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

A childminder who has admitted to a series of neglect charges was described by parents as a "master manipulator" who concealed widespread failings behind a carefully constructed reputation of warmth and trustworthiness, BBC Scotland has learned.

Amanda Mathewson, 55, appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Tuesday, where she pleaded guilty 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 local community in Dunfermline, where Mathewson had operated as a self-employed childminder for three decades, providing care at her home for children under the age of 16. At one stage, she left 27 youngsters alone and unsupervised at her property.

Families who had placed their children in her care told BBC Scotland that Mathewson had been "loved and trusted" throughout the community before her crimes came to light. One parent said she had been regarded as "one of the best in the area."

"She was loved and trusted throughout the community," the parent said. "Building an apparently unshakeable reputation as friendly, caring and trustworthy with the adults she encountered outside her home was part of how she concealed what was happening."

Another parent, who considered Mathewson a "good friend," described the moment the truth emerged as "incredibly traumatic both for us and the other families." Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland's Mornings programme, they said: "We have had to rewrite eight 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."

Mathewson was arrested by police 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 under primary school age and two children under the age of one — a caseload that far exceeded her registration limits.

An investigation uncovered discrepancies between the number of children Mathewson was registered to care for and the number she was observed with on multiple occasions. Court documents revealed that she routinely played loud music and prevented parents from entering her home at drop-off time in an attempt to "conceal how oversubscribed she was."

The court heard that parents had raised concerns their children had not eaten while in her care, noting that their clothes remained in "pristine condition" — a detail that suggested meals were not being provided. It was also a general 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.

Parents said they noticed signs of distress and asked questions, but were always reassured by Mathewson, who pre-empted their concerns with what one described as "a plausible explanation." One parent told the BBC: "This was sustained, deliberate deception that concealed neglect from families and professionals alike. 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 stated that Mathewson was registered to provide care for a maximum of eight children at any one time. Her registration included conditions that no more than six children could be under the age of 12, no more than three could be under school age, and no more than one could be under 12 months old.

An unannounced inspection took place approximately one 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 noted that "children were cared for in a comfortable, welcoming and homely environment" and "were cared for with warmth, kindness and a nurturing approach."

Following the emergence of suspicions, parents worked together to gather evidence and present it to police. One parent described the aftermath as agonising: "I cannot tell you what the first few months were like after all of this came to light. Every single parent involved has gone over in their head every conversation and any comment their child ever made — anything at the time seemed innocent enough but in hindsight could 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 the findings. The case has raised broader questions about the oversight of childminding services and how regulatory inspections can fail to detect prolonged patterns of neglect when they are deliberately hidden.

The case also highlights the vulnerability of young children who are unable to articulate their experiences and rely entirely on adults to recognise and act on signs of distress. Parents involved in the case have spoken of the lasting impact on their families, describing a loss of trust that extends beyond Mathewson herself to the wider system meant to protect their children.

Mathewson will be sentenced next month, and the full extent of her offending is expected to be detailed further at that hearing. For now, the families affected are left to reconcile years of what they believed was safe, nurturing care with the reality that has since been exposed in court.