What insurance do I need when employing a nanny?

[goingbacktowork]

I am at the stage where I will hopefully be employing my first nanny soon. Should I have any particular insurance in place for this? And if so what? I suspect I need to tell my house insurance provider about this but is there any particular other insurance I need to be looking at in addition? Should the nanny herself have any particular insurance?

Employers liability insurance is usually part of your home contents insurance... check your policy for the wording.

Nannies who are Ofsted registered (in England) will have public liability insurance. Even if not Ofsted registered, liability insurance is a good idea to have, should anything bad happen.
No idea on Scotland/Wales rules... expect registered childcarers would need to have liability insurance.

Nannynick spot on as always. The only other thing I would check up on is car insurance, if you want your nanny to drive as part of the job.

Morton Michel is the best known (though not the only) specialist provider of public liability insurance for childcarers. The website is quite informative, as is Ofsted (if you can find your way to the right bits, it's a nightmare navigationally)

My nanny was ofsted registerd but had just let this run out. she said the only benefits with it were that I could give her childcare vouchers (which I wont be doing) and I think she said she would be able to attend a refresher first aid course. She said ofsted has never come to "check her out" as they do with childdminders. Is that all ofsted do for nannies?

Would it therefore be unreasonable to ask her to get public liability insurance off her own back if she has no ofsted registration? Is this something I should be expected to pay for (what would be normal)? And if she can't get it can I take it out on her behalf?

Many thanks

Yep, that's all Ofsted does for nannies. Ofsted inspect 10% of nannies.

Anyone can do first aid courses whenever they like. Ofsted require them to be repeated every 3 years. Perhaps you could both do a course at the same time!

A professional nanny will still have:
Public liability insurance
First Aid training
Some kind of childcare training
Knowledge of child protection procedures in the area in which they work

Saying that though... there probably isn't that much chance you will claim against the policy... but it is there to protect her, so it's her choice to have it or not. 10 years ago I didn't have it.

You should NOT pay for insurance policies... as it is you who may need to make a claim against that policy.
Car policy is a bit different as it's your car... though do check with insurer if there are any issues.

Yes, she has to pay the premium for her own public liability insurance - if you pay, there's a conflict of interest which affects the validity of the policy. It's not a lot - £60-80 annually I think, but have a look eg at Morton Michel. Nor would it be at all difficult for her to get.

She might have let the Ofsted expire because the idea of being inspected is v unpopular with many nannies - lots of internet discussion about it. No actual scare stories about bad inspections, just the anxiety of the whole idea of being inspected. So if it's no good to you I wouldn't insist on her renewing it. In an odd way it's in your interests as it means she's got less 'employability' advantages & so less likely to be poached from you!

regardless if she is ofsted registered, she should def have nanny insurance

any professional childcarer should

maybe she let her registration run out as wasnt working and then no point paying out £103 for something she may not use (as you dont use the vouchers, same as my boss's cant)

nanny insurance with morton michel is £71 or £65 is ofsted reg a year

is it reasonable to say one of the requirements of the job is she should have this? and as per earlier posts I should not pay for it? Is this an fair/unfair request? Thanks

It's not yet always the norm that (outside Ofsted-registered carers) people have insurance, so it's not something that it's automatically reasonable to expect without raising - but I think it is completely reasonable for you to say that for your job you would like someone with their own insurance. If she's been Ofsted registered before she will know that it is expected for that, so it won't be a surprise or seem completely unusual - and if she's a professional like blondes she will just think it sensible. She will also know the position on having to pay the premium herself.

If she refuses, then I think that will tell you she may not be a good fit for you - so a useful test.

thanks all for the advice - will see what she says.