Insurance?

[SleeplessinEastSussex]

This maybe a silly question but we are taking on someone who has not nannied before - does she need any special insurance or to change car insurance?

Yes, she should have Public Liability Insurance. There are various specialist insurance providers for nannies in the UK:

Childcare.co.uk/Insurance
Morton Michel
Nanny Insure

If transporting your children in their car they must inform their motor insurer of their occupation and that they are transporting children as part of their job (not private hire). Business Use insurance is then something that the insurer adds along with occupation. Some insurers will not cover this, so a specialist broker may be needed such as Morton Michel.

You as an employer also need insurance. Your insurance is often part of your Home Contents policy but check the wording as over the last few years Employer Liability cover is something that home insurers have been removing to reduce cost. If you cannot see it in your policy, call your insurer, they can often add it at low cost. It is available as a separate product but will cost around £100, so better to have as an add-on to an existing policy.

I rang Aviva to explain we wanted the nanny on the insurance, made it quite clear she was an employee. They asked how much she would be driving. I said school run and local groups and they didn't seem it business use.