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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Had a bit of a mad idea - honest opinions please!

18 replies

WriggleJiggle · 03/07/2007 21:29

Got a bit of a mad hair-brained idea, where by a group of us who work together use one of the spare bits of building and hire our own childcarer to work on site.

We would want someone to work 8am till 1pm or maybe 8am till 3pm, term time only, looking after 6 under threes.

Are we likely to find anyone willing to do this? Presumably one person and an assistant? What sort of fee would they charge per term or year?

Is it a mad idea to even try considering trying to set it up?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

S88AHG · 03/07/2007 21:43

Think there is probab;y loads of rules and regs for something like that and may even have to be inspected by OFSTED someone who is better informed will be along soon no doubt

SoVignion · 03/07/2007 21:49

One person to look after SIX children under 3.....thats hard work!

need a t least two pwoplw - thwn it s a nursery and needs inspecting I expect...

CarGirl · 03/07/2007 21:51

Would the person who lives nearest consider having a nanny (or two!) at her house?

Katymac · 03/07/2007 22:07

If it's a residential building & someone lives there you could do this as childminding

Otherwise it would be daycare and the regulations are quite onerous

I don't know if it could count as a creche as you are all on-site & I don't know the rules for running a creche I'll have a look

Katymac · 03/07/2007 22:16

Can't find anything - see if you can ask NannyNick - he's very good with regulations

MrsScavo · 03/07/2007 22:18

yYOU would definately need two careers. What term time only?

MrsScavo · 03/07/2007 22:19

Sorry, I really can't type tonight

mumto3girls · 03/07/2007 22:21

6 under threes and only one qualified person?

Katymac · 03/07/2007 22:22

Define qualified?

nannynick · 04/07/2007 07:12

Where are you located, regs are different in different countries.

Will assume England for now:

Building - what sort of building? If it is commercial, then you may need planning consent, and you will require to register with Ofsted, as a Full Day Care Provider. You will need at least 2 people to provide the care, possibly more people, as what would happen at lunchtime? Staff breaks etc?

Will children be left for the whole time, such as 8-1, or just for 1.5 to 2 hours of that time? If the latter, than perhaps you may get classified as a Creche.

Some of the regs are changing in Sept 2008, though my understanding of those new regs at the moment is such that I don't think the situation you describe will be exempt from registration.

Katymac · 04/07/2007 07:14

Thanks Nick - that's what I thought.........but you said it so much better

Original poster

WriggleJiggle · 04/07/2007 15:22

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. I know I need a ratio of 1 to 3, so would need 2 people.

I'm sure an inspection wouldn't be a problem, after all, one of the people I had in mind has presumably gone through inspections as a registered cm.

Unfortunately we can't use anyone's house as they are all too small, so it would have to be at work. We are teachers at a school, so no need to change planning permission for the building.

THanks for the link NannyNick, I'll work my way through it. It can't be any harder than setting up a school, which I know is quite straight forward. Maybe I should just call the childcare an extra 'class', then we would be covered through the school already.

I take it the word 'creche' applies to up to 2 hours. We definately need longer than that.

OP posts:

Katymac · 04/07/2007 17:43

Setting up a nursery is quite complicated (I know) you would need way more than 2 staff (each can only work up to 6 hrs without a break - 2 adults on duty at all time loo breaks to be covered by another adult etc)

CAT me if you want & I'll chat to you about it

Original poster

WriggleJiggle · 04/07/2007 19:35

Arrghhhh! But it shouldn't be complicated should it? I just want to employ a couple of local cms to come and work out of a few spare rooms in our building. It seems a very unfair system - cms can work what ever hours they like, with only one of them there at a time, and still manage to prepare lunches, go to the toilet etc. Yet as soon as it becomes a 'nursery' everything changes.

The main cm we would like only lives a mile away, but it would be so much more convenient for her to come to us rather than us to her. We have the most perfect facilities available, we don't actually care what Ofsted think of our arrangements, yet we have to jump through hoops.

If I put up a tent in the garden, squished 6 children and two nannies into it, no one would mind, yet use a purpose built area, 200m from the house, and rules and regulations kick in.

Right, rant over! Will keep thinking of ways around it.

OP posts:

CarGirl · 04/07/2007 20:07

build a conservatory on someones house or buy an outbuilding in their garden?????

Katymac · 04/07/2007 20:10

I agree completely - it's so unfair

Original poster

WriggleJiggle · 04/07/2007 20:53

Just had a thought - If a nanny was to use (say) our garage to look after the children in, presumably that would be fine because it would be part of our own property.
(ignoring the fact that its cold, full and damp and covered with spiders).

So, in the same way .... If I have a house within the grounds of my work place, and the building I want to use is also in the grounds, and owned by the same company, does that make the building just a sort of extension to our house?

Does that make sense?

OP posts:

Katymac · 04/07/2007 20:55

Well I tried to have a log cabin in my garden & OFSTED (kind reasoned meglomaniacs) said that it actually had to be attached to my house (ie so you didn't get wet going from house to minding)

That doesn't help much does it?

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