Nanny Newby - HELP!

[fresherk]

Hi there,

I am due to confirm the contract for my first nannying job this week and just wondering if there is anything I should particularly be adding/specifying with the family before I commit?

Particular questions...

1. What is the going rate for petrol?

2. The family are going to cover my business insurance - do I just get a quote for with and without and they pay the difference?

Thanks!

45p per mile. It is the max amount before it becomes taxable.

It is to help cover far more than just fuel. It is to go towards the cost of the car itself, maintaining the car to a good standard, road tax, insurance.

Who will supply carseats? Could be said that the mileage payment goes towards those as well, though an employer may provide them on a loan basis. Probably want to avoid taking them out frequently.

Insurance wise, pay it yourself. The insurance is to cover you, not them. It can be low cost to add, sometimes only an admin fee is charged to amend the policy, such as £20-£30.

When it comes to renewing policy, get quotes from specialist childcare insurance brookers like MortonMichel as well as your usual provider, to what level of cover is provided which may be more suitable.

Note, insurers do not always have the category: nanny. So an alternative that I have seen used on policies is Childminder. Its sort of the same in terms of motor cover as you are being paid as part of your childcare work to transport children in your care, not being paid as a taxi or mini-cab. Also some insurers will reclassify the vehicle as a minibus with a small number of seats.

Call your insurer, tell then about the change in circumstances and see what they can add to your policy.

45p per mile, and I would get quotes for business insurance, and if it costs xxx amount more i would ask/get the employers to pay the difference, as yes you are the one needing insurance but you only need it as of the job, so personally I feel that they should pay, tho not all on here may agree :)

I used to be a nanny and am now a cm and have never had to pay more for business use on my car insurance. I seem to remember an admin charge the first time I put it on, but it has never gone up because of carrying children around with me. I'm just with a normal insurance company, not a child carer specialised firm.

When I was a nanny, parents always provided car seats for their children to use. As a parent I would prefer this, they will then know they are the correct seat for their child to be in. As a cm, I use my own seat if I have the correct size one for the child or they provide one for me to use.

Ask them what they know about pensions auto-enrolment and what they are going to do about auto-enrolling you if you are still working for them in three years' time!

Ask which payroll company they are using. They may be doing it themselves, though they may not be aware they need to provide payslips, deduct tax and ni, pay employers ni.

Is the job via an agency? If so, with luck the agency has explained things they legally need to do.

Have they sent you a draft contract?

Thanks so much for all your replies!

They found me online on a childcare website, so we aren't using an agency. They seem really clued in, but it's their first time too for having a nanny.

They are planning to pay tax etc through nannytax and use their accountant. They have agreed to pay business insurance and I would definitely want to be covered. So is the general gist that they just pay the extra £20-30 or whatever? I have business insurance for my job currently which I pay a bit more for but according to my company it technically doesn't insure me to drive clients around - though I haven't checked that out.

They are also registering me with Ofsted - does anyone know exactly what this involves? They also are paying for my nanny insurance but that may be part of Ofsted.

It's all so confusing and not nearly as straightforward as it seems. So glad sites like this exist!

Yes they are sending me a draft contract before I meet them to sign it, I think thats more appropriate than being expected to read and sign at same time?

Regarding being ofsted reg they should pay the ofsted fee and poss your first aid one if you need to update/do one for it but you should pay your own nanny insurance as if you ever need to claim on it it would be like them claiming against themselves. I have found most company's now include the business use we need as nannies as standard in their quite well the ones I looked at did, just make sure if there is an option to add/include business use you do it.

Keep in mind you are their employee not an employee of a business they run, so their accountant may not do much. Nannytax will be able to sort it all out for them and if you have any tax queries you can call/email nannytax for advice.

What do you need to know about Ofsted registration? What training have you done?

You should pay for all insurance.

I am a fully qualified at NVQ level 3 in childcare, learning and development with seven years experience. I have worked in nurseries and then in childrens centres and the NHS neither of these two in childcare but in family support. Nannying and all its intricacies is new, as I have worked for large companies always with policies and procedures etc..!

I suppose with Ofsted registration I am wondering what it means for me? Do I need to complete profiles and will I be required to have planning paperwork showing I meet the EYFS criteria as in nurseries? Will I be required to supply information about my medical history to prove I am in good health? Will I be visited by Ofsted and if so, what do they expect from a nanny in order to meet requirements. Is it general safeguarding knowledge or is there much more as when inspected in a nursery?

I didn't request the family fund my insurance they just informed me they would be - never thought of it like that. So I assume I should tell them I need to fund that.

Also thanks again! ;)

Have your holiday entitlement clarified, I used to have 4 weeks paid leave a year not including bank holidays. Two of these weeks had to co inside with there main holiday, and the other two weeks were my choice. However they did mention that my two weeks would be better taken in term time if possible, which was not a problem as I did not have children then. Also any extra hours are they going to be paid or offered as time of in lieu.

I agree you definitely shouldn't pay for your nanny insurance. It's required for OFSTED but its ultimate purpose is to protect you.

