Done something stupid - could I Nanny instead??? Help please

[HopelesslyStupid]

Ok, have been a bit of an idiot. Am registering as a CM and CRB check is taking ages to come through, but I was told by Ofsted should def have it by beginning of August at the latest. So, I have a child settling in this week (less than 2 hrs a day) so I kind of forgot about it and let them settle in thinking the paperwork would all come through and be fine, but it hasn't and when I called Ofsted and then the CRB today they were far less reassuring and said that whilst they would chase it with the police next week they could only request it was done within 10 days but had no power to enforce that this happened.

So, whilst next week the child will only be settling in for 2 hours pd again, from the week after he was meant to be doing far more hours and I feel like I've completely screwed everything up. They are really lovely parents and we all get on well, so it feels so hopeless at the moment.

I need to speak to the parents next week and let them know that I can't take the child for more than 2 hours pd until the CRB checks have been done, but could I offer to nanny him instead until all the checks come through? I know that you don't need to be registered to nanny, so if it was just for a few weeks would that work ok?

Any help would be appreciated, and please don't shout at me too much, I know I've been an idiot.

You would have to look after him in the parents house then and they would be your employer and pay your tax and ni. give you pay slips etc.

techinally i guess you could be a temp nanny till your crb comes through and work in their home

and you could be se for that time (as a temp nanny)

have you rung crb (or checked status online) to see what stage the checks are actually at and whether they have been sent to Ofsted yet? Have you received your copy of crb check yet?

sorry, didn't read the message properly - they obviously haven't even done the crb checks yet. i have heard of some people childminding for free until their registration comes through and then sorting out money with parents once they are registered.

Are the parents not concerned that you haven't been CRB checked? I guess not as they have been doing the settling in already.

You could do it unpaid.

You could be a nanny, but the parents would not be able to pay using tax credits or childcare vouchers - and there are taxation issues already mentioned.

work unpaid

Thanks for the messages and for not shouting at me (yet!)

Ummm... well, Nannynick thats just it. I mentioned to the parents ages ago that it might be an issue, but then Ofsted were really reassuring that it'd all be done by mid-July, so we signed contracts and I didn't mention it, thinking it'd all be ok.

Although the parents aren't as worried as they could be as they know I have crb checks from previous job --- its so deeply annoying that I could go back there and work, but can't start CMing! (DH suggested I call Ofsted and tell them this and ask if they could let me CM in the meantime, but I'm sure that'd be a definite no!)

The SE temp nanny option sounds promising - thanks Blondes. I thought about the not asking for pay/getting post-dated cheques, but it seems a bit risky. I'm sure they wouldn't cancel cheques and scarper but you'd never know...

welcome

i have said it before a few times and esp on looneys threads - but i am so glad i am not a cm with the amount of hassle/paperwork/stress it seems to involve

Just thought - I guess my NCMA CMing insurance wouldn't cover me to nanny? Is there nanny insurance you can buy? (preferably by the month! )

Morton Michele provide Nanny Insurance. Not monthly though.

However you may want to look at their childminder policy as a replacement for your NCMA insurance. Policy Summary (PDF) says that it will cover you to care for up to 6 children in the child's own home - see: Am I covered if I provide babysitting services? on page 9 of the PDF]]

Nope scrap that last bit... I don't think a childminder policy will cover you if you do not have a Childminding Registration Certificate.

Do you have NCMA insurance already? If your Childminder Registration Certificate has not come through (as you are still waiting for some checks), then I would have thought that the insurance isn't valid. Check policy wording.

Is it just your CRB check that hasn't come through, or is DH also waiting for his? Has Ofsted told you that it is just the CRB check, or did they say something else - such as they were waiting for checks to come back.

The CRB is a law unto itself. I bloody hate them. They once took 6 months to do a check on me (I'm a teacher) by which time I'd pretty much completed the maternity cover I was doing. I second people who say enquire with the CRB as to the progress of your application.

crb online tracking service

put in your ref number and date of birth and will show you what stage it is up to

if you havent got ur crb back does that mean ur not officially registered??
if so it may mean that the parents cant claim tax credits to cover it as you wouldnt be registered.

im sure there will be a way round it somewhere

good luck x

Don't give up hope just yet.

