I am very disappointed with the unprofessionalism and inadequate care my children received at this nursery. Despite raising multiple concerns regarding the quality of care, Amy and her mother consistently disregarded them. For instance, my daughters were often left in soiled nappies, leading to severe nappy rash, even to the extent of visible spots. They would regularly come home with scratches and marks, and these issues were routinely dismissed by the staff, who deflected with irrelevant small talk rather than addressing the problems.

The building is also very poorly equipped for winter; it’s inadequately heated and often freezing, yet Amy and her mother are dressed in layers while children are left without proper clothing—no socks, no trousers—which is completely unacceptable.

When I formally documented my concerns, instead of responding professionally and working to improve, Amy informed us that she felt “uncomfortable” with our feedback and decided to terminate our childcare arrangement. We were given 30 days’ notice, but when the notice period was due to start, she intentionally ensured that it couldn’t proceed (although there was not a prayer I would have sent my children back at that point). This left us scrambling for alternative care while she refused to refund the amount I had already paid, which averaged about £2,250 a month.

A professional childcare provider should welcome and address parent concerns, but Amy and her mother have shown a lack of respect for this responsibility. Unfortunately, this experience has been everything I feared as a stay-at-home mother returning to work. Amy may seem welcoming at first, but she has shown herself to be dismissive, money-driven, and ultimately negligent. I am still struggling to retrieve some of our children’s belongings, but at this point, Amy, you can keep them—perhaps they’ll serve as a reminder to improve the quality of care for other children.

In summary, I would strongly advise any parent to think twice before trusting this nursery with their child’s well-being.

Patience Maddox

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication