Advice please

[Bubblensqueak123]

Hi, my friend has asked if I would mind her baby son for a day a week, as I'll be at home that day with my baby. I am just after a bit of advice if anyone can help about what I'd need to do legally. Hope this is the right forum!

If you do it in her home I think it would be baby sitting?

In your home it would be childminding so you'd need insurance

Will she pay you though ?
I guess in her home you'd be a nanny
Hopefully someone more knowledgable will answer

In her house fine, in your house you need to be a registered childminder-if she is paying you. No payment no issue. However, speaking as a childminder would anyone know? Will she be paying cash? Will you be declaring the income to hmrc?

superram you sound like you're encouraging OP to act illegally!!
The big issue if you mind illegally in your home is if there is an accident yourself and your friend would be in a lot of trouble.
At your friend's house, fine.
At your house for more thsan 2 hours and for paymeny you need to be a registered CM.
People do get to find out quite often as CM's often twig and report as it is of course taking business away from them ( illegally)

What country are you in? Will your friend be paying you anything? Will your friend be providing care for your child in exchange?

Do you want to commit to being able to do it every week? You really need to think about that.

Do you want to mind her baby son?

As Adsy says in your home for more than 2 hours you legally must be registered childminder. This is for safety of the children.

At her house you do not need to be registered but again it is about the children.

If you are home that day with your son, would you rather just enjoy doing things with your son than having to mind another child?

"i'll be home that day" does that mean you are not home other days? Is this your day to do anything you want, yet you are thinking of doing work for someone?

She'd

Oops! She's be paying me to do it but wants to start from next month. I'll be working part time so would give me. Day to myself with my little one still. Eventually I would consider doing childminding as main income... However I would want to do it legitimitely and am not sure what would entail - presumably as a minimum a tax return, a crb check and home insurance but wondered if anyone else had started off with an informal arrangement whilst getting set up? It would be in my home. Thanks all

If it is for 2 hours or longer and you are in England, then being paid for it will result in you breaching childcare law.

To become a childminder, contact your local authority. You will need to do a training course (CYPOP5 or something else your local authority provides) do a 12 hour paediatric fist aid course, probably do other courses such as food hygiene. You will need suitable childminder insurance, will need to keep business records which includes cash accounting, you would get a DBS check as part of the registration process with Ofsted, you would need to complete a self assessment tax return.

The setup process can take 6 to 9 months and could cost you around £500 (cost varies as in some areas there may be some subsidy of courses).

As has already been said on here, to get around having to register as a childminder, you need to provide the care At The Child's Home, which would make you the families nanny (so minimum wage and employment legislation would apply).

Do not do informal arrangements, care for a friends child for free by all means but once payment is involved then formalise it.

Thanks so much everyone, much appreciated!