Part-time nanny/Mother's help question

[bondgirl77]

Hi all

I notice that in some threads people are suggesting a sort of 'mother's help' idea as an alternative to people who are looking for part-time/school hours nannies.

How does this arrangement work? Is it a private arrangement you make between yourselves or do you have to do CM/Nanny qualifications to do this? Wasn't there that story in the papers a while back about two women who provided one another's childcare in this sort of way and they got caught out for some reason - perhaps it was a tax avoidance thing I can only remember the details REALLY sketchily!

Only asking because thinking of offering my services to a friend who is desperately seeking childcare this September for her two DCs, but I have my own who I would want to bring with me to the house.

Thanks!

A friend of mine is a nanny. Unqualified. She says that if you look after children in theor own home, it is fine, you do not have to be qualified and you can be paid cash etc.
If you look after the children in your home and want to be paid for it, you need to be registered.
If you want to look after them in your home without being registered, you can only be paid in goods and services.
This last option is what a friend of mine did for me for 6 months whilst I worked. She had my ds's at her house and I did her food shopping and cooked meals.

Thanks SilveryMoon. Do you know what the tax situation is then? Did you come to any formal arrangement with your friend? As it would be potentially a long-term arrangement whilst all our DCs go on through school I think it would need to be arranged a bit more formally and I would want to put all those arrangements in place.

Well, I wasn't paying her so she didn't pay tax.
No formal agreement just verbal that she would look after my kids for as long as she was happy too.
I gave her 2 weeks notice when I resigned from my job.

Unqualified is fine. Tax is the employer's responsibility.

If someone is paid to look after children in the child's home they are exempt from compulsory registration but become an employee. There are no requirements for any kind of checks or qualifications or insurance (although IMO anyone without insurance is very foolish). There is a requirement for a contract/written statement of employment, paid holidays, minimum wage if live out, employer's liability insurance and for the employer to deduct tax and NI from wages and pay employer's NI. Then there are optional extras depending on the situation - for example business class insurance on your car if you're transporting the children in it.

You can look after children in their own home but it is like any other fom of work where you are employed by somebody: They must pay your tax and NI contributions (assuming they are paying you with money and not favours)!

When I look for a mother's help, it will be for a combination of cleaning, helping in the kitchen, bathing kids etc and babysitting while I run quick errands etc. I would imagine/plan to be around most of the time. I wouldn't expect a mother's help to have the same responsibility as a nanny, it would be more like babysitting when I am not around. Sorry to hijack thread, but would this really require a contract with paid holidays rather than being a bit more adhoc like having a weekly cleaner? I'd want to do it all properly but seems to me that everyone I know pays cash in hand as for cleaning as though the individual is self employed. Can someone explain the legalities for me (as also affects nationality my help would be - if fully employed by me, it pretty much excludes Romanians/Bulgarians as they are only allowed to take self employed work). Sorry if this is all a silly question.

Basically if they're on your home doing as you say when you say and have to turn up each week then you need a contract, paid holiday s and PAYE in place.

If, like a cleaner, they tell you what their availability is, have multiple clients and can decide not to come one week/shift their hours around then they could be seen as self-employed. Cash in hand for cleaning probably is to a self-employed cleaner who self-assessrs tax and pays NI independently.

It's worth doing it right because if HMRC decide you should have been employing the person, even if both of you were okay with the arrangement, you're the one who potentially ends up with a £3k fine plus back paymemts with interest.

Employed status excludes some Romanians and Bulgarians although others have a blue card or a certificate allowing them to take any job but you need to check carefully. In general, unless you're 100% sure, I'd steer clear as the penalties for illegal employment can be severe and it's your responsibility.

Hi

I live in Hounslow Heath with my 2 children (age 11 and 7 ) and husband. I am looking for an after school nanny/mothers help who will pick up my 7 year old son from school, come home and wait for my daughter who will be walking home from secondary school. I am looking for someone who can look after them from 3pm to 6pm 3 times a week. I would like someone to be able to take them to them to after school activities and also look after them at my home. The schools are in close vicinity to my home. I am looking for someone who has experience with childcare, lives locally and has a car. This is a long term contract (2 to 3 years) with the possibility of it extending to 5 working days. If you know anyone that maybe interested can you please let me know.

You might be better off starting your own thread rather than reanimating a 3 year old one......