Hope you can answer this: what sort of training/qualifications do I need to be a "Mothers Help"?

[Mintyy]

Am SAHM, regular Mumsnetter, with children at primary school.

I would really love to do a job where I just give local mums, especially of newborns, a helping hand, however they need it.

So helping after school with older dc, or taking baby out for a few hours so mum can sleep, or helping out at very busy times when the mums just want an extra pair of hands. But in the parents home, not mine.

Like a glorified babysitter I suppose. Or a replacement mum/aunty to those not living near their family. To be self employed and charge an hourly rate.

Do such jobs exist? And I assume I would need some sort of training, crb checks etc.

Sorry, pressed "post" too quickly. Should have said I'd be very interested in any replies and grateful for any pointers you can give me .

As a mothers help you don't need any experience or qualification, its sort of the entry level to becoming a nanny I think??

I guess that could also be seen as a sort of post-natal doula job? I know nothing about doula training either though.

MNT do a post natal doula training course which is meant to be really good. I've done nanny courses with them.
These jobs certainly exist and I bet mums especially those who have no immediate family to support them would love a helping hand Like the others have said you don't need any qualifications to be a mothers help.
Advertising in doctors surgeries, baby clinics etc is always a good start as is mumsnet, gumtree, netmums.
Mothers helps generally tend to be young wannabe nannies so I bet someone with your experience would be appreciated

It might be best to contact a nanny agency and see what they sugest.

It's always good to have a first aid certificate if you want to work with children.

It does sound like a post-natal doula kind of role. You don't need any particular qualifications to be a mother's help, but you can do post-natal doula courses with MNT (and other places I'm sure) www.mnttraining.co.uk/training/doula/index.htm

If I were you I'd join a local nanny/childcare agency, they can have you CRB checked and advise on local opportunities.

what plans do you have for care of your children when you work? it certainly wouldn't be impossible to take them with you, but it would be much harder to find work that allowed you to bring them. Or are you only seeking work during school hours? Again, that would limit you rather a lot.

I think you would have to change jobs quite often in order to be self employed. If you go to the sam persons house to look after their kids in their home I think you will find the IR considers you their employee, even if it is part-time. So, for example if you pick up Jimmy every Wednesday after school and take him to his house and help with homework and then give him tea, you would be a part-time nanny. This is still true even if mum is home.

Yes such jobs do exist and you don't need any qualifications and you would be an employee. Have a look on nannyjob.co.uk, gumtree or as someone said speak to some local agencies.

Thanks all very much for the replies.

I really am looking for just a pocket money type job. Maybe 10- 15 hours a week.

It doesn't all have to be within school hours as my DH is around a lot during the week (he mainly works at weekends).

I want the kind of person I yearned for when my little ones were under, say, 6 months old. Someone who would just come and take over and let me sleep or spend time with my older child, or who would clean the kitchen floor or look after the baby so I could go out shopping etc, for a few hours at a time.

So a casual job but with a lot of responsibility. I was sure it would involve a crb check and quite rightly so and I think the best thing for me to do is go and check out the local nanny agencies.

Thanks again.

can I also suggest that you post on the Special Needs section of MN, if this interests you? Many families now get direct payments which they can use to 'buy in' care for their disabled children, and with your experience and flexibility you might be well suited to this kind of role. I think the actual recruitment varies from area to area - you could be on the books of a kind of agency run by the local council, or you might be directly employed by the individual families.

I've hired a post natal doula to do this sort of work, but would be very interested in having one for a much longer period, also if the youngest doesn't sleep for a few weeks, just somebody to take over looking after my toddler for a few hours would be a godsend. Do the post natal doula training plus advertise on gumtree.

Mintyy, I do the role that you are seeking

I am a post natal doula (trained with Nurturing Birth) and a maternity nanny.

If you want to go down the doula route, a good place to start is Doula UK

They list several diffent trainers that that they recognise.

I generally stay with a family for about 2 months before moving on but may have several clients on the go at once.

It is a very rewarding "job".

Surely you don't need to go on a course/have qualifications for this? You must have loads of experience from your own kids and I would have thought that would be enough.

cumbria81, sorry, just deleted your post by mistake . Will try to get it reinstated.