Like all parents, we were very wary of hiring a new childminder; especially so as our two boys have severe autism. We saw that Eimear had experience of working with children with disabilities so we got in touch.

Eimear visited to meet the boys and ourselves and we took to her pretty quickly. She is well spoken, highly intelligent, calmly cheerful and has a very positive work ethic. My eldest son struggles with new people, but he liked Eimear from the outset. My younger son generally ignores everyone, but was clearly intrigued by Eimear.

We organised a first day where I would be home, in case there were any difficulties. I needn't have worried. Eimear simply got on with ensuring the boys were safe, happy and doing something productive. I was able to get some work done within an hour of her arriving.

The first full day on her own, Eimear arrived, and my husband and I just went off to work. We received a couple of text messages, but only to report something interesting that one of the boys had done. She was not afraid to ask questions, which with children with autism is essential. The day passed with a minimum of fuss and when we arrived home, the boys were happy. Our eldest gave her a hug, which is very unusual.

And that was how it progressed. We were totally relaxed about leaving the boys in her care. We noticed small improvements in their development which for us, was very exciting. We would still have her here now, but Coronavirus has resulted in my husband working from home, virtually full time.

Eimear looked after our boys for whole and part days, during school holidays or during term time. The boys come home from school on a private bus and Eimear was always there to meet the boys, cook their dinner and keep them safe until one of arrived home. Eimear is flexible, eternally upbeat, confident and unflappable. Clearly, once Eimear has finished her time at university, she is destined for an amazing career, but until then, if you need a wonderful childminder, you should get in touch with Eimear. I am very happy to recommend her, without any reservations.