Babysitting services.

[lagoonhaze]

Am a mature student and could do with some extra cash - plus perhaps a chance to read a book/study??

The area I live is very seasonal and low paid and I am unsure what rate to set?

Obvioiusly there is the consideration of possibly needing to pay tax if I reach the threshold too and the cost of petrol if travelling.

Any tips on advertising? Gaining work. I have my own children so do have experience but my only babysitting jobs were as a teenage.

Thanks

sitters.co.uk are across the country - give it a go and find a babysitter. As a mum of two young children I prefer people who are mums. Rates between £6.50 and £10.00 per hour where I live.

sitters won't employ you unless you have paid childcare experience, not just your own children.
Put an ad on childcare.co.uk and also a little card in the newsagent window.
We go to cornwall fairly often, is that the sort of area you live in? Generally in the winter or low/mid season we pay £6/hour for babysitting. In the summer rates do go up to around £8/hour.
If you're near a big hotel you could approach them too. Generally the hotels charge their clients more, but take a cut off it! We actually had to pay £12/hour in one hotel last year - never again!

Thank you everyone. Yes Karoleann - thats where I am!

I think I will start with shop windows in areas Im willing to travel to and childcare.co.uk/sitters.co.uk

Lots of hotels nearby. May contact them and see what services they have although they would of course that a cut etc.

I have a CRB check as Im a student social worker but of course whilst thats reassuring there is nothing quite like recommmendation.

What sort of things do you expect from a babysitter? I dont leave mine yet (apart from with partner) as not reliable to go to sleep/stay asleep.

Nannyjob, Gumtree and netmums are also good places to advertise.

CRB check and First Aid would be highly desirable. What you neied to do depends on the age of the children and the time you start, as well as where you are (hotel/holiday rental/second home).

It might be worth getting your own website and have clients leave brief testimonials on there as a way if collecting references.

Thank you everyone. Im going to get some assignments done and then look into this.

Might be worth putting a note through the doors of privately-owned holiday houses. People typically go on holiday to Cornwall with littlies and are then desperate for a night out without them. Obv most people are not going to leave their kids with a stranger, but if you got to know a family who come down regularly then it's a mutually beneficial arrangement.

My SiL has a house in Cornwall, they found a lovely lady who babysat for all of us for years and years, all the kids, cousins and visitors loved her and she made a tidy supplement to her widows pension whenever any of us went down.

Thank you cq. I will do that.

Im happy to do childcare for weddings too so may contact some venues as well.

Ps If anyone is in mid cornwall and needs a babysitter give me a shout!

If you're doing wedding childcare you'll need to look into the insurance issue and find someone reliable to do it with you if you'll have children from more than one family.

Thank you I didnt mean for a group more for local families etc looking for someone to have them for the afternoon/evening! Otherwise all gets a bit complicated.

I would look out for cottages etc which are geared towards children. We stayed at a cottage that was part of a set thats name escapes me that was specifically geared at young children. This was about 4 years ago and we paid £8 per hour - she was booked up every evening

Thank you will do some research as our local area has lots of lovely places that attract tourists.

When choosing a babysitter what do you look for? Obviously I have no formal childcare experience but im raising my own!

Would I be expected to bath and put them to bed? Its hard to gauge expectations as no one has ever babysat mine and my teenage experience were model twins and sole care of a baby and her siblings at 16 in the day.

Hi, Bosinver Cottage is the name of the place its come back to me now. You could maybe get flyers made up and get them distributed to rental cottages.

I look for a babysitter who is CRB checked and recommended by the property owners/letting agency. I would expect the person to have prior experience of babysitting so you may need to build that up locally before going wider. I wouldn't expect a babysitter to bath our child, but I would want them to put DS to bed, but I'm not sure if other people are different

Bosinver is very lovely. Will build up my local experience first and go from there. Am registering on childcare.co.uk etc too.