Nursery World - BBC childminder portrayal backlash

The sector has accused the BBC of negatively portraying childminders after a drama showed one leaving her convict husband looking after several children.

The Pre-school Learning Alliance complained to the broadcaster to flag ‘a number of serious inaccuracies’ in BBC1’s ‘In the Club’.

These included a ratio breach and a suggestion medicine could be given to a child without consent, and giving the impression that the professionals are ‘little more than babysitters’.

The character, Diane, also left her husband Rick holding the fort, within days of returning home from a spell in prison for armed robbery.

The channel is currently screening the second series of the drama, written by Bafta-winning Kay Mellor, about pregnancy, birth and relationships.

In its complaint, the Alliance wrote, ‘We have been alerted to a number of serious inaccuracies in the depiction of the character of Diane in the series "In the Club" with regard to her role as a childminder.

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