I know someone who was waiting for a CRB, ofsted said it will be at least 6 months . She then changed all her plans, and cancelled the parents lined up. Then a week later the CRB landed on her doorstep!

Thanks guys, I really hope it does arrive soon - looking at their website my husband and I are both at 'stage 4' (the police paper checks) and have been since the 18th June. They're meant to do these in 14 days where possible - or 60 at the latest - and my 60 days is up this week. I spoke to the CRB and they say that after the 60 days then they will contact the police to request they do them within 10 days - but if the police don't do this then the CRB can't do anything as they have no power to enforce/insist?!? How can this be right??? Their best advice was to keep checking their online tracking service as the police have 24hr access to update it - which wouldn't do anything other than let me know when its been done!?!

Yeah, I do have NCMA insurance at the moment as it was very strongly pushed by the council at the introductory meetings. I'll have a look at Morton Michelle though and see what their nanny policies are like - perhaps you can get a rebate if you cancel after a short period?

I wish the CRB/Police knew how much stress they cause for people!

when did you first send it off??

i filled one in last oct/nov and it came back 5th june! but the one i completed in april came back about a week later.

Well, Ofsted said that they sent it on the 8th June. V scary that yours took from Oct - June. What were they doing with it??? Guess the new one came back quickly cos all the checks had already been done for you?!

Totaly sympathym mine too bloody ages as well and I had to have my 2 teens done as well so a right hassle.

I am going to get flayed for this but if it were me I would carry on, as long as the parents are aware. Hassle the CRB dept every day by phone, that does work.

If you cancel these parents you may wait a long time for others to sign up and you probably need the money like everyone else.

My parents are all very lovely people but none of them asked to see CRB checks or Ofsted certificate, I had to insist on showing them.

Good luck

Lol, thanks thebody, I met another childminder (who got outstanding from Ofsted) and she said the same thing and just to have a long settling in period (not sure if the latter really makes a difference?

I called CRB on Thursday and said I'd been told it was 60 days then and could they now request it was done within 10 days. The answer 'oh no its not 60 days, its 56 days or 8 weeks, so we can't send a letter, we send an email asking for it to be a priority.' I asked if the police responded to these requests and she said 'well some do and some don't'.

Soooo frustrating!

My worry with carrying on as normal is that what happens when Ofsted come to inspect me in 6ish months time and all my paperwork, receipts etc show I've worked since Aug, when my registration will show some unspecified date when the crb/police get their collective arses in gear???

Any update?

Do what I did - my CRB was taking forever and I needed it desperately to start CM'ing - Oftsed and CRB company were very unhelpful so I called the county police HQ directly and asked to speak to the dept that deals with CRB's - they were lovely and did it for me while I was on the phone!
Good Luck!

P.S. Be aware that even once your CRB check is done it can still take about 10 - 14 days for CRB to get the check to Ofsted and then for Ofsted to issue your certificate - the key is pester, pester, pester...! x

You say that you have already signed contracts with these parents. Be aware that you can't have any contract in place as you aren't Registered so you may as well rip that up as it's meaningless. Wait till you are Reg and then do it.

Also as LaurenD says, it will still be 2-3weeks before you might actually get your cert once evrything is ready to go and you cannot childmind until you have your cert in your grubbies.

My reg took almost 11mths to come through and that was a fairly simple one, not too many name changes/address changes. Probably best in hindsight/for people in process to not make any promises until you are all official like.

You say that you have already signed contracts with these parents. Be aware that you can't have any contract in place as you aren't Registered so you may as well rip that up as it's meaningless. Wait till you are Reg and then do it.

Also as LaurenD says, it will still be 2-3weeks before you might actually get your cert once evrything is ready to go and you cannot childmind until you have your cert in your grubbies.

My reg took almost 11mths to come through and that was a fairly simple one, not too many name changes/address changes. Probably best in hindsight/for people in process to not make any promises until you are all official like.