We have been so incredibly fortunate to find Nichola. Until the age of 12 months no one else other than my husband and I had cared for my daughter, so the task of finding someone with whom I felt comfortable leaving Ella with was quite daunting.

Right from the first meeting we had at Nichola's home, I felt instantly at ease. Her warm and caring nature was felt by me and by my daughter, as she happily played away on the living room floor for almost and hour and a half while Nichola and I chatted. This is something she would never have done elsewhere other than at home. My daughter has always been extremely sensitive to people and their energies, so this was a clear 'yes' from her that she was happy there. I knew after that meeting, we had found our childminder.

Ella settled in really quickly, with us only having two or three drop offs before she was happily letting me say goodbye. I have always been greeted with a very smiley baby when I go to pick her up at collection time and now, she is straight in in the mornings and I bearly get a glance or a wave at drop off - a good sign, as clearly there is too much playing to be done!

I really like the structure of the day that Nichola provides, and it has helped me shape Ella's routine as she's moved from two naps per day to one. Ella being able to have the same rhythm to her day whether she is with me or with Nichola is hugely helpful and obviously very beneficial for Ella. For this am very grateful.

Something that has been especially valued is the daily entry we get in Ella's report book for each day she has been there. It details what activities they got up to, what they had for lunch, how Ella ate, nap times, nappies and anything else noteworthy. This I feel has been a wonderful bonus, as it's not something I would have expected Nichola to provide. Also hearing that some friends of mine who send their child to very well regarded and expensive nurseries don't get that sort of detail, goes to show that this is one area where Nichola definitely goes above and beyond.

The array of activities Nichola provides is great. I especially appreciate that she always manages to get the children outside whenever the weather permits, which fantastic as that's where my little one is happiest. The food she provides for lunches is perfect, as it's focussed on real, whole foods - protein, carbohydrates, dairy, fruit and vegetables with no unnecessary sweetened food or drinks. Again, I'm very grateful for this as it allows Ella to eat as she does at home.

It's clear that Nichola has a very genuine love and interest for the little ones in her care. From the commentary in the report book to the updates I get at collection time, it is without a doubt that she takes an active interest in their natural disposition, the child's own interests, abilities and style of play and their progression. This level of genuine interest and care for a child who is not their own cannot be manufactured, and I feel incredibly lucky to have found such a person to care for my daughter.

The peace of mind I have been able to get from knowing that Ella is so well cared for while with Nichola has been an absolute gift. We are very fortunate to have her and I'm so grateful someone like this has been called to care for children in the way that she does. Her closeness of care has not been lost in a nursery-type setting which means my daughter gets to benefit from care that resembles her one-on-one care with me at home as much as possible, while gaining the benefit of the intereactions she has with the other children she spends time with. This in particular, has already been evident with Ella having learnt certain words and hand signs/gestures that she didn't know before. It's thrilling seeing her bring home something she's learnt while at Nichola's!

Needless to say, I would have no hesitation recommending Nichola to anyone who is looking for this type of care of their child.

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• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication