Overnight care

[MollyBloomYes]

I'm hoping to start training in the next couple of years to become a nurse. I'm a single parent with (currently) a 4 and 5 yo. My parents live nearby and help out a lot but I want to explore overnight care for any possible shifts later on in my course or once I'm working (haven't decided yet if I'll work in community but there will be some night shifts during training so moot point)

I'm just trying to work out options really. There are night nannies for newborns but do night childminders/nannies exist for older ones?! I'd happily just pay a trusted babysitter but ideally the childcare needs to be ofsted registered so I can get help with childcare costs.

Any ideas? I want to know if this course is even going to be viable or if I need to explore different options for career progression as going back to teaching cannot and will not happen!

where abouts are you based? I would have a look on childcare.co.uk for nannies, as they have a grid on their profile showing whether they would be willing to work overnight or not. they also have a night nanny option but many of the nannies on there are willing to work with older children too.

Sadly nannies don’t count for free hours though (well they don’t in Wales) even if they are voluntarily registered with estyn (welsh ofsed). So you get the full bill.

There are childminders who do provide overnight care and they will be registered with ofsted.

That's reassuring thank you. Good to know there are options!

I wouldn't need the free hours, my two would be too old for that. Just the childcare element of universal credit which I think nannies are covered by. Guess I'll do some more digging!

There are childminders who offer overnight and weekends. I have been with one who did this previously. They are in very short supply and high demand though!! So start looking now.

Would your parents not be willing to have them overnight either at thier house or yours?

Although registration is not mandatory, there are Ofsted-registered nannies. You might need to pay an agency or subscribe to a search site like childcare.co U.K. to find one.

There are potential problems with the so-called "trusted" babysitter angle. They are unlikely to have the same relevant training as a nanny or childminder, never mind insurance. How will you do a proper DBS/CRB or other background check for safety?

The regulations define babysitting as care provided on a casual/occasional basis between 6pm and 2am. So in your case a babysitter would be operating unlawfully. Maybe something you can live with if it goes unnoticed. But if something goes wrong or there’s an emergency then social services will hold you directly responsible. Probably the last thing you need if you’re getting into nursing. In my LA area, simply using unregistered overnight care like this on a regular basis would be treated as a possible indicator of neglect.

Your other problem is reliability. You can’t have a proper contract with a babysitter, so there is nothing to stop them walking away without notice.

To get the uc help they need to be ofsted registered (I'm currently putting my baby in nursery and registering to be a nanny so I've been looking this stuff up for the past few days).
I agree with childcare.com as I've been using it to find work. Unfortunately I can't message anyone as I'd have to pay but maybe someone seeking childcare can message for free? Otherwise there are agencies that could possibly help?

If you use a childminder for before and after school, it is worth asking them if they also do overnight care.

adagio you are correct that nannies can't accept the free hours but you are incorrect to say the op would need to pay the full bill.
Nannies can be Ofsted registered and so are able to accept the tax free childcare etc...
Nannies would do this sort of thing yes. Good luck.

@Brieandchilli my parents would love to help out as much as possible but we've just moved out of theirs having lived there for 5 years so I think they could do with a break from being on call! Doing an evening of babysitting is easier than wrangling the school run-I'd feel more comfortable putting somebody im paying through that than someone who's doing it as a favour!

@itsaboojum I use the sitters website for evening sits, they're all DBS checked and vetted. You're right, I wouldn't be comfortable using them for overnight but I was talking about a trusted friend/fellow professional (I'm an ex teacher and nursery nurse), not a teenager off the street. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

Also interested in regulations defining times babysitters 'count'-I wasn't aware of any regulations or timings. As far as I was aware there wasn't even an official minimum age. What about daytime sitting, that happens a lot. I used to do it myself! Would be good to have a link to regulations if you have one

There aren't any regulations at all, no times to abide to, no law....

You will be leaving your children with a trusted adult...

Social services cant touch you

As an ex teacher and nursery nurse you may recall learning about the Childcare Act 2006 or Children Act 1989 depending when you did your training. You may even have learned about all the childcare legislation since the mid 1950's.

The current legislation is all available online and the important bit in this case is an exemption to being required to register as a childminder..

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/979/made

This UK Statutory Instrument defines what is considered to be exempt childminding - so is what enables a nanny or babysitter to work.

Search "Ofsted no requirement to register " and you’ll find a U.K. government guidance document on 'Childminders and childcare providers, register with ofsted'. There’s a section 'when you do not have to register'. This lists the exemptions from registration.

The list includes babysitters. But importantly it defines what babysitting means for the purpose of the Act: "looking after children at home between 6pm and 2pm". Someone can’t just say it’s alright because they choose to call themselves a babysitter if they’re working outside those hours (though they could still be exempt under some other criteria.)

The problem is, once someone manages to avoid registration/regulation, they avoid pretty much any kind of checks or requirements, so you really can’t have the first idea what's happening around your child. We’ve had some risky things going on with unregistered 'carers' in my area, including people you might assume are trustworthy, such as mums, ex-teachers, hospital workers.

The new nursing degree you will only be doing so many nights in year 3, hopefully that means your parents could help

You will be leaving your child with a trusted adult. Social services can’t touch you.

Not true. I had a child placed with me by the local authority who had become the subject of a neglect case after she was taken to A&E having been in the care of a 'trusted adult' babysitter.

I’m a maternity night nanny and yes always have newborns /babies

I wouldNot object to having older children. But also depends what you pay - has to be least nmw as minimum

And mn get paid 15-20 hourly As a rough ballpark , and doubt you would want To pay 150/200 a 10hr night

Plus if you do shift work would you be home by 7 for the nanny to go to work

I’d say you did 8-8 that would rule out many nannies as they would need to go to work and possibly many mn as many have own children so need to go home for them /their partners to go to work

An au pair may work if only a few nights needed