Cat

Extremely disappointing experience.

Initially we were happy with the provision provided at Little Kittens. The setting was clean and tidy, and Catherine presented herself as reliable, professional and caring. Unfortunately, as time went on, we found ourselves questioning the latter. Please find the summary of our experience below. It is supported by medical and other records.



- The service was not as reliable as we expected, with a number of “closures”. Catherine’s explanations for the closures were not consistent with the situations as we understood them. On one occasion she stated that a young member of her household was unwell and she had to close for 48 hours. Just half an hour after receiving that message, I saw an adult member of her household on the school run. He told me that he knew nothing about the particular young member of the household being unwell. On another occasion Catherine informed me verbally on the Friday that she would be closed on the following Monday, her reason being that she was having a new outhouse built. I was disappointed to subsequently learn that this wasn’t the case - no such work was being carried out that day which was her birthday. She subsequently charged us at a rate of 50% fees (which we paid) for these “closures”.


- Catherine acknowledged that she administered medication to our son. This was however without any prior consent, with no forms being signed, with no medication provided by ourselves and with no prior phone call to gain permission. I was told on each occasion (there were at least three) when collecting our son that he was “grumpy”. This resulted in us sending Catherine a message asking her not to administer medication to our child, to which we received a response of “so what should I give him instead?” Catherine also applied a topical cream (that apparently belonged to a young member of her household) to our son’s eczema without consent. It worsened the condition and led to us taking him to the GP who prescribed a steroid cream. When we subsequently asked Catherine via a SAR to provide medication forms for these instances, she denied all knowledge of this happening, suggesting that we were being malicious.



- We were disappointed that Catherine didn’t appear to provide any outdoor stimulation for our son. For the 4.5 months that our son was in her care (for 24 hours per week), we were not aware of him going to anything outdoors, despite having multiple provisions available within our village. To the best of our knowledge, all care was carried out in her living room and the only time we think that they occasionally left the house was to do the school run (a 2 minute walk) when nobody else was available to do it.



- After 4.5 months in her care, we removed our son with immediate effect. I was called whilst at work and was asked to collect him early. I was told that he had been sick and had diarrhoea despite him being perfectly well with normal nappies both before and after being in Catherine’s care that day. Upon collection he presented with injuries (a number of adult fingernail marks to his face, lip, wrist, ear and back of throat along with bruising) that were not consistent at all with the explanation provided to us by Catherine. Time stamped photos were immediately taken and our GP referred him to the Paediatric Team at the John Radcliffe Hospital given concerns about significant harm. There was an onward referral to the Safeguarding Team. Catherine had accounted for the injuries by saying that our son had fallen on a toy. The professionals at the John Radcliffe Hospital, like ourselves, found that this explanation was not consistent with our son’s injuries.
 
The Consultant at the John Radcliffe Hospital called Catherine to ask for her version of events and my understanding is that she said that our son had choked during lunch, that she had removed the food manually with her false finger nails and that she acknowledged that this may have caused the injuries to his throat. I have no reason to doubt Catherine’s explanation (or at least my understanding of it); it seemed more plausible than the previous one of falling on a toy. I am however concerned that no incident of choking, nor Catherine’s first aid attempt, were ever reported to us directly by Catherine herself. We would have expected to have been told this when I collected our son from Catherine on the day in question. 



- ⁠Despite paying Catherine for the time our son spent in her care (including the day of our son’s injuries) and despite what appears to us to be a breach of contract on Catherine’s part, Catherine (and subsequently an adult member of her household who was not party to the contract) were determined to charge us for the 6 week notice period. As I write this review today, we await a Small Claims Court Hearing on this matter with the third party, not Catherine herself, as the claimant.



- We have been informed by a number of people, some of whom have confirmed the situation in writing, that Catherine has broken confidentiality by discussing details of our son with other parents of children in her care, other parents in the village and her friends.



- We eventually had to make a report to the police for what we perceived as harassment by an adult member of Catherine’s household. This followed the removal of our son from Catherine’s care and our decision not to pay Catherine for the 6 week notice period (i.e. for care not received).

It gives us no pleasure in writing this review. The information that has been set out is however fully supported by the information which we hold on record including email and text correspondence with Catherine, medication records, GP and Hospital reports, 3rd party statements and a police reference number.

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by Fran on 05/11/2025

Response by Cat on 05/11/2025:

Dear Francesca,

Thank you for your feedback.

Firstly, I would like to clarify that your review contains multiple, factually incorrect statements, which will be brought to the attention of the necessary authorities.

As has been previously relayed to you, a self refferal was made by myself directly to Ofsted and LADO (Safeguarding Authority), in addition to anything you made yourself, following your horrific allegations made against me. Both regulatory bodies fully investigated me, and my setting, and have cleared me of any possible wrongdoing, as they have continued to do so with each and every subsequent complaint you have attempted to make against me since.
Whilst I do not dispute that these injuries may have been inflicted to your child, it has been proven to the appropriate authorites and accepted by them that they DID NOT occur in my care or in my setting.

