Can my cleaner be my nanny?

[CopperPot]

Has anyone done this?

She's a lovely, kind motherly woman whom we've known for over 7 years. Loves my children so much so I was thinking of offering her a job to pick up my dc from nursery and look after the baby a couple of times a week so I can work.

However, how much would I pay her? I don't have a clue about nannys! I pay her £10 ph to clean.

Also, her English is very poor. I was thinking to pay for her to do an English course over the summer to help?

Any advice would be appreciated

Au pairs live in, and there's no reason they can't look after an under 2 if you choose for them to.

It doesn't really matter what job title you give - nanny or mother's help - if the job is the same. You would still have to employ her regardless.

www.aupairsbypebbles.com/#!baby-and-toddler-care/c1558

That's an opinion of an agency. There's no reason you have to pay an agency.

www.netmums.com/local-to-you/au-pairs
It's not just an opinion of an agency. Plus I didn't say to go to an agency. I'm just trying to give the lady all the facts so that she can make an informed decision.

OK, follow any recommendation you like - it's totally up to the individual who they employ to look after a child of any age.

It's irrelevant to the OP though, as a 50-something grandmother who lives in the UK and is not going to live as part of the OP's household is by no stretch of the imagination an 'au pair'.

Would not be an au-pair as would not be living as part of the family.

Sounds fine to have them as your nanny as long as they are capable of doing the work involved and responding appropriately in an emergency.

I would ask them and see what they say. She may not want to do it.

Exactly she may not even want to do it. But I already feel a bit more informed after this thread.

Very true about ex-pats not speaking the language abroad !

Not sure why she would be classed as an au pair

She won't be living in

What would you suggest paying her? Would need to be a gross salary and taxed - she may not want that if you have been paying £10 cash ph

I would get her to do an English class and first aid - possibly even common core skills if you have young babies

I did this. Worked really well except my cleaner turned nanny had good English.

7 years in the country and still cannot communicate properly? Sounds like a slow or reluctant learner to me.

Or someone who works as a self employed cleaner and barely speaks to a soul all day perhaps?

In some ways it could be an excellent arrangement. In other ways you need to consider that if her verbal English is poor then she is not going to be supervising homework [though her maths might be great] so going into it with your eyes open it would be unfair to later resent this when you are doing it between 6-8pm when you get home; what is she going to do with your children in 8-10 weeks of school holiday a year when you are at work? Who is going to do your cleaning if she will have the care of a baby, a preschool child and "older DC"?

If her English is so poor that she could not confidently report an emergency on the phone I wouldn't be happy to employ her. I employed various Hungarian nannies with very good English but there came a point even there with my older children where their language skills became an issue with homework, reading aloud, spellings etc. For a younger child you need to consider if she would feel confident enough to take them to playgroups, library sessions etc or if your child could end up doing a lot of solitary activities because of her inability to interact. Also, could she read to them, explain the instructions on a craft kit or a board game, sing songs? From what you say, it sounds not.

sounds good to me. You cannot underestimate having someone you trust to mind the kids while you work.

Communicating with young children can be difficult enough, let alone having a massive language barrier like that as well. I don't think it's safe, or a good idea tbh.

Nannies cannot be self employed unless they work for 3 different families.

There's a reason nannies get paid well, many nannies I know put a lot of effort into really working on very specific things with their charges, building confidence, behavioural issues, habits etc. Maybe you don't feel you need or want all that but at the bare minimum they need to properly be able to communicate. A few weeks of English lessons is not going to do that.

The 3 family rule is to do with Childminding registration, not to do with taxation. The HMRC employment status indicator should be used to help determine employment status for any work done.

www.nannytax.co.uk/employment-law/self-employment

Exactly, nannytax even say that a nanny working for 3 families would be a childminder.

HMRC alas let anyone register as self employed. It is up to each engager to check employment status and they face fines if they get that wrong.

The ESI should be used to determine status.