Naomi's Reviews

Not really sure on this setting

I will be fair as I don’t like speaking down on a childminder but I will express my issues. I went to this childminder house for a viewing, as I was interested in my son joining her child minding services. Upon arriving I felt I was greeted with a bit of hostility and distance. Not very welcoming. Her daughter was in the room (which was the main room where kids will be) and she was , coughing and quite sick, just baring in mind I have a vulnerable child. She came very near to me coughing as well as close to my baby coughing a lot. I felt she should have not allowed her child near my baby knowing that her child was unwell with a flu. Nonetheless, I felt as if she was a little hostile and not completely inviting. She didn’t ask questions about my child, and just randomly informed me that there was someone else who wanted my son’s spot who is full time, as I only needed part time. I do believe she could have not wasted my time by letting me arrive at her house only to let me know she may not be able to take me on. This could have been communicated over the phone. There could be a colour discrimination going on here. But nonetheless, I would not recommend, as my spirit did not take to her. And there was an off vibe I got.

I will be fair and not downplay her environment was really nice and beautiful and very neat. And looks like a good environment for a child to go to. But the vibes I got was off, mixed with possible discrimination that I felt from her especially with the odd looks and very offish overall vibes.

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by Naomi about Giulia (Childminder) on 04/03/2026

Response by Giulia on 05/03/2026:

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I’m sorry that you felt the visit was not a positive experience, but I would like to clarify a few points for accuracy.
The childcare place was initially requested for around 30 hours per week. During the visit it became clear that the requirement was actually part-time. As I explained at the time, I already had another family interested in the full-time space, which is why I could not guarantee availability. This is standard practice when managing limited childcare places.
You also mentioned concerns about illness. During our conversation you explained that your own child had recently been unwell with diarrhoea. During one of our conversations, I also offered to help you and speak to your child's doctors to help him in any way I could.
As this is a family home, my own child also lives here and may occasionally have a mild cough, which is very common among young children. It would obviously not be possible or appropriate to remove my child from her own home.
I take hygiene and safeguarding very seriously and always follow appropriate guidance.
Finally, I want to be very clear that any suggestion of discrimination is completely unfounded. I welcome families from all backgrounds and treat everyone with the same respect.
I am pleased that you acknowledged that the environment was clean, organised and suitable for children. I wish you the best in finding the childcare arrangement that suits your family.

She is the best childminder in London!

Aunty Pat, what can I say about this amazing lady. Sent from heaven. Let me tell you I had been looking for a good childminder for 4 months. I kid you not. My son had a stroke and has difficulty with his hand, and I never would leave my son with just anyone. Not even family. I called Aunty Pat told her my struggle with a child with additional needs and she said bring him I would love to meet him. She was so personable, likeable, I felt like I was speaking to one of my actual aunties. Such a humble woman. I went to her house and met her in person and I felt like family, like I was home. She has an amazing spirit, let me tell you guys you will get many childminders out there but not a lot of them genuinely care about your child and have an amazing spirit. You want someone with a warm spirit who your child can take to. Aunty Pat had an amazing spirit and my family said yes she’s the one for Kaleem. My son is delayed in walking aunty Pat started helping him to walk straight away, she started getting him to use his right hand as soon as we got there. She even checked up on me to make sure me and my son was ok on the weekend. I’ve already seen improvements on my sons disability, and what I truly loved that she did was told the other children about my sons situation and to play with him and encourage him to use his right arm to crawl. Aunty Pat said to me I really want to help your son develop and become the best version of himself. She is the last of a few angels in this world. I take her like family. Look if you want a childminder that will look after your child like her own, is personable, amazing, kind, motherly and develop and grow your child into a well mannered, educated being reaching his full potential look no further. You found her. Trust me don’t look no further please cause there’s nothing out there. She even speaks positivity over my sons health. She tells me he will be ok, and that means a lot for me because I’m so low over my sons health and disabilities.

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by Naomi about Shine (Childminder) on 27/03/2026

I personally did not have a welcoming experience

I did not want to leave a negative review, however after my experience I feel it is important to share, particularly for parents of children with additional or complex needs.

My son has significant medical and developmental needs, including a history of stroke, swallowing difficulties requiring thickened feeds, and airway conditions that require careful monitoring, especially when he is unwell. I made this clear prior to him attending, as consistency, communication, and attention to detail are essential for his safety and wellbeing.