Closures due to sickness is inevitable in childcare, and whilst I try to avoid this from happening, I am required to follow the guidelines set out by the World Health Organisation.

Your DSAR was complied with in line with the ICO's guidance.

The police have been informed of your behaviour and will continue to be updated of your constant defamatory statements and harassment against me and my family.

With reference to your claims of confidentiality breaches, as your review clearly shows, the only person giving any details of your contract of care or of your child and their injuries is being done so by yourself, as it has been from the start.

You withdrew your child from my setting several months ago, so why you feel the need to post a defamatory review about me and my setting now is baffling, however, as you have chosen to declare this information on a public space, this may be used as part of the civil court case currently in action against you and your husband.
I can only assume the catalyst for the need for this post is following the recent update to our civil court case.

For the avoidance of any doubt, there is no police case against myself, or any member of my family, and I have been proven to be innocent of all allegations. This continued attack against myself, my setting and my family is the result of an aggrieved parent regarding unpaid fees, and their refusal to accept the decision of regulatory authorites confirming their child's injuries were not caused whilst in my care.

Fantastic service for my daughter

My daughter has been going to Cat’s for almost two years now and I honestly couldn’t wish for a better childminder. From day one, it’s been such a lovely home-from-home atmosphere – warm, welcoming, and full of care. My little one absolutely loves going to Cat’s house and looks forward to it every day.
She’s built such a lovely bond not just with Cat, but with her whole family, and it really shows in how comfortable and happy she is there. Since starting, I’ve seen her come on in leaps and bounds – socially, emotionally, and in confidence.
Cat is incredibly professional, while still being so down-to-earth. I’ve always received clear, detailed updates on how my daughter is doing, and it’s obvious how much thought and effort she puts into everything. She really does go above and beyond.
Communication has been brilliant – Cat is completely transparent and keeps me in the loop with everything going on. Her contract was clear and very fair, and everything has been smooth and straightforward from the start.
Honestly can’t recommend her enough – we feel so lucky to have found her!

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by Danielle on 22/10/2025

Response by Cat on 22/10/2025:

Hi Danielle,

How has it been almost 2 years already! I still remember the day your little one joined and she stole a piece of my heart. I have enjoyed every single moment or caring for your daughter and she is a bundle of love, energy, and comedy all rolled into one.
I am so greatful that you chose me to be your childcare provider for her and to be able to support yourself, your daughter and your 2 older children.

Exceptional, home away from home

We have had our little one (22 month old) with Cat for just over 4 months now, during which we have been completely blown away by how amazingly she has cared for our daughter. Her setting is really like a second home, and we completely trust Cat to be doing everything she can to help our daughter grow and thrive at a fundamental time in her development.
When we were first considering a childminder, due to increasing costs of nursery, we were apprehensive, but Cat (and her amazing husband and two brilliant little girls) met with us, put our minds at rest, and showed us that this would be an amazing place for our little one to continue her development. From that first meeting, Cat has been completely transparent, communicating as clearly and regularly as any nursery (if not more). Her contract was clear, and very reasonable, offering us term time only care to meet our needs, and talking us through the funding options (tax free childcare and funded hours on full offer).
When Cat was unfortunately hospitalised, she maintained that amazing communication through her husband (in spite of us all telling her that her health was more important than our childcare needs), demonstrating just how much she cares for each and every child in her care, and works her hardest to always do what is right by the children and parents.
If you are looking at Cat, and are lucky enough to find she has space, trust us, it would be the right choice to pick her for your own child.
Thank you Cat!

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by Benjamin on 21/10/2025

Response by Cat on 22/10/2025:

Dear Ben,

I cannot thank you enough for your incredible and heartfelt review. It is greatly appreciated to hear such an honest review from an amazing family.
Your little girl is an absolute dream to look after and she lifts my heart every day when she walks though my doors.
My 2 girls adore your little one and our home wouldn't be the same without her. I am so lucky and thankful to have such a wonderful family choose me to care for their child.

Kind, caring and professional childcare

Our daughter has loved being in Cat's care, quickly settling due to her caring and attentive nature. My daughter has formed a beautiful relationship with Cat and her lovely family. Her confidence has grown massively and Cat provides her with excellent routine, structure and stability.
I've received a detailed report on her developmental progress, which has allowed me to see my daughter's next steps very clearly. I also get daily, honest feedback on how her day has been and Cat is always there to offer support if there is a behaviour we are working on at home.
My daughter has regularly social events throughout the week she goes to with Cat and the other children. Cat also supports their play skills together and helps them develop socially.
I couldn't ask for a better childminder for my child and I have full confidence in Cat's brilliant childcare abilities. Thank you!

