Nanny Insurance - who pays?

[confusedpixie]

A topic elsewhere has bugged me and now I want other opinions:
Would you offer to pay for your nanny's insurance?
Would you hire somebody who didn't have insurance?
Should a parent be allowed to pay for a nannies insurance?
Is insurance something you see as a must for professional nannies or are you not bothered?

For any legal minds: Do you know if there could be legal implications to a parent paying the insurance, because I'm sure there would be if a claim was made!

Nanny should pay for it of course

No. First Aid/CPD, CRB and OFSTED registration I am prepared to pick up the tab for. Insuring someone against their own carelessness I am not.

No. Anyone who works without it but knows about it isn't taking their profession seriously IMO. It's a shocking disregard for the risks attached to caring for children, a failure to acknowledge their own fallibility and an expectation that parents will let a serious incident slide. Short-sightedness and an inability to plan for contingencies are not good qualities in a nanny.

No, partly because I think it would be complicated and partly because it would enable less conscientious nannies to absolve themselves if responsibility.

Yes, see 2.

Nannies being obliged to have insurance came about with OFSTED registrations a few years ago. For many parents the OFSTED rego is only important so they can use childcare vouchers. (Fair enough I think, as the checks OFSTED do are close to pointless). The insurance and Ofsted rego are often paid for by the parents, or they offer to split the cost, as it's an expense that saves them a lot of money each year. FRAK I don't understand why you think paying your nanny's First aid cert is ok but not her insurance cost?

Because if the company can wriggle out of paying on the grounds that the employer (having paid for the cover and then claiming) is invalidating that cover or committing fraud then they will. It's like me taking out a life insurance policy on DH and slipping him some arsenic. The beneficiary shouldn't be the one paying the premium. Also I think there's a danger that employers will think they've paid so they may as well claim and I would be uncomfortable with paying for my nanny to access (for example) legal advice which wouldn't work in my favour (not that I think I treat her unfairly but I pay for legal cover on my house insurance and my professional insurance to advise me).

First Aid OTOH is of clear benefit to me/DS and no tangible benefit to our nanny.

Besides, insurance became obligatory for OFSTED but existed long before that. I personally think all nannies should have it whether registered or not. Tying it up with registration for childcare vouchers gives rise to the 'you only need it for OFSTED' argument and one cannot easily serve 2 masters.

I would NOT pay for my nannies insurance

I would NEVER employ a nanny who was happy to work without insurance... extreamly un proffesional IMO.... Regardless of being ofstead or not (ofstead wouldnt directly benefit us so i also wouldnt be paying for ofstead either)

I am not bothered about qualifications, or even having done the most up-to date first aid, (so long as she has done one, that would be fine for me as a mummy) BUT if she implied that she did / was or would work without insuring herself then i wouldnt interview further as no point wasting any more of my time.

and of course she should pay, for the reasons outlined above.

When i nannied i always had insurance, from way before ofstead required .

Thanks for replying all :) glad to see that most people feel the same way about it!