Advice please!?

[bec88]

Hi everyone!

Sometime in the next few months I am going to be childminding two children in their own home fulltime.

I was just wondering what insurance I will need? and also the childs mother is a single parent and obviously can claim childcare expences back if I am registerd with ofsted, only ofsted say I dont need to register as its in their home, how can she still claim childcare costs?

any advice welcome!

Don't know whether this will be any help \link{http://www.childcareapprovalscheme.co.uk\here} also you could maybe ring ncma's freephone on 0800 169 4486 open monday-friday 10 - 4 iirc HTH

As a registered childminder, you are a registered childminder only when minding at your own home (to my knowledge) - after all, your registration certificate states the premises address.

So, if you are working in the home of the children, then that would have fallen under the old Home Childcarer scheme (which is no longer in existance). The scheme has been replaced by CAS (Childcare Approval Scheme), which you would need to register with separately to your Ofsted registration I believe. At the moment I'm on Ofsted's system and on the system run by CAS... it's a pain in the bum and WILL change at some point over the next few years, following the introduction of the Childcare Act 2006. (At least, that's how I understand that Act currently, Ofsted will have a List A and a List B).

So, moving on to your precise questions.
Insurance - you will need to check your existing policy to see if it covers you, it might, or it might not. If it doesn't, then Morton Michel do a Nanny policy which would be suitable.

As a single parent, your employer MAY be able to claim back via Tax Credits, if you are registered with CAS (see above) as you are caring for her children at her home.

However, as a Registered Childminder, you could care for the children at YOUR home, and thus she could then claim via the usual method as you are registered with Ofsted.

The thing you haven't asked about here is your Employment Status... as it's likly to change!
When you care for ONE family only, and care for the children in the family home, you are not a Childminder - thus are no longer Self Employed.

As the care is Full Time, I highly suspect you will be classed as an Employee, so your employer should register as an Employer, and make deductions on your behalf for your Tax and NI (plus pay employers NI).

Oh doesn't this all get rather messy. Is she SURE she doesn't want you to care for the children at YOUR home... surely that would be the easy soluition.

Looking after them in their home means you will be a nanny

therefore the parenst will be your employers and are obliged to pay your taxes and NI contributions etc and their employers NI contributions as well.

This is how the law works in this country and there is no way around it. If they dont (or dont want to) the risk a £3000 fine!

Morton Micheal do a great nanny insurance policy (£60 per year) which should cover all your needs as a nanny.

You CAN still register as a nanny and the parenst can use the 'voucher' things to oay you.... you need a CRB check, first aid certificate, and child care qualification (minimum NVQ level 3 to be a nanny (I THINK!!!) + it costs £90 ot there abouts) Its called the child care approval scheme

Dont forget being an employee is good (for us!)....

you get sick pay, maternity pay, redundancy pay etc (as long as you have worked for enough time etc!)

If you use your car with the children in it make sure its got buisness class 1 cover as well, cause that is compulsory!

yes jura im sure you are right....

i new it was something, so you DONT have to be qualified as long as you have done "that" course!

Also i think that being approved allows you to use the vouchers, but nor sure about the tax credits... i thinks its normally irrelevant as isnt there a cut off for tax credits... which in order to be able to afford a nanny, pretty much means you dont qualify for tax credits?

also becc... as you will be working as a nanny make sure you get nanny wages

Uh, I don't know if this parent is really going to sign up to all of this. I expect bec88 might be taking these kids back to her house.

Now, just wondering, what if bec88 goes to the children's house everyday, gets them ready and does al the other things nannies do, then takes them back to her house and they actually spend the majority of the time at her house. Then, is she a childminder? Shade of grey?

That's what I need. A tax free childminder that does delivery.

Just kidding lovely nanny of mine if you are reading!!!

Somebody round here needs to thin outside the box you know.

So, Jura, are we ever going to meet up in or around Kingston?

Yes. But sometimes I sneak out on Thurs evening when DH come home from Brum.... You know what. This is a total hijack so let's go to our own new thread.

\link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?rn=94118&topicid=1368&threadid=155873&redir=94118\our Kingston meet up}