unregistered CM

lol at TotallyBS - you clearly know everything about childminders
don't start trying to give out advice on a matter you clearly have no knowledge of - leave it to the experts - like those who actually do the job.

'the parent does not pay NI for a CM since usually there aren't enough hours involved (that is why they are called CMs)'

No they are called childminder's because they mind children! You don't pay their NI because they are self-employed and therefore pay their own NI. Many, many childminders work full-time so I don't where you got the 'not enough hours' from!

As you said, in your case she was a 'nice mum' NOT a childminder. A 'nice mum' is essentially a nanny with own child if it's at your house or an unregistered childminder if it's at her house. Which was she? A nanny is very rarely able to be self employed. Was your nanny self-employed? Or you just paid her cash in hand and dodged the tax?

No - childminders are legitimately self employed so declare their own earnings and sort out their own tax and NI contributions. Nothing to do with hours worked.

Fairylights - the lady would be allowed to have your children for up to 2 hours a day in her own house without being a registered childminder. When I was in the process of registering, I nannied for a family in very similar circumstances. I just did it between my house and theirs, and ensured I wasn't looking after the children in my house for more than the 2 hours. Eg - she would drop her children with me at 8, they'd be in my house for 1/2 hour before school run, then I'd take the little one to her house for the school day, pick all the children up from school and have them all back at mine again for another hour until they were picked up - or take them all back to her house if she was going to be longer than an hour. She understood that it ws a temporary solution and once my registration came through, it all became much more staightforward.

Zoo - the parent does not pay NI for a CM since usually there aren't enough hours involved (that is why they are called CMs)

And nannies on standard terms of employment are not recognized by HMRC as being self employed.

'but check that she does in fact qualify for self-employment'

^This.

Very, very few nannies qualify as self-employed, so do check.

This link should help

Fairy, hire this mum as a temp self-employed nanny and leave the filing to her. (but check that she does in fact qualify for self-employment). Then use her as a CM when she is registered.

I rather sympathise with Totally's point of view after my recent (and ongoing) exerience with ofsted. They are horrible people who are not the least bit interested in the welfare of the children. The way they treat my (indisputably fabulous) childminder can really only be accurately described as a bloody witch hunt.

It's not something I or my childminder have done (or would do) but I do understadn the point that actually knowing someone counts for a lot more than OFSTED bureaucracy.

'In the mean time we paid her cash for being a nice mum '

and you paid her tax and NI as well? and employers NI?

TotallyBS - I don't think it was foolish. It is however, illegal. I think it is a shame that this is the reality of the situation. In my opinion, parents should be allowed to choose who they wish to pay to look after their children regardless of qualifications, registration etc (and I say this as an Ofsted registered childminder). Lots of parents don't care at all about EYFS and official targets for their small child's learning and development. They want someone who they know to be kind and caring and who will look after their children safely.

But, as the law stands at the moment, and to protect your children as well as you can, this lady should be your nanny and work from your home until such time as her registration is complete.

Reet: foolish? A stranger with a certificate and insurance isn't necessarily more competent than a mum I was friends with.

In fact, we had just fired our registered CM so it was Hobson's Choice for us. There were local CMs with vacancies but their other charges were at the other (larger) school which was too far from our school. And like I said, she was a mum that was also a friend

unless she worked in your home Totally - that was illegal and also pretty foolish imo

nothing is more important than the safety of your children and to use the services of an unregistered cm is putting them at risk. If something happened to your child, you do not have a leg to stand on as you have used her knowing she was unregistered.

If you chose to employ her as a nanny at your home that is a different matter. Do not use her in her home until you know for sure she is fully registered.

A mum helped us out when we suddenly fired our childminder. It took her a few months to sort the CM paperwork. In the mean time we paid her cash for being a nice mum as opposed to being a unregistered CM .

Do not use her as a childminder yet it could slow down her registration as she could then be accused of unregistered child minding which delays the process

She will not have public liability insurance or business use on her car insurance she will not have legal paperwork she may not yet have her 1st aid and may not have finished her training course.

If you need to start now its best for her to work as a nanny until registration is completed.

Yes, she won't have any Public Liability insurance, has she done her 1st Aid, safeguarding & initial training as she can't be registered until those are completed.