You may be inspected, around 10% of nannies are yearly, but it's not like being a CM. I linked to this guide (scroll down until you find OFSTED inspection) on another thread recently and it goes through what you might be inspected on. EYFS etc doesn't feature and the safeguarding knowledge is fairly basic, just knowing the details of your local team and when you'd want to refer something on.

You'll find there's a big difference nannying from working in a nursery. The relationship is a lot closer, which can make things easier, but you need to be pretty on the ball with your rights and also your responsibilities because there aren't those policies and procedures in place. Talking to other nannies - here or on nanny specific messageboards like nannyjob - will help you gauge what's normal, what's legal but a bit unusual and when something is genuinely wrong.

As for carseats I always had carseats that I knew fitted into my car. Two were paid for by ex-employers who then donated them when I moved on, one I bought. I had a pretty small car though, so it was better to do that. Infant carriers will switch between quite easily.

Your level 3 will be fine to meet the requirements of Ofsted.

No EYFS, no medical, you may get a visit though I've been registered many years now and have not had a visit so it's pot luck if you get a visit or not.

If you have worked in a childcare setting in the same local authority area (or county) as you will be nannying in, then the safeguarding details will be the same - though you won't have a manager to go to with your concerns, you would go direct to the general contact for your area, or to the parents (if they were not a possible cause of the concern).

My unofficial guide to completing the Ofsted registration form

details about DBS checks - though follow any instructions given to you by Ofsted and please do let me know if they differ to what I have written.

Details about minimum holiday entitlement

As NomDeClavier says, it's the relationship between you and the parents which is different to working in an organisation. On the plus side, there is little in the way of office politics, no having to get on with lots of other people, but you have other issues that occur. Trust takes time to build up... they need to trust you and you need to trust them. It can be very lonely - no other adults to talk to during your working day. If your boss lets you, you can try to get to know other local nannies, local parents and grandparents, local childminders, and thus have other adults to meet up with at toddler group, at the park/playground.

I feel your biggest change will be that you are on your own, you need to think on your feet if something happens to you, your car, the children, the house. It's great when you find a family who you gel with, you can end up staying for many years. Be prepared for it to be different to nursery - at a nursery you may get a break, as a nanny you can't even go to the loo without a toddler following you!

Ok all really helpful information thanks for that. Lots to bear in mind but im prepared for it all! (I think!)

The family have already written into the contract I can have guests in their home, and that they will be happy for me to have guests when I do overnight stays on the proviso I confirm with them first.

One other question I have, in my contract they have stated "If you are required to work additional hours these will be paid at £10 per hour" This is my hourly rate anyway, should I be asking more for additional hours if out of social working hours? For instance if you do additional babysitting or do an overnight stay, do you increase your hourly rate?

Thanks

£10 an hour is still good even if that is your normal rate, I would however maybe ask about an additional £25 for any overnight stays, you may not be woken but then you may be up all night! I would also ask that they do not take the piss with extra hours, not quite sure how you would phrase and I know they will be busier at certain times of the year, but suddenly finding you are working an extra 30 hours one month is a lot IMO, maybe they can have a backup babysitter rather than relying solely on you.

Ok thanks Cath, so you would say £10ph + an additional set amount for overnight stays?

For babysitting just my normal rate?

Evening babysitting same rate as daytime nannying, keeps it easy that way as if needed you can agree to swap hours during one day for hours in evening on another day.

Are you expecting overnight's to happen? I don't find there is much call for it, though some employers may need that on occasion. Don't need to agree a rate for that now though, tackle that if the situation arises.

You refer to "my hourly rate" though like when working a nursery the employer is the one that dictates the salary. So if you are happy with the salary being proposed, then just go with that. Nannies work unsocial hours, it's part of the job. Whilst some nannies may be lucky to have fixed working hours of 8am-6pm, many nannies I expect start earlier, finish later and may finish a lot later if their boss gets delayed getting home. It's not a job where you can leave when the clock strikes the finish time, you can't leave children home alone. So things get built into the contract to cover overtime. Most employers do try to stick with the contracted start/finish time and if coming home late happens often, then I suggest the finish time is amended to reflect the actual time they get home. Hope that makes sense.

This is why the relationship is important, you need to trust your employer to make every effort to get home in time and they need to trust you to make every effort to arrive on time. Things happen, trains get delayed, roads get blocked, cars fail to start, snow and ice. A bit of give and take is needed sometimes, if it's snowing leave home earlier than usual even if that means starting work earlier, as it that happens it gives your boss more time to get to work.

Good to think about clauses in the contract but keep in mind that not everything can be covered in the contract, it's there to help both sides know what would happen in a given situation - so whilst it is overtime, that does not mean it's a different pay rate to usual unless both sides wanted it that way. Perfectly ok in my view to keep it the same rate, so hours can be juggled around if needed, rather than complicating payroll.

Thanks Nick. I feel they are really trustworthy so haven't any concerns at all there, just get a good vibe. Didn't want to think heart first then have fingers burnt later though.

I am happy with my hourly rate so have stuck with it as is. Thanks for the clarity !

I think the reason they want you registered with OFSTED is o they can use nursery vouchers to pay you. I looked into this when I had a nanny and decided against it.

I would check you are happy that if this is what they want o do. Check how long it takes the vouchers to convert to money in the bank.