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I have a problem with my childcare provider

Quick links High quality childcare- Make sure the childcare you are using is a good quality

Childminders

My childminder says I still have to pay for my child's place while we are on holiday or when my child is sick and I'm looking after them. If my child is not using the place, why do I have to pay for it?

Childminders are self-employed so they set their own policies regarding sick and holiday pay. When the childminder starts looking after your child, you should sign a contract with them. The contract should give details about when you will and will not pay fees, for example, what happens when your child is on holiday and also when your childminder is on holiday, when your child is off sick, and when your childminder is sick. The contract should also outline, if appropriate, any notice periods that you can give to reduce or cancel fees for a period, for example, some childminders may not charge or may reduce a fee if either one of you or notifies the other far enough in advance of holidays.

The National Childminding Association's website provides information about childminding contracts and more common practice among childminders with regards to fees, contracts, holiday and sick pay. 
 

I'm not happy about the quality of care provided by my childminder. What should I do?

All nurseries/childminders in England must follow the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, which includes requirements for them to:

• be registered with and inspected by Ofsted (they will be able to tell you their Ofsted registration number);
• undergo a Criminal Records Bureau check (this applies to the childminder and any other adults who live at their property);
• have attended a training course within six months of registration and must hold a current paediatric first aid certificate at the point of registration; and
• meet learning goals and assess the progress of the children in their care.

For more information download the Early Years Foundation Stage pack.

Every childminder in Wales who is funded by the government to provide free part-time education is required to follow a plan of stimulated structured play called the Foundation Phase curriculum. The Foundation Phase curriculum is currently in place for children age 3- to 7-years old. 

If you have any concerns about the way your childminder is caring for your child, if possible, you should first raise this with them. Many issues can be resolved at an early stage in this way and your concerns may have been the result of a misunderstanding.

If you have already approached your childminder, or don't feel that it is appropriate to do so, and you still do not feel that your concerns have been dealt with and they are continuing to provide an unsatisfactory level of care, you can contact the Early Years Manager at your local authority. You can also contact the Ofsted helpline in England on 0300 123 1231 and raise your concerns with them. Ofsted will investigate the issue and will feed back to you. See Ofsted's factsheet 'Concerns and complaints about childcare providers', available on their website, www.ofsted.gov.uk, for further information.

If you feel that your child's safety is at risk, or there are child protection issues, you should remove them immediately, contact the Child Protection Team at your local authority and/or the police. You can get contact details for your local authority from your local phone directory, or online at www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/Localcouncils. You should also contact the Ofsted helpline and let them know what you have done. 

Nurseries

My child's nursery says that I have to pay fees for the whole year, including the weeks when the nursery is closed (for staff training/holidays) and when we are on holiday. Do I have to pay at times when my child does not attend?

All the fees you pay to the nursery should be outlined in the contract you sign when your child starts at the nursery. This should include what happens when:

• your child is on holiday;
• your child is sick; and
• the nursery is closed.

It should also outline any notice periods you can give to minimise or avoid payment for times you are not using the childcare. Some nurseries do charge fees for weeks when the nursery is closed and this is usually to reflect the costs they have to pay, including staff holiday, sick pay and overheads. Once you have signed the contract, you are bound by the terms in it, so if you have signed a contract which includes paying for weeks when the nursery is closed, you will have to pay those fees. For this reason, it is very important to make sure you fully understand the contract and your responsibilities before you sign it. Contact the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) on 01484 40 70 70 for more information about nursery fees and contracts.  

I think my child's nursery may not have enough staff for the number of children they have there. How many staff should there be at a nursery?

Staff:child ratios for day nurseries in England are set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, as follows (members of staff:children):

• 1:3 if the children are under 2 years of age.
• 1:4 if the children are aged 2 years.

Ratios are more complicated for children age 3 and over. Ask the nursery what ratio they must follow.

The ratios include any children of staff or volunteers. Regular volunteers can be included in these staff ratios, but students on short-term placements cannot. These staffing levels must be maintained during outings and in some circumstances it may be necessary to have more staff available. There must be suitable arrangements in place to maintain staff:child ratios during staff holidays, sickness and emergencies, for example. For more information, download the Early Years Foundation Stage pack.

I'm not happy about the care my child is receiving at nursery. What should I do?

All nurseries in England must follow the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, which includes requirements for them to:

• be registered with and inspected by Ofsted (they will be able to tell you their Ofsted registration number);
• undertake Criminal Records Bureau checks for all staff/volunteers;
• meet learning goals and assess the progress of the children in their care.

For more information, download the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) pack.

If you are unhappy about the care your child is receiving, first of all speak to the nursery manager. It's important to raise any issues with them, as it may be a misunderstanding and you may be able to come to a solution by talking it through. It may be helpful to look through the EYFS information so that you know what you should expect from a setting.

If, after talking to the nursery manager, you do not feel that your problem has been addressed, follow the nursery's complaints procedure - the manager will be able to give you a copy. At the end of the nursery's complaints procedure, if you still don't feel that the issue has been resolved, you can call the Ofsted helpline on 0300 123 1231. They will follow up any complaints made, and can ultimately de-register a service where quality is not meeting the standards required. See Ofsted's factsheet 'Concerns and complaints about childcare providers', available on their website, www.ofsted.gov.uk, for further information.

If you feel that your child's safety is at risk, or there are child protection issues, you should remove them immediately, contact the Child Protection Team at your local authority and/or the police. You can get contact details for your local authority from your local phone directory, or online at www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/Localcouncils. You should also contact the Ofsted helpline and let them know what you have done.

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