CMs: is there a minimum age for an assistant?

[luckylou]

My friend and I are co-childminders who are considering employing an assistant on an ad-hoc basis; we're hoping for someone who can cover for either of us in the event of illness.

Does anyone know if there's a minimum age for assistants, or do they have to be over 18? We're considering, among others, a 16 year old and for a number of reasons she's the person we'd most like to appoint (expense isn't one of those reasons!)

My daughter is 17, she cannot be left unattended with mindees nor will my numbers be raised until she is 18. She has paediatric first aid and enhanced CRB and works alongside me on occasion as an assistant.

My daughters were registered as my assistants as each of them turned 16, although only really for occasional help during school holidays etc. if I had extra children to look after. I only ever did it with the knowledge and consent of parents.

My registration certificate stated clearly that, although I would still only be able to mind 6 children under the age of 8 years, they could all be under the age of 5 years with an assistant present, with all the usual constraints about not leaving children unattended with an assistant. They were all named on my registration certificate.

All the parents happily gave written permission for my daughters to look after their children in an emergency - this only happened on one occasion when one of my daughters had to be taken to A&E, and I left two toddlers with another daughter.

According to the Ofsted website
Children on the childcare register (ie 5+) can only be left with an assistant with permission from Ofsted (stated on certificate) and written permission from parents and that the assistant must be aged 18 or over.
On the Early years register it just says must comply with ratios as shown in the eyfs ie only assistants aged 17 and over can count in ratios and therefore under 17's cannot be left in sole charge and do not allow cm's to increase their numbers.

Thanks for the answers so far.

Still not quite sure where we stand as we don't intend to leave the asistant in sole charge and we aren't looking to increase our numbers at all. We only want an assistant for emergency cover. I suppose if only assistants aged 17+ can count in ratios we can't do that with a 16 year old - we mind up to 6 under 5s at any one time, no over 5s.

Ah well.

I think you would be better off with a 17+ sole charge can also mean if one of you is in another part of the building ie: a carer in the garden and one in the house or toileting etc, makes more sense to me to have someone you can use fully.

Good point atworknotworking; she couldn't be left alone with children even for a few minutes.

Helpful answers, thanks.