Anyone use Sitters.co.uk?

[drspouse]

Just decided to try it out as the school holiday club is experiencing a run of staff sickness and has just told us they can't do all the days/hours we'd booked for DS. We also have a DD but she is booked into an activity club for the rest of the week.

I looked to see what babysitters were local and there are quite a few, but it is very short notice I know, it was for one morning and one afternoon later this week, and we got a message back "not able to book anything yet".

Is this common in general, or just because it's short notice?

I worked for them. They ask for a current reference from an employer and it has to be childcare related as well as a DBS. Why don't you ask for someone to come for a couple of hours the day or two beforehand so they can meet?

If we get anyone that can take the job, we might be able to do that (depending on when they accept the job, given we are talking in a day or two's time!)

Or ask them to come a couple of hours earlier than you need (obviously you'll have to pay for this time) so that you can be with them and see how they interact with your child.

Because the holiday club has let us down by shortening the hours, it's meant we need a half day, a couple of times; so we'd be picking up DS at lunchtime for e.g. and needing someone at home in the afternoon. We'd be home (one of us anyway) and suggest they went to the park over the road or did painting or Lego or something similar at home.

I'm more asking if it's common that they can't find anyone for us. I can work out how to make the logistics work I think.

OK so holiday club have sorted out an extra half day which is just about enough so we cancelled this week's booking but have now put in for a few hours, daytime, one of the other days they are off school as a trial really.
This is about 10 days ahead and we will just see if anyone takes the booking, I am really not sure if there just aren't the sitters in our area or if our first failure was due to short notice/the specific days we needed.