I initially attended a short trial session and then enrolled him the following day. From the beginning of his first full day, I did not feel reassured. I was not greeted by the childminder directly, and instead an assistant collected my son from the front door. I was not invited into the setting, and the interaction felt very rushed. I was not asked detailed questions about his needs, routine, feeding requirements, or how to manage his condition. Given the level of care he requires, I would have expected a much more thorough introduction and handover. Instead, I found myself quickly explaining important information at the door, including his feeding and use of thickener.

During the day, communication was limited. I was contacted regarding his milk, however this highlighted to me that there had not been a proper opportunity to go through his feeding routine and requirements in detail beforehand. With a more thorough initial discussion, this confusion could have been avoided.

When I came to collect my son, he was handed over by a different staff member. There was no proactive or structured handover provided. When I asked about his day, I was told that she was not sure as she had only just come on shift and that I should contact the childminder directly. I found myself having to ask multiple questions just to get basic information. For a child with additional needs, I would expect a clear and informed handover at collection, and this was not provided.

I also experienced several issues with organisation and the handling of my son’s belongings. Items were not returned as expected, including feeding items and personal belongings. I had to request that staff go back and check for missing items. One dummy that was eventually returned to me was visibly unclean, with debris on it, and I had to ask for it to be washed before it could be given back. This raised concerns for me regarding hygiene and overall attention to detail. Another dummy was not located at all.

In addition, my son had been asleep for a significant portion of the session (approximately two hours) and was not offered his planned meal upon waking, despite this being included. As a result, he returned home hungry, which was not in line with the routine I had communicated.

For example, I received a message stating that he was not drinking his milk, but without any additional context or reassurance around how this would be managed. As a parent of a child with additional needs, I would have expected a more supportive and reassuring approach in communication.


Following his attendance, my son became unwell shortly afterwards. While I understand that illnesses can be picked up from many environments, this added to my overall concerns, particularly given the hygiene and organisational issues I experienced during his time at the setting.

Overall, the experience felt disorganised, rushed, and lacking in clear communication from the outset. I appreciate that settling-in periods can take time, however I believe that basic standards such as proper handover, organisation, hygiene, and communication should be consistent from day one. For children with additional needs, these are essential requirements, not optional.

To be fair, the provider did process my refund promptly and handled the cancellation professionally.

While this setting may be suitable for some families, based on my experience it did not provide the level of communication, organisation, and attention to detail that my child requires. I also felt the childminder was a bit more money driven than actually cared for my son. This was my experience. And it’s sad it put a bad taste in my mouth.

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by Naomi about Sophia (Childminder) on 28/03/2026

Response by Sophia on 28/03/2026:

Thank you for your feedback. I’m sorry to hear that you feel this way about your experience.

I would like to clarify a few points to ensure a balanced and accurate picture. A two-hour settling-in session was arranged initially; however, you arrived approximately an hour late, which understandably shortened that session. You also expressed a preference to begin care immediately, which is why only one settling-in session took place.

We had a lengthy discussion at handover at settling in and you were adamant on start the following as a full day.

During your initial visit, I personally carried out the handover and we had a detailed discussion about your son’s needs. You were introduced to members of my team, and I explained clearly that I work alongside assistants, as outlined in my profile. At the times of drop-off and collection, I was managing scheduled nursery and school runs, but remained available by phone at all times.

Throughout your son’s time with us, we maintained communication, including updates and photos of him playing happily and settling in well. On his first full day, I contacted you regarding his milk, and we discussed his feeding. He enjoyed snacks, including fruit and yoghurt, and settled comfortably, including having a good nap, which aligned with the information you provided about his early start that day.

I also offered an additional meeting outside working hours to go through his feeding and care needs in more detail, to ensure we could provide the best possible support without compromising the care of the other children during operational hours.

In terms of hygiene, my setting is professionally cleaned daily, and you had previously commented positively on this during your visit. Regarding the dummy mentioned, your son did not use one during his time with us, and I reimbursed you as a gesture of goodwill.

It’s also important to note that payment for care was not made in advance as per policy until after the second day, and no concerns were raised with me prior to this point. Despite this, I processed your refund promptly and professionally upon your decision to withdraw.

I take all feedback seriously, particularly when it relates to children with additional needs, and my team and I always aim to provide a safe, caring, and supportive environment for every child.

I am disappointed that your experience did not meet your expectations, but I wish you and your son all the very best moving forward.