police as she has it in writing - it is blackmail & she has the proof in black & white!