Advice needed re: caring for 16 year old SEN child

[screamadelica]

Hi All,

I work as a learning support assistant part time at a mainstream high school. The child I used to support has turned 16 and will start college in Sept. She has various disabilities ( I have worked with her from age 11) and really needs full time care.

Her mum has asked me to care (babysit) for her daughter when she is not at college, 1 day a week and maybe some weekend / evenings too.

As I am a single parent and have been looking to supplement my income
this seems the perfect solution.
As the child is 16 I think she does not yet qualify for direct payments from social services for a carer so I think this would have to be purely an arrangement between us...Am I right?

Obviously I would need an accountant to sort tax and NI and all legalities regarding her payment to me.

Does anyone on here have any info, advice, positive or negative.

I would really appreciate it.
Thanks in advance

This guide from Cambridge County Council is a useful read (pdf).

Direct payments are until age 19. Carers are often an employee, unless working via an agency. So it would be up to the girls parents to do the payroll (they can outsource that to a payroll agency).

May be worth asking on the Special Needs: Children board about how parents pay for a carer for their child.

Thanks for that!!