Childminder driving our car

[SilverDoublet]

I'm starting work on Tuesday after being a SAHM for the last 7 years. The job came up suddenly and I didn't expect to get it and have been left scrambling for childcare 3 days a week.
I need someone who can drive as we are a 20 min walk from school and the kids do lots of different activities that require them to be driven.
I found a minder who drives and thought the 4 kids would fit in her car, 3 in back and one in front. The only need 2 booster cushions and 1 narrow high back booster as they're are aged 5 to 11.

Now she's suddenly saying she's not comfortable with them in her car and she'd have to drive our car and it's all fine as she's got comprehensive insurance and do do I. But when I looked it up I said she might need business insurance as its for a job. She's saying we can't say that as she wants cash in hand so it's technically 'not a job' and she'll say she's my sister helping me out if asked. I'm worried that if anything happened, the insurance company wouldn't pay out as they would find out she's not my sister.

I've asked her to provide her policy document that says she's got comprehensive insurance and a copy of her licence. But she said she rang her insurance company and it's all good. My husband thinks I'm being ridiculous and we just need to get her, trust her about the insurance, regardless of seeing the policy. She then asked why exactly I need to see her documents which I thought was a red flag.

Am I being unreasonable?
And is she covered to drive our car on her insurance with the kids?

Thanks.

Firstly for an 18 year old to get business car insurance - astronomical and more than he’d earn in babysitting!

secondly…. Can’t believe parents are happy for a very newly qualified 18 year old to be driving around their children

thirdly I wouldn’t want my 18 year old having that responsibility

each to their own!

AA is campaigning hard for under 21s not to be allowed passengers atm

She would need business insurance and to be properly registered as a childminder for the insurance on your car. As soon as you mention driving children in a work capacity normal car insurance doesn't cover that. Also your own fully comp insurance only provides 3rd party coverage on other vehicles. I would be concerned about the cash in hand element of this childminder, I know you say this is a common arrangement where you live but it seems woefully inadequate for people looking after children in their own homes. Is there not official regulation?

You'll need to add her to your insurance policy, at your cost, with business cover, for her to drive your car.

And if she doesn't fit the tax definition of self employed then don't pay her cash in hand.

He’s a named driver on my policy (and yes, I do drive the car more), I had to change policy and it actually saved money.
He’s a very good driver, better than some of the Chelsea tractor drivers I see. He’s only going in the local London traffic filled roads. Taking them on the motorway would be a different discussion.
Anyway my point to the actual post was to make sure everyone has the right insurance!

Red flag central

I get that customs and laws are different in Ireland but putting that all aside, no I wouldn’t be happy with this

So he’s a named driver on your policy and you changed to include business purposes too. Just for him whilst babysitting? Or do you use for business purposes too?

it saves money to include business purposes?

Firstly I'm someone who has paid for childcare since DC was 11/12m old so I'm definitely not against parents working and using childcare.

Despite that, I wouldn't put my children at the level of risk you are talking about for 12 hours of work. Maybe I'm overly cautious/precious but it just wouldn't be worth it to me. Also you personally would be complicit in breaking the law and insurance fraud. You're both very naïve if you think an Insurer or the Police wouldn't be able to work out that you're not sisters in the event of an accident. Delay your start date or just don't do it.

I don't know how far is English law applicable in Ireland, but I know that the legal requirements can be totally different.

In my country (elsewhere in EU) this would fall under babysiting and she would be considered self-employed and definitely not making OP an employer/responsible for checking her approach to taxes.

If we consider using her car, there is no difference in insurance between private and self-employed, and no reason at all to see her policy. If we consider driving OP's car, the 3rd party insurance is valid for any driver by default and it would be on the OP to make sure her self-damages cover the babysitter as a driver, either by name or to cover "any driver" of the car X.

She would be required to have clear record and health check, but business insurance is not compulsory and it's her choice.

OP your husband is a twat.

I wouldn’t risk my most precious people in a car with someone who was causing these problems.

This isn't about 12 hours of OP's work. Hiring the sitter/minder for 12 hours a week will enable the OP to work three (presumably) full days.

I agree that the sister suggestion is ridiculous though.

Not sure how Irish law differs but in England she is suggesting several criminal offences that also implicate you.

She needs business insurance to drive your car as part of her employment, self-employed or otherwise. If she has an accident in your car on her insurance it will only pay out third party. If she says she is your sister then insurers will contact you for corroboration and if you also lie your policy will be cancelled and you will have to declare this for every future policy. They also will not pay out.

If you haven’t seen evidence (not blanked out) of her insurance and driving licence and she is in an accident, then it turns out she shouldn’t be driving either due to invalid insurance or invalid licence (due to points, etc) then police could pursue you for permitting your vehicle to be used. This is a criminal offence.

A responsible parent should at bare minimum carry out a DBS check on the person looking after their children. If that person will be driving their children, they should also do a driving licence check which takes 2 minutes on DVLA website and will show if the licence is valid and clean.

@Ketchupbrocyou are overly invested in my car insurance.
I have business cover anyway.
I changed providers (the old ones were pissing me off for other reasons) to get my son business cover too.
it cost the same as I had been paying, so a no brainer.
Had it cost a lot more I wouldn’t have done it and wouldn’t allow him to give the kids lifts.
But my point was he was earning money to give the children lifts = a business (assuming the insurers will argue every small point).
And from your previous point re 18 year olds driving kids around, so no taking siblings for lifts, and as an extension of they are not safe taking others then they shouldn’t be driving themselves. Or is because he’s a boy. He’s not exactly doing doughnuts in his pimped up corsa.

This is totally dodgy. Is she a fully registered childminder?

Erm you want someone this dodgy looking after your kids!? Does she even have any qualifications?

A babysitter.

What qualification is needed for taking school age children to and from school and running them to clubs?

So why is she referred to as a childminder in the title post?

It’s different in Ireland .
Very few childminders are registered, the definition of childminder isn’t the same as the UK.
Also cash in hand work is very much part of the anti authoritarian anti government culture here. That’s just how it is .

She needs business insurance not fully comp. 100%.
find a new childminder

She's in Ireland and the terminology is different.

I’m in Ireland too.Born and bred. It absolutely isn’t different 🤣

I’ve lived in Ireland my entire life. I’ve never used an unregistered childminder? Nor have any of my sisters or friends…