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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

Would you pay for your nanny to go on a first aid course, as well as for the course fees?

22 replies

HarrietTheSpy · 21/01/2008 17:03

New nanny needs some additional first aid training. Am I obliged to pay her for two day's work, plus the cost of the course?

Thanks
ER

OP posts:

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Bink · 21/01/2008 17:07

We paid the cost of the course, plus didn't expect her to take the two days as holiday - so effectively paid her as normal for that too.

But that was because when we employed her we said "you agree to do whatever is necessary to become approved for the voucher scheme, and in return we agree to foot the bill". It seemed worth it for the quite large savings we get.

So we were of course obliged to pay because we'd chosen to be so obliged ... if you're not in that position you could split the cost by maybe saying you'd pay for the course if she took it over two consecutive Saturdays - I know courses are sometimes run that way.

BradfordMum · 21/01/2008 17:18

I'd definately pay! My children may need her skills sometime!

Look at it like an insurance policy. Hope you'll never need it but thank god if you ever do.

Lasvegas · 21/01/2008 17:18

In my office we pay for employee to do a work related course but have an agreement that if they leave within a yr of it they have to re-pay us course fees, if they leave with in 2 yrs then re-pay 75% etc. You need to ensure that there terms and conditions of employment allow you to withhold salary, as in all probability they won't re-pay ypu with a cheque you will knock the money owed off their last months pay.

Original poster

HarrietTheSpy · 21/01/2008 17:36

My nanny is on a five month fixed contract as I am then going on maternity leave. The course I want her to do is on a weekend (happens to be when the next course is), so it doesn't mean any time off from work as such. She's the sort of person who probably wouldn't demand we pay her additional salary (and might pay the cost of the class herself). The latter is out of the question - of course we pay for the class. But the reason i'm in a quandry about it to some extent is she is with us for such a short time to get the benefit of the class which she can use to leverage for her next job (coming up quite soon). Still sounds like maybe a cop out though. Probably need to pay.

OP posts:

Original poster

HarrietTheSpy · 21/01/2008 17:37

sorry, in a quandry about additional salary pay for the weekend days.

OP posts:

nannyL · 21/01/2008 17:40

my bosses did...

their view is that THEY have to attend training for their work and their employers dont dedut it from their wages, so there was no way they would thiank about not payiing for the course as well as paying me as normal for the days i was on the course.

Personally (although i could ahve done it on the weekend) I chose to do the course on my normal working days...

who wants to work all week, then again all weekend then the following week without a break?....

esp when we do 11 hour days with no break as it is?

ingles2 · 21/01/2008 18:12

slightly different circumstances but I have just paid for my AP to do a first aid course as part of her NVQ. It's on 2 saturdays, so have given her a day off in the week. The course cost £100.

omega2 · 21/01/2008 18:15

Have always had to pay for my own first aid courses and do it in my own time - never occurred to me to ask for it to be paid although now with ofsted taking over the nanny registration i will need to re-do first aid for that so will probably ask for it to be paid for if parents want the vouchers

eleusis · 21/01/2008 18:24

I wouldn't pay for it. I'd expect a nanny I had only just hired to show up for work already qualified. Especially, if she was on a short term contract.

NannyL, the difference between your job and your employer's job is that your employer's employer is a profitable business. I am not.

WanderingTrolley · 21/01/2008 18:25

When I was a nanny, my bosses would pay for the course, and I think I usually did it in my own time. My reasoning was that - as you have said of your nanny - it would benefit me in the long term, so I sort of considered it a deal where we'd both (employer and me) benefit.

Having said that, I do think you should offer to pay her for her time. It would be different if you had offered her the job on the understanding you would pay for the course if she did it in her own time. With your circumstances, I don't think that's unreasonable. But what did you say initially?

You should pay for the course, however.

I would work out her net hourly rate, and pay her that for the time she's on the course.

If she refuses, insist on giving her one day's money, and a bunch of flowers/bottle of wine in thanks.

