Amna's Reviews

Worst experience with this childminder and staff

Our experience with this childminder was extremely disappointing and stressful. From the outset, communication was unnecessarily rigid and demanding. We were repeatedly asked to provide documentation for minor, routine matters, which created constant pressure and disrupted what should have been a smooth childcare arrangement.


Drop-offs were unreasonably expected to be for long meetings that served no real purpose and were not agreed upon —This childminder consistently raised petty issues around how food was packaged or labelled, despite full transparency and effort on our part. She also insisted on detailed ingredient breakdowns repeatedly, even after these were provided multiple times.

The most concerning behaviour was her threat to RAISE SAFEGUARDING CONCERN over something as minor as a late arrival during paid and contracted hours — an inappropriate and alarming escalation that lacked any justification.

This childminder made an already challenging time for our family significantly more difficult. Her conduct was unreasonable, inflexible, and in our view, unprofessional. We strongly advise other parents to proceed with extreme caution.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by Amna about Family S (Childminder) on 02/10/2025

Response by Family S on 03/10/2025:

Dear Amna, thank you for taking time to review on Childcare.co.uk I want to remind that I am under Ofsted, and I will follow my procedures.
I will reply as follows:

DOCUMENTATION
Providing accurate medical information is essential during the pre-registration process, as it will be included in your child’s file. You have verbally informed me of your child’s breathing difficulties. To ensure we can offer appropriate care and support, it is mandatory that you submit relevant medical documentation. This will help both myself and my staff to respond effectively to your child’s needs during their time in our care.

ROUTINES
Consistent routines are important, which is why we agree on specific drop-off and collection times. These times can only be changed if both parties consent following the contract procedure and/or if there is not breach in the welfare and safety for both children and setting.

DAILY UPDATES
Each day is different for both adults and children. That’s why it is essential for parents to share any relevant information at drop-off that may affect the child’s care. As you prefer verbal communication, this must be communicated at drop off. Examples include:
• Whether the child had breakfast, might need to eat on arrival
• If the child didn’t sleep well overnight, might need to sleep on arrival or might be more tired than usual and we are aware
• If the child refused milk in the morning, might need to drink milk on arrival
• If the child’s clothes weren’t changed and arrived in his pyjama, the child needs to be changed on appropriate clothes
These are just examples, and these details help my staff and me provide the best possible support and care throughout the day.

PACKED MEALS
Since you’ve chosen to provide packed meals, it is crucial that these meals are healthy and prepared following proper hygiene standards. Even here, I’ve asked whether you’ve received and reviewed my Policies, especially those related to food and labelling. You mentioned that you do not have time to check or read the Policies and instead prefer verbal communication or messages on WhatsApp chat. However, because packed meals were consistently sent without following the procedures I provided, I eventually had to demonstrate how to prepare a suitable packed lunch.
Labelling each packed meal and providing a daily list of ingredients is crucial to maintaining a safe environment for all children. Allergies and intolerances can develop at any time, and no child or adult in the setting is exempt. While I have a robust strategy in place during mealtimes, children are mobile and may come into contact with food from another child’s plate. In the event of an allergic reaction or choking incident, having a clear list of ingredients allows me to respond quickly and accurately.
This is why I’ve asked all parents for:
• A daily list of ingredients in the child’s packed lunch
• Variety in meals, as children should not eat the same food every day for many weeks
• Clear labelling of all items, including lunch boxes, milk bottles, and water cups, which can often look identical
In my setting, everything is labelled—from nappies and wipes to disposable bags, bedsheets... I also assign the same cutlery, plates, and cups to each child for consistency and hygiene, unless a replacement is needed or care ends.

SAFEGUARDING CONCERN
As previously explained, I am under Ofsted. If you arrive late without providing a reason, I am required to initiate the Safeguarding Procedure. This was discussed in July and applies equally in September and beyond. Arrival and collection times are clearly stated in the contract. If you arrive 10, 20, 30, 40, or even 50 minutes late without notifying me, I must follow safeguarding protocols to ensure the safety and wellbeing of your child. This applies to all children in my care.

FLEXIBILITY
I am highly flexible when it is safe and appropriate for the setting and the children. Although I do not accept children during meal or snack times as already written by email, you dropped off your child in this specific not agreed time. You have expressed disagreement with this practice, but the reasons have been explained to you:
• Health and safety concerns
• Risk of choking
• Overall wellbeing and welfare of the children
• Safer Eating

FEEDBACK
To respect and protect the privacy of all families in my setting, parent reviews are collected separately and are not published on this website. This approach ensures confidentiality and maintains a secure environment for everyone involved.

Final Reminder:
It is your choice were to check if you have Policies or not on your Parental Portal. You can always ask me to send it out again if you cannot see them like any other parent in my setting. It is your choice if you want to read it or not. As requested, please take the time to review the Policies and the contract you received. These documents clearly outline all procedures, expectations, and responsibilities necessary to maintain a safe and respectful environment for all children and staff. Policies and contract remain the definitive reference for how the setting operates.

You can always write directly to me.