Would my friend be a childminder or a nanny in this situation?

[spottedandstriped]

Hello

I have been toying with various childcare options over the last few months - which is a lot more complicated than I anticipated!

Anyway, yesterday one of my friends who has a baby the same age as mine (and who has been a nanny in the past) said that she may be able to look after my baby if I would like her to when I go back to work. This would probably be at her house as this would be easiest for both of us.

Would she be a nanny or childminder under the definitions? She definitely doesn't want to get into all the ofsted paperwork re CM - but I would like to be able to pay her with vouchers if we went ahead with this arrangement [can someone explain what we would need to do re this please].

Many thanks

She would be a childminder, and you wouldn't be able to use vouchers unless she was OfSted registered. Sorry.

"The 1989 Children's Act states that anyone who is paid to look after a child under eight for more than two hours a day in their home must be registered with the local authorities. (This does not include close relatives, aunts, grandparents etc.)"

And payment is any type of reward - doesn't have to be money. You can pay her in flowers and it would still be reward, and thus means she needs to register.

And its illegal to work in your own home for reward without being registered.

There are lots of threads on here about it, with all the reasons why.

she wouldnt be able to be a childminder unless she was a registered one which does involve paperwork. She would have to look after the babies in your house and be a nanny, however a nanny has to be registered to be paid by vouchers.

Thanks everyone. To be honest this is what I suspected .... Will discuss with her. I wonder if there is a minimum amount of paperwork she can do as it would only be my baby (and hers) she was looking after

She would still need to do the full childminder qualification to become registered. Shoshe or one of the other childminders would be able to tell you what's involved. I suspect there are already lots of threads covering this if you do a search.

It dosnt matter how many children you look after, you have to still do they same training and adhere to the same standards I am afraid.

If she came to look after the babies at your house she would be a nanny and the paperwork is much more minimal.

To register with Ofsted as a nanny is far less complicated than for childminders. She would need to have paediatric first aid, nanny insurance and to have covered the common core skills in her qualification (or attend a 2 day c.c.s. course or do it distance learning) Once registered there is no paperwork that has to be filled out - as a nanny that has been a childminder, there is some paperwork that I routinely do, but I do not have to.

So the best option for both of you is for her to look after your baby at YOUR house.
Sorted

if someone looks afer your child in their own house they are a cm - they must be registered

if someone comes to your house - she will be a nanny, she doesnt have to be registered, though to use vouchers she will have to be

if you dont want any paperwork then she must work in your house