Nanny with her own 2 small children

[korallenplaty]

Hi,

Apologies for the long post!

We're in a bit of a pickle. We met a wonderful person offering to look after our daughter (4y) and (yet to be born) son. This would be flexibly from her own home and at ours. She has two small children under 3 herself, so offered a very reasonable rate because of that.

All was great until we looked up the legal side of it and realised we would have to employ her and pay minimum wage etc (her offer is far below that) as the hours would be to cover both my husband and I working pretty much full time.

1. Assuming that she doesn't just want cash in hand which we would be uncomfortable with, is there a way to employ her as a nanny but pay less than minimum wage? I.e. are there any deductions for food or so that we could make?

1. Are there any other options, i.e. considering her a shared nanny given that she is looking after her two children, too? In that case, would we still pay the full minimum wage? I saw a suggested split of 2/3 per family, but not sure if that is in line with current law.

1. We are also thinking about asking her to register as a childminder and helping her towards the cost of the courses that she hasn't got yet.

To clarify, we really like her and obviously want to pay her appropriately. As a childminder she would end up earning more and the shared nanny scenario would also be better for her, but I am not sure if she would be open to either.

Many thanks

Where did you find this “Nanny”?

Find someone else. She's not a nanny if she's got other children.

Sorry, I don't know a lot about this area but wouldn't you want to pay the person looking after your DC at least minimum wage? (Arguably more?)

Why would you want someone looking after your 2 chimdren when she has 2 young children herself and, by the sounds of it, you don't know her that well.

She seems wonderful now but unless it's run professionally I think it won't be wonderful in a few months time.
Stick to someone who has experience unless you want a very casual arrangement but which won't be reliable.

She would've better setting herself up as a childminder.

Zero hours contract?

@whatnumber

She seems wonderful now but unless it's run professionally I think it won't be wonderful in a few months time. Stick to someone who has experience unless you want a very casual arrangement but which won't be reliable.

That is my concern.

I should add that I have contacted a lot of childminders in our area and they are heavily oversubscribed. Our daughter currently goes to nursery and has wrap around care there. She loves nursery, but says she misses her old childminder and I think would benefit from more personal interaction than she is getting at the after school club.

Childminders work form their own homes and are subject to following the EYFS and Ofsted inspections. And not sure how this would be better for her?

@HumunaHey

Why would you want someone looking after your 2 chimdren when she has 2 young children herself and, by the sounds of it, you don't know her that well.

This.

As someone who had a very negative experience with a Childminder with her own young children, I'd be wary. She was just wanting someone to pay her while she stayed home with her own child. I don't think she did any looking after of mine.

@BitcherOfBlakiven

Where did you find this “Nanny”?

Our local Facebook group for childminders. She has certificates, references and has worked in childcare, so she is not some randomer. I feel like she just wants a cash in hand job, but we don't want that risk and the uncertainty of not having a proper contract.

Is she proposing to do the childcare in your home or hers? In hers, she would need to register as a childminder. In yours I don't know what the rules are about bringing her kids. Also depending on the age of her kids, it may not be allowed for her to look after a baby and three children at the same time due to ratios.

@savehannah

Is she proposing to do the childcare in your home or hers? In hers, she would need to register as a childminder. In yours I don't know what the rules are about bringing her kids. Also depending on the age of her kids, it may not be allowed for her to look after a baby and three children at the same time due to ratios.

It would be a mix which in theory I find quite good. My husband and I both work from home, but if she is here at least in the beginning I could nurse the baby when needed, but once they get too rambunctious they could go to hers.

In theory it was all so perfect, but the more replies I read the more doubts I get. Thanks to everybody for being so honest though.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat

Childminders work form their own homes and are subject to following the EYFS and Ofsted inspections. And not sure how this would be better for her?

I was just thinking financially and it gives her a qualification/career path.

A cash in hand mother with small children who has offered to mind your small child and baby for less than minimum wage would ring MASSIVE alarm bells for me. Part of the cost of childcare is ensuring their training is up to date, DBS checks done etc etc. Your childrens safety is worth more than

It’s a pain in the arse becoming a childminder.

Sorry but this has got disaster written all over- it’s just not going to work.

[quote Shutupandcry]A cash in hand mother with small children who has offered to mind your small child and baby for less than minimum wage would ring MASSIVE alarm bells for me. Part of the cost of childcare is ensuring their training is up to date, DBS checks done etc etc. Your childrens safety is worth more than

You can't do a mix.

Your home = nanny, employee, minimum wage

Her home = childminder, self employed, sets her own fees and terms and conditions

You can't have your cake and eat it.

I think 4 under 3 is too many, what if one is ill or d&v? What if she just quits with no notice because it's an informal arrangement?

Dear lord. This has disaster written all over it. Imagine trying to pay someone less than the legal minimum wage because you know they’re going to provide a low standard of looking after your children!

How did you find her on a Facebook page for childminders if she is not a childminder? None of this makes any sense. You say she has certificates but then also you want to support her to be a childminder, so which is it?

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat

You can't do a mix.

Your home = nanny, employee, minimum wage

Her home = childminder, self employed, sets her own fees and terms and conditions

You can't have your cake and eat it.

Yeah, god forbid people should have childcare that suits them.

I worry that her own two children would always be her priority and although you would be paying less most parents would like their child to be a priority. It is always the benefit of a nanny that as she only has your child to look after there are no problems if your child is ill. If her children are ill will she still look after yours or will she expect you to have them?
Is she insured?

My nanny looks after my children in my home. She brings her two small children (except on Mondays and Sundays when her husband is off work so he keeps their kids.) Because of bringing her own children, I pay my nanny a low rate. This means a low rate for nannying. It's still over min wage! And we are in Northern Ireland so I imagine the rates here are cheaper than GB. I do get help through the employers for childcare scheme (both parents make the max salary sacrifice) and I know this particular scheme isn't available any more.

I would be surprised if you could find decent nanny care for under national minimum wage which I think is what you want?

There are limits on how many children (including their own) childminders can look after. I think it is 3 under school age (unless one of those is wrap around care for a preschool or similar) and only one of those can be under one. So she would not be able to have her two and your two at the same time unless maybe she just did wrap around for your 4yo in which case she may be able to get a dispensation.