Neglect case childminder was 'master manipulator', say parents

Parents whose children were cared for by a childminder who has admitted neglect charges person described her arsenic a "master manipulator". Amanda Mathewson, a 55‑year‑old self‑employed childminder with three decades of experience, pleaded guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Tuesday to wilfully neglecting, abandoning and exposing children in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health. She faces sentencing next month. Mathewson had been looking after far more children than her registration permitted. At one point she was supervising roughly 27 youngsters without oversight at her Dunfermline home. Parents told BBC Scotland that, before the allegations surfaced, she had been “loved and trusted throughout the community.” One parent recalled, “She was loved and trusted throughout the community,” they told the BBC. “Building an seemingly unshakeable reputation as friendly, caring and trustworthy with the adults she encountered outside her location was part of how she concealed what was happening.” Another parent described Mathewson as “a good friend.” They said, “Finding out what happened was incredibly traumatic for us and the other families,” they told BBC Radio Scotland's Mornings programme. “We have had to rewrite 8 years of history and have lost happy memories because the belief we had, that our children were being cared for, was not true.” “This woman was a master manipulator and she has got away with these things for years.” Police arrested Mathewson following allegations of cruelty. At the time of her apprehension she was caring for 15 children under the age of 12, in addition to 10 children below primary‑school age and two infants under one year old. An investigation uncovered inconsistencies between the number of children officially in her care and the number she was seen with on several occasions. The tribunal heard that parents grew concerned when their children returned home with clothing still in “pristine condition,” suggesting they had not eaten, and often appeared hungry. Some reported that children came home in soiled nappies or with dried faeces in their underwear. Court documents noted that Mathewson consistently played loud music and barred parents from entering her premises during drop‑off, an effort she described as intended to “conceal how oversubscribed she was.” Parents said they voiced worries and asked questions, but were repeatedly reassured by Mathewson, who “pre‑empted their concerns with a plausible explanation.” One parent told the BBC, “This was sustained, deliberate deception that concealed neglect from families and professionals alike.” They added, “If she could build and manipulate the trust of adults across an entire community so effectively, think about how little power babies and young children had behind those closed doors.” A Care Inspectorate report published in August 2023 showed that Mathewson was registered to care for a maximum of eight children at any one time, with stipulations that no more than six could be under 12, no more than three under school age, and no more than one under 12 months old. An unannounced inspection carried out roughly a year before her arrest rated care, learning and the environment as “very good,” the second‑highest tier on the quality scale. The report stated that “children were cared for in a comfortable, welcoming and homely environment” and “were cared for with warmth, kindness and a nurturing approach.” After suspicions emerged, parents collaborated to gather evidence for the police. One parent remarked, “I cannot tell you what the first few months were like after all of this came to light.” They continued, “Every single parent involved has gone over in their head every conversation and remark their child ever made - something at the time seemed innocent enough but in hindsight could have been a red flag.” A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate characterised the matter as a “distressing case” and confirmed that the agency had instituted changes in response.