Childminder Who Left 27 Children Unsupervised Was a 'Master Manipulator', Say Parents

A childminder who admitted multiple charges of neglect has been described by the families who trusted her as a "master manipulator" who concealed serious failings behind a carefully constructed reputation.

Amanda Mathewson, 55, pleaded guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Tuesday to wilfully neglecting, abandoning and exposing children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to their health. She is due to be sentenced next month.

The case has shocked the community in Dunfermline, where Mathewson had operated as a self-employed childminder for three decades, caring for children under the age of 16 at her home. At one point, she left 27 youngsters alone and unsupervised.

Parents who spoke to BBC Scotland said they had regarded Mathewson as one of the best childcare providers in the area before her crimes came to light. One described her as being "loved and trusted throughout the community", adding that she built what appeared to be an unshakeable reputation for friendliness, care and trustworthiness as a way of hiding what was really going on inside her home.

Another parent, who considered Mathewson a good friend, said discovering the truth had been devastating. They told BBC Radio Scotland's Mornings programme that families had been forced to "rewrite eight years of history" and had lost happy memories because their belief that their children were being properly cared for had been false. The parent said Mathewson had "got away with these things for years".

Mathewson was arrested following allegations of cruelty towards children. At the time of her arrest, she had 15 children aged under 12 in her care, along with 10 children below primary school age and two infants under the age of one. The numbers far exceeded what she was registered to provide.

According to a Care Inspectorate report published in August 2023, Mathewson was registered to care for a maximum of eight children at any one time. Her registration conditions allowed no more than six children under the age of 12, no more than three under school age, and no more than one under 12 months old. The investigation uncovered significant discrepancies between the number of children officially in her care and the number she was seen with on multiple occasions.

The court heard that parents had raised concerns about their children not eating while with Mathewson, noticing that their clothes remained in "pristine condition". It was also a common theme that children would return home thirsty. Some parents reported that their children came home in dirty nappies or with dry faeces in their underwear. Court documents stated that Mathewson always played loud music and refused to let parents enter her home at drop-off time, in an apparent attempt to hide how oversubscribed she was.

An unannounced Care Inspectorate inspection took place about a year before her arrest, and it rated areas including care, learning and the setting as "very good" – the second-highest level on the quality scale. The report described children as being cared for in a "comfortable, welcoming and homely environment" and with "warmth, kindness and a nurturing approach". That assessment now stands in stark contrast to the reality that emerged once suspicions were raised.

Parents said they had noticed signs of distress and asked questions, but were always reassured by Mathewson, who would pre-empt their concerns with what one described as "a plausible explanation". One parent told the BBC that this amounted to "sustained, deliberate deception that concealed neglect from families and professionals alike". They added that if Mathewson could manipulate the trust of adults across an entire community so effectively, it was chilling to consider how little power babies and young children had behind closed doors.

Following the emergence of suspicions, parents worked together to gather evidence and provide it to police. One parent described the first few months after the truth came to light as indescribably difficult, saying every parent involved had gone over every conversation and every comment their child had ever made, wondering whether anything that had seemed innocent at the time could in hindsight have been a red flag.

A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said it was a "distressing case" and confirmed that changes had been implemented as a result of what happened. The case raises wider questions about how childcare providers can evade scrutiny for years, particularly when they hold a strong reputation and are trusted by families and professionals alike.

Mathewson's guilty plea brings an end to the uncertainty over whether she would admit wrongdoing, but the sentencing hearing next month will determine the consequences she faces. For the families involved, however, the damage goes beyond any legal outcome, with parents describing the loss of years of happy memories and a painful reckoning with the trust they placed in someone they believed was caring for their children.