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by Elena on 21/10/2025

Response by Cat on 22/10/2025:

Dear Elena,
I am so thankful for your kind words. Your daughter is such a sweet soul who makes my day so enjoyable. She has settled in so beautifully and her confidence has grown massively.
Your honest review has really lightened my day and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to be a part of your daughters journey.

Disappointing experience

We were initially very pleased with Catherine and found her to be warm and inviting. However, over time we began to develop concerns about the care being provided. While we considered raising these concerns directly with Catherine, we were hesitant to do so at the time as our daughter was still in her care, and we did not want to risk this impacting her experience.

We had previously left a positive Google review in June, as we were genuinely pleased at the start and hoped this would help further engage the service — unfortunately, this did not happen.

Over the following months, we received no evidence of activities or engagement. We even provided Easter arts and crafts materials in the hope that they might be used with our daughter, but nothing was ever shared with us in return. We also began to have safeguarding concerns and noticed that Catherine experienced a high level of illness, which affected the continuity of care.

During the seven months our daughter attended, she went on only one outing (that we are aware of), despite there being several facilities within walking distance. We received just an handful of images in total and only one craft item, which appeared to have been made primarily by an adult. This was disappointing and did not reflect the level of engagement we had expected.

We hope Catherine finds this feedback useful and that it helps to encourage positive changes in the future.

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by Hannah on 21/10/2025

Response by Cat on 21/10/2025:

Dear Hannah,

As I have advised you on your other negative reviews across another platforms, this information is factually incorrect and missing valid content.

No concerns were ever raised with me throughout the 7 months of care provided to your lovely daughter, and your attitude towards myself and my provision swiftly changed after I was unable to provide an additional week of care during your notice period due to being rushed into hospital and kept in for 5 days. It soured furthermore due to me having to chase you for late payment (the 5th time in 7 months) which resulted in the issuing of a 'Letter Before Action'.

You have stated in your review that the level of care provided was of concern to you from June, however I would question why you continued to send your daughter to my provision for a further 2 months before giving in your notice, and in addition, request to extend your notice period for extra care?

Feedback and updates were provided daily upon collection, as they are with all families on my register, with details of the activities we had done during the day and whilst I acknowledge that you very kindly donated arts and craft materials for my setting, unfortunately they were not age appropriate for the children to use, therefore they would not have been used in the items that were created by your daughter and sent home.

The safeguarding concerns that you refer to, and have detailed on other platforms, have been forwarded to the relevant body and has been confirmed to be of no safeguarding issue in any capacity, and has no substance. The fact that you find it strange for my husband to be present in his own home and that he answers his own front door is nonsensical at best.

Whilst I am obviously saddened by the way our relationship ended, I do still wish your daughter the very best for the future as she was a delightful child to care for.

Wonderful childminder

My little boy goes to Cat once a week (soon to be 3 times a week). She is amazing! Her house is spotless, she is very professional, yet she makes us and our little boy feel like family. She (and her family) are very friendly and welcoming. Our little boy loves going to Cats. He has come on leaps and bounds, and she keeps us updated with his progress. She has helped us when we’ve got into a pickle with child care on other days. Me and my husband couldn’t recommend Cat enough !

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by Avril on 21/09/2019

Highly recommend *****

Cat looks after my 18 month old daughter and I couldn’t be happier! I’ve seen so much progress with my daughters development and her social skills since being at cats:) she is caring and trustworthy and my daughter loves going and playing with her daughter and other children:) would highly recommend to other parents looking for somebody :)

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by Parent on 19/09/2019

Would highly recommend

Cat has a really lovely manner with all the children in her care. She is a kind, calm and patient lady and the children in her care especially my son are happy and well behaved and know what’s expected of them. Cat always ensures that the children are about whatever the weather and that they have a full rounded social and learning environment gaining many varied experiences.

Since my son has been going to Cat's I’ve been reassured that I made absolutely the right choice. He is so happy and really loves both Cat and the children in her care. I’ve been impressed by the variety of toys and equipment. I’ve really seen my son's progress since he has spent time with Cat and the other children in her care. While he's pleased to see me at the end of the day he’s never desperate to go home and always arrives at Cat's with a smile.
Whenever I visit Cat's I’ve seen all the children happily and safely engaged. Provision of food is always nutritious and varied as Cat introduces new tastes for my son to try. I’ve always felt very comfortable to ask questions about my son’s day or to ask advice on his wellbeing. I would highly recommend Cat if you are looking for childcare

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by Bobbles on 03/07/2018

Reliable, trustworthy and my girls love her

Cat has looked after my daughters for about 9 months. She picks them up from school, makes them tea, does bathtime and homework etc if necessary.
She has been wonderful and my girls love her and her beautiful little daughter.
I really recommend her and am happy to provide a full reference on request

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by HelenF on 21/06/2018