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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Qualifications/ checks required?

13 replies

Flossbert · 14/07/2010 13:23

Long story short, my MIL has decided to pack in her job and look after my 5 month old daughter pretty much full time, at no cost to me, and to make a bit of money by looking after two other little ones (as yet unidentified) in my house.

Anyway, can you please enlighten me as to what legal requirements there are to setting yourself up as a childminder? Presumably some people MUST do it without being registered, as such? What are people's experiences of such informal arrangements? What insurance would I or she require?

What I'm actually looking for is reasons for her not to do it. It sounds like a generous offer, but this is just the short version - please believe me when I say there are strings attached!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

SuperDuperJezebel · 14/07/2010 13:27

If she wants to look after your DD in your home, alongside other children, then she would be a nanny and would not need to be registered. However nannies cannot care for children from more than two families at one time. To look after children from 3 or more families she would need to be a registered childminder in her own home. I'm fairly sure childminders cannot look after more than one under 1 at a time without special exemption from ofsted. Hopefully someone who knows more will come along soon to explain further!

nannynick · 14/07/2010 13:34

Do you want her to look after your DD or do you want to put her off doing that?

ViveLaFrak · 14/07/2010 13:38

The 3 families rule is correct.

I wouldn't allow her to look after the other children as you're not employing her, so it's not a share. If it were a share with a contract etc she could get nanny insurance without needing to be registered but by the sounds of it she'll just be childminding from your home which she does need to be registered for and I wouldn't put myself in that position.

I don't know if nanny insurance covers you when caring for children you're related to...

Original poster

Flossbert · 14/07/2010 13:42

I'd like to put her off doing all of it, tbh. She's going to be bankrupt in a couple of months and views this as a way of earning some money cash-in-hand. We're trying to come up with alternatives, but she seems certain that this is 'best for everyone'.

OP posts:

ViveLaFrak · 14/07/2010 13:54

Except for you...

If she has an accident she's not an employeewuth a contract so any liability insurance you had wouldn't cover her.
If she does it cash in hand the other parents will get done for non-payment of tax and NI.
If, heaven forbid, one if the children in her care has an accident and she has no insurance it could be horrific, especially if it's in your house as if they fell down your stays they might feel you were liable.

If you don't mind her looking after DD there are ways to do it properly where you pay her and it covers both of you. She doesn't need to be registered and you can employ her so it's all above board if she needs the money.

nannynick · 14/07/2010 14:01

Having MIL visit you 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year probably isn't something you want, so her working there could be even worse.

I don't feel she can be your nanny as you won't be paying her. Caring for a granddaughter can be done without registration.

Caring for other children would mean she would need to register as a childminder and use your home as the registered address, thus your home would be inspected by the regulator. Tell her you don't want to have the regulator impose conditions on what you can and can't have in your home.

Your home insurer may refuse to provide buildings & content cover - so her childminding would increase your home insurance costs.

Your household expenses would increase, such as power comsumption.

Even if she did register as a childminder, would be unlikely to be able to care for more than 1 under 1 initially.

If caught childminding illegally it is up to a level 5 fine... which can mean prison. Reality is that it is rare for anyone to even be fined, yet alone go to prison - but she doesn't need to know that.

Original poster

Flossbert · 14/07/2010 14:19

Thanks for your help, oh wise MNers! I now have a few persuasive points to present to her. I do want to help her out, but I don't want her to use my house for a dodgy CM business, and I don't want her to look after just my daughter on her own, so we'll just have to come up with something else for her to do!

OP posts:

ViveLaFrak · 14/07/2010 14:32

Could she be a nanny for someone else (presumably she has someone in mind if she had plans for 2 other little ones) and take your DD along?

Original poster

Flossbert · 14/07/2010 18:10

She has no-one in mind - she expected a couple of mums from my ante-natal group would want to leave their children with her! Failing that, she was going to put a card up in a shop window. Even if she could find someone else to nanny for, we'd be back to the issue of her wanting to do it cash in hand, and I imagine most people would want something like childcare to be as straight-up as possible. But it might be worth putting the word around. She's not inexperienced with children and I'm sure she'd be very good at it really.

OP posts:

xoxcherylxox · 14/07/2010 18:39

could she not just register as a childminder in her own house and your daugher can go there and she can then advertise for other children

Original poster

Flossbert · 14/07/2010 20:20

She doesn't know where she'll be living, as she's losing her home when she goes bankrupt. It's likely that she'll be renting a one bedroom flat. What does registering as a childminder entail? Does she need to pass qualifications, or just, literally, register herself?

OP posts:

pippin26 · 14/07/2010 20:49

I agree with all thats been said, the first thing that sprung to my mind - she would be illegally childminding in YOUR home and what if a child had an accident. It wouldn;t bode well for her or you. It would be the type of sensationalist news event the media lap up.

To reg as a minder, she would need to contact her local early years team or families information service and they will put her in touch with the next pre-reg meeting where they will explain everything about childminding. Next would be attending a course - the Introudction to Childminding Practice and a 12hr pedatric first aid course. In amongst this she would be registering with Ofsted, first a suitable persons and premises check, get the CRB and medical declaration rolling. Once she is issued with a certificate you get your insurances sorted and away you go. The whole process can take between 4-8 months.

pippin26 · 14/07/2010 20:51

Just realised that my first paragraph seems a bit off - I didn't mean that I wasn't concerned about a child potentially hurting themselves - (your MIL would not I presume have first aid knowledge), it would be the insurance and social services involvement I meant that would be media fodder.

think I am explaining myself badly!!!

Flip