Girl, 7, drowned hours after being dropped off at new childminder ‘recommended over Facebook’

>After the tragedy, the childminder told her they didn’t use reins on her because Nyla had been ‘holding her hand fine’.

>‘Hayley assumed that they were staying in all day with somebody like Nyla, who has got complex needs.

>‘The one thing that her mum explicitly said was, ‘please don’t take my daughter out anywhere’.

Hopefully there’s something they can charge the childminder with criminally if this is accurate. An entirely avoidable tragedy by the sounds of it.

Tragic story. What series of events could possibly lead to this outcome.

It is tragic, and there unfortunately isn’t enough information to make a sound judgment on the capabilities of the childminder.

But I can pass comment as someone who has worked with severely autistic children for 7-8 years, as well as holding an MSc in cognitive neuroscientist where I focused on Autism.

I worry about this area of work heavily, as I have chronically seen untrained individuals in positions of care for children with complex needs.
They are just not experienced or trained enough to suitably care for these individuals and it shows here.

Taking a complex needs child out for a trip requires risk assessments to be done, guidance followed from doctors, educators and parents.
It isn’t a “well this seems like it will be ok, it’s just a kid” situation.

Kids are masterminds for breaking loose and disappearing, especially complex needed children!
Never underestimate those little tykes’ intelligence!

You are trained to be within a 2 meter radius of the child at all times, further away and if something goes wrong it’s too late to do anything.

The childminder here does not come across as a professional in the article and that worries me.

The first session with a complex needs child should be and indoors and calm, low sensory experience, so they can get used to the new environment and the carer.

It’s hard, we desperately need professionals for complex needs individuals… but we don’t pay people enough to have the standard of care that would actually benefit them.

So all I can say is that it is a tragedy, and that the standard and bar for entry to care for these children should be a lot higher.

Why is the ‘recommended over Facebook’ part of the headline as if suggesting parents were negligent? That’s how people find out about stuff. What were they supposed to do? Check with the King?

Our child has extra needs to the point one of us accompany on school trips :-/

Hoping its not always this way but atm its not worth a risk and also we fully accept the school doesnt have an everlasting pot of cash nor overstaffed with assistants specialising in SEN

Doesn’t have to just be Facebook recommendations.

Went to vet  a childminder close to where we lived years ago. Seemed fine.

Passed them not long later that day near where I worked (also walking distance) and said their teenage daughter was looking after the kids (the ones she was supposed to be caring for) whilst she was picking up a kid.

So.. we opted not to go with them and reported them.  

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