Not a good experience
My daughter started with Odete when she was around 15 months and I left when she was 2 years old and I’m sorry to say that I can’t recommend her.
Her setting is chaotic. On numerous pick ups there would be so much mess in her hallway that she often had trouble finding my daughter’s coat or hat. I didn’t find there to be enough educational elements. Activities consisted of things like church playgroups, soft play, or the playground, which is lovely, but I’d have loved to see more structure and direct learning through play.
The food wasn’t always the healthiest, with lunches consisting of things like sausage rolls, chicken nuggets, chips, brioche or croissant sandwiches. She can be quite careless. For instance, I’m a Hindu and explicitly told her it’s against our religion to eat beef, but she forgot and once gave my daughter beef in her lunch. Another time she used an extremely old swim nappy, which gave my daughter a bad rash.
The last straw came when I told her of my intention to leave in June 2024. I was moving house and enrolling my daughter into nursery. I planned to move in August, in time for her September start date, so our months notice period would be in July.
Odete became fixated that I was trying to cheat her out of holiday pay (she had some paid holiday time which she was going to use in August) and that I made my plans based around that. She accused me of being scheming and manipulative, questioned my integrity and insulted me to my face. It was all really unprofessional and disappointing.
Then she said she’d only see out 2 weeks of the 4 week notice period, to recoup some of money she would lose by my leaving. To be honest, after the way she treated me, there was no way I could send my daughter back to her, so I fired her with immediate effect.
I wasn’t planning on leaving a review, but I felt I needed to share my experience, especially after finding a brilliant childminder to help while I moved. It opened my eyes to how a professional childminder should operate, which was not my experience with Odete.
-
Overall
Setting-
Cleanliness
-
Food
Communication
Response from Odete
Responded
Arya start with me August/23 and she left July/24 took you a year to realise that I am bad childminder? Where your issue always being money that’s why she was only morning session in my setting, and you want me to wake her up at 1pm to save more money make concern of Arya wellbeing. Can tell the reason you left was because you didn’t want to pay for my 10 days summer Holliday as stated in contract, leave you a year to complain about my service where all text messages throughout the year that I show Ofsted you was happy with all service and free extra hours I used to give you. Ofsted it’s satisfied with no further concerns about my services.Take into account I still have same kids during the time Arya attend until today, they’re more than happy to leave a reference. Also they’re willing to leave a review in next few days in this platform. Sad to see you take this position because of the money where I done everything to help you and Arya during the transaction of baby to toddle and you congrats me all the time how happy you was with my service and when I throw a birthday party to celebrate Arya 2yrs and many more and see you try to ruin my reputation online it’s quiet sad to see how quick you change your mind based on money issue and I am able to see what you have inside your heart after all I done for you and your family 😔
Wish you all the best.
