Meeting mother's helps and nanny's tomorrow - what to ask, how to pay them etc....

[lucy101]

Hi there - I haven't done this before and am meeting some lovely sounding possible mother's help/nannies tomorrow and just wondering if anyone could advise me on whether I need to see certificates for CRB etc. and also whether I ask them to organise their own tax and insurance etc.

I was planning on asking for references which I would follow up early next week.

I am only looking for someone to help me for an hour or two maybe three times a week.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

You should ask them what paperwork they have - CRBs, qualifications, first aid certificates.

As an employer you will typically need to organise tax and a contract - lots of helpful posts on MN as they are likely to have another job so even if you pay below the threshold you'll need to operate PAYE.

They should have their own insurance (specialist childcare insurance) but you will need employer's liability - check to see whether your household policy covers this as some don't.

Questions to ask depends what the job involves - as it's for short periods of time I imagine it will be shared charge so it's more about whether you feel you can get on with them and whether they'll do what you need.

Hi, I'm doing it for the third time next week!

Very few nannies can be self employed.

www.nannytax.co.uk/nanny-agencies/useful-information/self-employment

There's quite a few who are registered as self employed, alot of Turkish, Romanian nationals are only allowed to work on a self employed basis. But strictly speaking you're not allowed to employ them as nannies.

I ask to see their VISAs/passports, copy of their CRB and references. If they don't have a CRB you have to ask another company to process one as we can't do it themselves.

I've never interviewed or employed a nanny/mother's help with their own insurance before. For a part-time nanny its questionable whether you need employers liability anyway

I always ask them to go on a first aid course before starting if they don't have a certificate. I paid for it with my first nanny with the proviso if she stayed less than 6 months, she would pay me back.

At this time of year, its worth asking how long they want to stay as there's quite a few people who just want to stay til end of Summer.

as frak says above it is really important you get on with them if there's going to be shared care.

Hope it goes well

hi, im a nanny. they should have a portfolio. in it should be their original cv-you should of already seen a copy, references and certificates-and usually other little bits that varies from portfolio to portfolio such as example meal plans, activities, bits and pieces from previous jobs etc.
they should have a valid first aid-or have done one in the past and willing to redo it, for example mine runs out this month but i cant renew it til i get a job, a CRB (although bearing in mind they are invalid the monite you get one and i you need them to become registered they will need another one anyway so dont be put off if they have had them in the past but not got an upto date one, just as long as u see the previous ones), insurance they should get but for example i will renew mine when i get a new job because atm i am in between work so i would be wasting my money as its valid for a year so i am wasting it if i get it now and i would need to change the details anyway when i get a job. so first aid/crb/insurance are things your new nanny should be willing to get to work for you, but they may not have it currently if that makes sense.
you need to sort out tax and NI, if you talk gross you will know exactly how much your nanny will cost and they will be reassured that you wont be fiddling it.
you need to ask things like discipline, flexibility and find out if they are ok at working with parents around,a lot o people arent and i imagine you would need someone who is.

Charlie - can I just ask why you can't do your first aid until you get a job?

Hello
Charlie gives lots of sensible information.

Just thought is add you may find it tricky to find someone for "an hour or two maybe three times a week.". You are talking 6 hours max, probably.

Of course you may find someone, but i cant imagine someone wanting such a small number of hours, especially spread over 3 days!

Thanks ladies - I am not on here much as my baby is having a bit of a feeding/colic nightmare and I barely have time to brush my teeth!

We did find a couple of suitable people - maybe it is easier in London to find people who already have a part-time job and want another for the extra hours.

I am still unsure whether as in at least one case they have a job in a school how it works with PAYE etc. If it's under 10 hours a week do I still have to do all of this?

The role is more mother's help than nanny I think too.

As it's a second job they're likely to use all of their personal allowance in their first job, which means they'll probably be on a BR tax code with you - [[http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/codes-basics.htm tax codes explained].

You'll need to give them a P46 as they can't provide you with a P45 because that's linked to their first job. Then they'll tick the box saying that they have another job and HMRC will sort out the tax coding. This is why it's especially important for you to agree a gross wage with them - that way there are no nasty surprises.

It's relatively simple to do. There's software which works out the deductions and you just provide them with payslips showing their gross wage, the tax and NI you've deducted (which you then pay to HMRC on their behalf) and their net pay (which you pay to them).

You should, however, be below the threshold for employer's NI as that's done on a job by job basis.

Good luck with the feeding/sleeping!

Let's try that link again tax codes explained

Thank you frakyouveryverymuch - will get my head around it all now (or get DH too as I am a bit braindead!)

Marking, as I am also interested in these answers!