Nicky Co

My daughter still talks about Nicky!

When I first arrived at Nicky’s house to look around I was really impressed with how clean, organised and welcoming it was. Little things like a rainbow welcome mat, butterfly stickers on the window all create this warm and friendly environment that we were looking for. I instantly knew that my daughter would be well looked after and will be forever grateful for the care Nicky gave. My daughter was around 10 months when she started and was pretty clingy towards me after spending the first few months of life in lockdown. I was a nervous wreck but Nicky was so calm and reassured me that she would eventually settle. I really like how she worked with me and I feel the staggered approach was the best for all involved. One of Nicky’s strength is how at pick up she is so honest about how the day has gone, there’s no sugarcoating which I have experienced in other settings. I respected her honesty and it was great to hear when my daughter had had a fantastic day. We loved getting photos sent over during the day and this particularly helped me when she had just started. My daughter left Nicky’s a few months ago due to moving to a pre school but still talks about Nicky and “going to Nicky’s house” which I think is a testament to the relationship and bond between the two. If you are looking for a clean, tidy, calm house and a childminder who has the child’s best interest at heart look no further than Nicky.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by Georgi89 about Nicky Co on 22/09/2023

Disappointed

I had the opportunity to experience Nicky's childminding services recently. One of the standout positive aspects of her service is the clean and well-maintained environment she provides for the children. Her house is neat and organised, and there's a small concealed safe play area that ensures the children's safety while they have fun.

However, I did notice a couple of negative points during my time with Nicky. Unfortunately, her personality didn't come across as warm and welcoming after the initial settling in period. This lack of warmth extended to both parents and child, which was a bit disappointing. Additionally, it became evident that Nicky seems to have a preference for a particular family she has worked with for years. This favoritism can be felt by other children and parents, leading to an uncomfortable environment for those who aren't part of that close-knit circle.

A more concerning issue arose when my child didn't quite fit in with the favored family's children. Nicky's attitude took a turn for the worse as she began insinuating and making unpleasant accusations about my child. This unprofessional behavior was highly inappropriate and unbecoming of a childminder.

In summary, while Nicky offers a clean and safe space for children, her uninviting demeanor, favoritism, and unprofessional conduct when handling differences among children make it difficult to recommend her services. Childminders should prioritise fairness, professionalism, and a positive atmosphere for all children and families under their care.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by PK2023 about Nicky Co on 31/08/2023

Response by Nicky Co on 31/08/2023:

This is a slanderous review and so untrue.
Each child is on a 4 week probationary period, if a child does not settle (which was the case on this occasion) as per contract either parties can choose to cancel the contract without notice.
I had the welfare of the other children in my care to consider.

Fantastic childminder.

Nicky is a gem! For 2 years my son was cared for by this fabulous lady. He was 18 months old when he started at Nickys and left when he was over 3 and a half.
Previous to this he had become unsettled at his usual nursery setting after covid lockdown. He’d stopped eating, sleeping at the nursery and had become extremely unwilling to be parted from me at the door all most unusual behaviour for him. I decided to start looking for a smaller, more home from home setting. Understandably I was very apprehensive and concerned about the whole situation as I realised it was all very disruptive for my son. Nicky sat with me, she was kind, reassuring, professional with her advice and I was immediately put at ease. Her extensive knowledge and experience makes you feel like you don’t mind handing over your most treasured person. He attended Nickys for settling in sessions initially and I was sent pictures of him interacting with toys, with the other children making me feel at ease. Within the first week I knew this was the best decision I’d made for my little boy. No more tears at handovers just ‘bye mummy’ and in he went. He really did enjoy his days at Nickys house. He would eat probably even better than at home, sleeping for his full naps like he would at home. He soon went up to 3 full days. What was particularly helpful as a full time worker is Nicky works most of the year. She’s definitely a grafter. But gives you plenty of notice when she deservedly wants some time off.
He learnt a great many things at Nickys and made many special memories. She would ensure they put on their little high vis jackets and venture out enjoying nature, make their way to the local parks and go for beautiful walks and I would receive lovely pictures of him enjoying himself. The highlight of many days was the bus ride into town to visit a pet store, go to the park, share a tea cake, and then back on the bus.
Nicky works so hard with the children engaging them in a variety of crafts and pictures which we got a lot of memorable keepsakes over the 2 years he was with Nicky.
She was definitely our Mary Poppins and it was a sad day and tears were shed when it was time for my son to leave to a larger setting. She even knew when the right time for him to do that was. Nicky absolutely prepared him well for the next stage of his education. He left Nickys a very confident, polite, courteous little boy. For his next setting Nicky had developed a detailed handover booklet/ account of all his milestones and stages of where he was at. They were very impressed that she had done this and it was a lovely keepsake for us once they’d finished reading through it of how far he had come. When it comes to your child Nicky has their best interests at heart. They are her priority and under her supervision they will thrive. Nicky is honest, open, reliable and will go above and beyond to help wherever possible. She is attentive and intuitive to the child and parents needs. I can wholeheartedly recommend her and if I were to rewind the clock with childcare, Nickys is where I’d be heading straight away.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by Jen82 about Nicky Co on 12/01/2023

Fantastic. Cannot recommend enough

Nicky was fantastic with myself and my son from the word go. As a first time mum I found it quite a daunting task looking into childcare and didn't know where to start.

Nickys great ofstead report was the first thing that attracted me to her on this site. However after contacting her (along with other childminders) she was the first to offer help and guide me through the process and show me her set up even though at that time she had no space.

Nicky has been fantastic with my son taking him in at just 9 months until 3years old. She has helped me care for him and teach him all he knows and I am so grateful for her support she has given us both.

I cannot recommend Nicky more highly, her set up is fantastic a great space for the kids but also set up in a way that makes a transition easier to a pre school with a separate area for the kids away from the rest of the house (yet it still feels a homely place). I have received so many lovely things that my son has made over the last few years. Each of which put a smile on my face with the thoughtfulness and care that Nicky clearly puts into her work.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by Lauren about Nicky Co on 25/07/2021

All you need in a childminder 😊

Our daughter went to Nicky for three full days a week when I went back to work, from the age of 8 months to 3 & a half.
Nicky helped me to feel at ease with the transition back to work and I never once worried about leaving my daughter.

Nicky provides a home from home with extras. We were always amazed by the things our daughter was learning. She loved it with Nicky and still talks all the time about what she did at Nickys even 7 months later.

Nicky provides a range of wonderful experiences from walks in the local area, to visits to town on the bus, outdoor play & fantastic arts & crafts, but also allows for down time when needed too.

Nicky is an extremely reliable childminder and will never let you down. Your child will learn lots and be very happy in her care. I would highly recommend her.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by sjw about Nicky Co on 25/02/2019