SCMA and our members – dedicated registered childminders from across Scotland – have been shocked, horrified and disgusted by this case. The distressing experiences of the children and families affected are far removed from the high-quality services provided by the childminding workforce throughout Scotland, and our thoughts are with everyone affected.
Many of our members are also still struggling to comprehend how this could have happened given their experience of childminding and the numbers of children involved. We believe this case was extremely rare and not in any way reflective of the wider childminding workforce.
SCMA has offered to work with the Care Inspectorate, Scottish Government and others to fully understand what happened and act upon any lessons learned. We have advised Ministers that we believe the response to the issues raised needs to be proportionate, informed and evidence-based.
Childminders are critical to the delivery of a number of national priorities and commitments, and the sector is already heavily regulated. We would urge caution in implementing additional regulation in response to this case as this could create unintended consequences, including adversely affecting childminder retention and recruitment (which has declined significantly since 2016), thereby impacting the availability of childcare for families.
We also do not believe this would prevent recurrence. Instead, existing regulation must be applied consistently and effectively.
It is now over two years since this case came to light, and much activity has been undertaken by official bodies at a national and local level, with a number of changes already implemented or planned. These include an extension to the Care Inspectorate’s powers – of which we are wholly supportive – enabling it to investigate providers after they have cancelled their registration and ensuring that voluntary cancellation of registration cannot be used as a means of avoiding investigation or censure.
However, regulation and inspection can only go so far. Additional checks and balances exist within the community, which are an established part of childminding and should provide reassurance at a policy and safeguarding level to the Scottish Government and more widely to parents/carers.
Parents enter childminding settings throughout the day providing important opportunities to experience children’s care. This practice dropped off due to COVID-19 restrictions and should be re-encouraged.
Childminders also operate within the heart of their communities and neighbours can also have a role to play in reporting concerns if they have them. Clear advice on how to raise concerns should be readily available to parents/the public to support this.
While a number of failings were identified in this case, we continue to have confidence in the underlying methodology and inspection system.
Learning must be taken from this case by all to understand how it happened and to prevent recurrence. SCMA will continue to be at the forefront of championing best practice and high standards within the childminding workforce to ensure that the safety of children always comes first.
Graeme McAlister
Chief Executive
Additional Information
- Every childminder in Scotland must be registered with and regularly inspected by the Care Inspectorate, which is responsible for registration, inspection and enforcement.
- SCMA is a professional membership organisation representing 87% of the childminding workforce. Membership is voluntary, not mandatory, and our role is to support childminders with learning, guidance and best practice, and to champion high standards across the profession. SCMA is also a national Third Sector organisation and delivers a number of local services and national projects.
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