unqualified childminder

[Cakehead]

I'm looking around for a childminder at the moment and have been put in touch with a woman who's starting the approval process. She has no formal training or qualifications in childcare, but is about to undertake her first course. I liked her a lot and she has a little girl with learning difficulties who I met, so she's a mum herself. The problem is, I don't know whether it seems right to trust my DS with someone with no formal status as such. I'm also guessing she's not insured as yet. But she seems really nice and spent a morning with me and DS and got on with him really well. She's willing to come to our house to look after our LO while she trains up. Does this seem right to other CMs? I'm not worried about the money as such, although I noticed she was charging the same rate as other CMs. But I'd really appreciate some advice as to whether this is an acceptable childcare solution for us? Is there anything else I should think of? Was going to ask for a CRB check...

If she is going through the childminding process she will be getting a CRB check done but can take time to come back.
She shouldnt be looking after your LO in her own home as yet. Does she know how long before she will be a CM? When do u need her to start? Im sure but dont quote me if she looks after your LO in your home she will be acting as a nanny and dont think she will need any qualification for that! I would spend a little more time with her and get to know a bit more about her. Why dont you visit another CM? How did u find out about her?

She's actually the sister of a friend and the idea was that she'd come to our house for a couple of days a week. From the way I understood it, she needed to be doing a certain amount of childcare hours a week while going through her course. Sorry - not very clear on quite what course she was doing - but it did mean that she needed to care for someone else's child, away from her own. I need her to start in the New Year.

I've just called another childminder who I saw had a really positive Ofsted report and she told me that she wouldn't really talk today as it was Sunday!? That kind of put me off, although it probably shouldn't...

Is that right that to nanny you don't need formal qualifications. Obviously I've read about some very well qualified ones, but I've also been surprised that people have advertised themselves as a nanny without any qualification whatsoever. God, it's all new to me... Thanks for the reply!

I wouldn't be impressed either by someone who can't be bothered to talk to a potential client on a Sunday. That would mean that I would have to talk to her from work, and I don't like to do that.

It is true that you can hire anyone you like (within emplyment law) to be your nanny. But, the burdon of being an employer is not one to embark on without carful consideration. Lots of responsibilities come with being an employer. Although, having a nanny also has it's benefits.

Cakehead: Try not to be put off by a childminder not wanting to discuss business on a Sunday / weekend. I thought that I would put across another view to boowila's

I am a childminder & believe it or not, we do have a life outside of childminding I would not assume that because a childminder does not discuss business at the weekend that it is because she cannot be 'bothered'. Up until very recently, I was working long hours during the week 7.30 - 9pm some evenings & made a conscious decision not to speak to potential clients nor invite them around at weekends to view my setting either; this is not because I cannot be bothered but because for me, weekends is the time that I spend quality time with 'my' family & catch up with all the usual things that people do at weekends. Some potential clients have made time themselves to contact me during the evening.

I think that you should think about what sort of childcare you want; ie a nanny (she comes to your home) or an Ofsted Registered childminder (childcare takes place in her home). You need really to find out exactly what course she is doing etc; has she done a Paediatric First Aid course? & you rightly mention a CRB / Public Liability Insurance.

Before I was registered, I was in a similar situation, I cared for a child in their home until my Certificate came through but I had already acquired my First Aid Cert/undergone my ICP course.

Hope this is of some help to you.

as tan said, i really wouldnt be put off by cm not wanting to talk on a sunday.and im sure it isnt because she cant be bothered. childminding is a buisness that mostly runs from mon to fri.im sure most people in whatever job would not appreciate a client calling them to discuss buisness at the weekend!
anyway......i think as someone else said you need to have a good long think about the type of childcare you want,nanny/cm etc... and go with your gut instinct,if you are happy for an unregistered cm to care for your ds in their own home then go for it,it was an option i was considering whilst in the registration process.
having said that...(im going to contradict myself now!) i dont know if i would leave a child with someone who hasnt got her crb or first aid yet.

Sounds to me as though perhaps she is doing some kind of childcare course aimed at nursery workers, rather than workers in a home setting - not sure though, hard to tell... knowing course title would help.

Liking a potential carer is always a big plus point. Seeing how they react with your child and feeling positive after that event is also a major plus point.
No formal training isn't always a negative thing, after all, as a parent what training do you have for raising a child? As she is already on some kind of course, that shows some commitment to doing training... though I'm not sure the course she is doing is for Childminding specifically.

Until she is a Registered Childminder she won't be able to have Childminder Insurance. If she works at your home as a nanny, then Morton Michel can provide Public Liability/nanny insurance.

By coming to your home, she would be your employee. If the amount you are paying is over £84 a week (I think the amount is), you will need to register as an employer and make Tax/NI deductions.

Getting a CRB check done for a nanny can be tricky, though if she is registering as a childminder then she will get one done that way eventually. If undergoing Nanny Approval (you mention approval process, rather than registration process), then will get one that way as well. Another way to get one, is for her to register with a nanny agency and ask the agency to do an Enhanced Level CRB check (cost £40-£50 typically via a nanny agency).

If coming to your home as a nanny, then you need to consider what happens regarding her own child... will her daughter also come... did you DS get on with her daughter?

With regard to calling a Business on a Sunday (childminders are a business), I feel that if the Business answers the phone, then they should be prepared to answer a customers enquiry. Personally, when I don't want to answer the phone, I screen the calls letting the answerphone take the call and then responding back in my own time.
Perhaps it wasn't a convenient time to chat, if so they could have told you that and taken your name and number and arranged to call you back later.

• Just my view of course

Thanks for the responses, very helpful indeed.

I've met her LO and she has special needs, so will be attending a nursery during the time that her mum is at my house. Mainly because she has two special teachers to help her and monitor her progress. She's a sweet little girl, though, and I've said it wouldn't be a problem if some days she had to come too. My DS was fascinated by her.