NAB3wishesfor2008 · 21/01/2008 18:33

My employers paid for me to do a first aid course after their son had a febrile convulsion while in my care. IIRC it was on a weekend but I didn't get work pay. Fine with me.

nannyL · 21/01/2008 18:41

eleusis.... not sure the NHS is a 'profitable buisness'...

as Drs they have to do 'courses'.... they do them in their 'Dr time', NOT their own time...

the NHS employers are employers... you are also an employer.

When i started my job i had a valid 1st aid.... which ran out

in order for me to be on childcare approval scheme to benefit THEM it needed redoing.... given that i had over 3 years in their job as their nanny THEY paid, cause it will benift no-one other than them.... Im not looking for a new job and they dont want a new nany but DO want to use the vocuehrs to pay me... so they need to pay for it

nannyL · 21/01/2008 18:43

(didnt mean 'employers' to be highlighted by the way, not sure how that happened)

Millarkie · 21/01/2008 20:15

We paid for our nanny to take the course and for her time (in fact we paid extra because we asked her to take it over the weekend) - but it was linked to her becoming eliglible for the voucher scheme so saved us money long term.

CountessDracula · 21/01/2008 20:18

Yes I would pay for course and time off

Original poster

HarrietTheSpy · 21/01/2008 21:12

She seems to see our paying for the course as a major favour to her, given how short a time she is going to be with us. Hope it's not that short ! But I think the right thing to do is to come to an agreement with her over fees for her time over the weekend.

OP posts:

Hulababy · 21/01/2008 21:22

I would expect an exployer to pay for the course and to allow me time off, paid, to complete the course. The only exception s if the job spec had stated that the employee should possess this qualification or be (willing) working towards it.

I had the arguement with my own employer - a college. The decided after I had taken the job that I had to do a level 4 qualification. They tried to make me pay for it myself and they tried to make me do it in my own time (I work PT). I successfully argued, after some time, my case and I am now doing the course (although reluctantly) at their expense and on a normal work day, with no requirement to make up the time. I also do a lot of my homework in work hours too.

frannikin · 21/01/2008 22:56

My contract says I provide 1st Aid o and insurance, if the employer wishes me to take additional training then they pay.

I nabbed that off my cousin who is very clued up about these things. But tbh I wouldn't dream of working without 1st Aid, and the 4 hour course I did before the 12 hour one would never have seen me through a major incident! So I'm glad I never had to use it...I felt much more confident after the 12 hour one.

1dilemma · 21/01/2008 23:05

Hi Harriet can't really help from direct experience but in your circs I would expect to do one or the other. After all this course will stand her in good stead when she goes for a new job, I wouldn't expect to employ a nanny without it IYSWIM.

nannynick · 22/01/2008 00:34

As a nanny, I pay for my own training.
What I didn't pay for was the Childcare Approval Scheme, now Ofsted Childcare Register, registration fee.

On a First Aid course this weekend and next weekend - cost £80 - which I'm paying and arranged so that the course was not on a day I was working.

Page62 · 22/01/2008 08:26

we paid for ours as she needed to update it to qualify for the voucher scheme
she was very grateful that we paid for it --and even asked if she should pay for it. She was just joining us at that time and we paid really as a goodwill measure

NannyL, even though it would benefit us as she will know what to do in case of emergencies - she saw that it would also benefit HER as it updated her skills - skills she can take to the next employer (hopefully YEARS from now as i love her to bits) but we paid for.

littleladylollipop · 22/01/2008 14:47

hi there- I've always paid for my own, until last year when I found a great first aid organization that came to the home to do a group of ten.My boss then offered to pay for it if i could round up 10 (us included.)

So I rounded up some nannies and mums and it was half the price of a normal course. We did it over 2 eves and it was fun and we learned it all so much better that way. i make sure I do a course every 2 years. It changes all the time so its important.

my boss and I got some nibbles on the go and a glass of wine (not lots so we could concentrate)
for everyone and it worked really well.

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