Does anybody work in NHS with 3 diff shifts?

[AnouskaS]

Does anybody work in an NHS...working full time with 3 different shifts? How do you look for a childcare in that case. coz i am finding it difficult to look 4 somebody who is available to look after my daughter after 7pm..as the childminder onli prefer to do day shift...so where do i look 4 a childminder who is available 24 hrs so tt i can work evening n night as well...so anybody who is ofsted registered as long as i m able to claim WTC...

tks....

I think you would be better off with an Ofsted registered Nanny

yes i think you need a nanny, it would be bhard for me to work at night , especially if your daughter would be icked up very late or early?

a nanny would be better. or maybe use a childminder by day and a sitter in your own home atnight, i babysit in my village for only 4 pounds an hour at night

Have you applied for a flexible working agreement?

o do they ve registered nanny here as well...i didnt knew...Where can i look up 4 that 1 AvadaKedavra...?

n Hey Daisy...about flexible working agreement..can i ask not to do nite here...4 a few mths..b4 i call my mum here fr overseas...

sorry ..i m so dumb at this thing coz am new here..n i would reali appreciate all ur advice.
tks....alot

you need to get the number of the childcare advisors for your trust. HR will have them or will have already sent them to you in their maternity pack. there are dedicated advisors for nhs staff that will help source unsocial hour care (but tbh its few and far between)

If you are in Reading I do know someone who is prepared to offer this though.

You should be able to make a temporary request to not work nights. Are you still breast feeding? If so , then this is covered in the risk assessment the nhs use and therefore, would aid the not doing nights until b/f stopped.

a bit rude but as you've not mentioned - do you have a partner that can share the load of childcare?

I work for the NHS too, it is awful trying to get childcare to match our shifts - you'd think they'd be more helpful - especially as the large percentage of staff with children - but if your trust is anything like mine - no chance!!!

I have tried the childminder route - and it is so unreliable and I had to have three to cover all shifts, the poor ds didn't know if they were coming or going!

Nannies are definitely the best - very expensive to set up though, and I would recommend going through an agency which guarentees childcare even if your nanny is off.
Now mine are at school it's not too bad, it does get easier!

There are Ofsted registered nannies around. It means that they will have professional liability insurance, first aid certificates, criminal record disclosure and some training in childcare skills. It also means that, if your employer operates a childcare voucher scheme, you can have up to £243 per month of your salary untaxed to go towards paying your Ofsted registered nanny.

As far as I know, there are no online databases you can search for Ofsted reg nannies.

Nannies are very expensive - in London you'd be paying around £12/h gross for an experienced nanny. That's £31000 annually for 50 hours per week, which has to (largely) be paid out of your net salary, ie you'd have to earn £44000 at least just to cover the nanny's salary. Plus employer national insurance of about £3000 per year on top of the nanny's salary, food for nanny, outings, payroll costs etc.

There are however ways you can reduce the cost eg sharing nannies with other people, employing inexperienced nannies etc.

meant to say the figures above are for a live out nanny. For a live in, it will be cheaper, perhaps £20000 for the same hours.

www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/childcare/available_nannies.shtml

is one of the many useful websites on this subject... note these websites often quote nanny's salary as NET for the nanny, which is not much use if you want to know the actual cost to the employer. For that, you need to add the tax, employee AND employer national insurance on the net figures.

The age of your DD will also affect what types of childcare are possible. An inexperienced nanny, although cheaper, may not be a great option for overnight care of a baby.

If you need early starts and overnights a live in nanny is probably your best bet for maximum flexibility. The good news is they're cheaper on paper, the bad is that you then have to cover the cost of another adult in the house and you lose your spare room.

Most nannies also expect employers to cover the renewal fee of about £100 for OFSTED registration as it doesn't directly benefit the nanny.

You could share your nanny which would knock about a third off the cost.

Without meaning to sound rude what's your childcare budget and your DDs age? Could you cope with live in help? Wondering if a nursey/au pair combo might suit?But only if your DD is old enough.

I'm a Childminder and I work for a single mum who is a nurse, her shifts are awful in a childcare sense but I start at 7am and am also happy to look after her boys until 22:00 (they sleep in the spare room for 2 hours before she comes to pick them up), I'm also registered for overnight care should she need it but thankfully that's not often - she came to me because I was the only person who was able to accomodate her shift pattern. I would say don't give up hope in your search to find a CM but obviously it might not be as easy as you'd hope. Good lucky!

o hi..tks 4 the reply..really appreciate it..My daughter age is 2 and a half...now, while my husband will be posted overseas 4 about 7 mths...thats y i am finding it a bit difficult. This is my 1st job in the UK..and i dont want to let it go so easily. If i ave no choice, i might have to send my daughter who is a british citenship to where her grandparents are right now..which is quite far away fr here...I have no other family member here..n i hate to bring her to Nepal with the living condition very poor. And i wont be earning much in NHS as well...with about 14000 pound anually.I will definetely speak to my HR deparment regarding flexibility...for about a while..b4 my mum can come here in FEB next yr..on a holiday visa..
tks..alot for all your help. i do have more idea now.

That's not a big budget assuming you want your childcare costs to be less than your salary. I would say your daughter is too young to be left with an au pair overnight as she may still wake up and the au pair not be experienced enough to cope. Had she been about to go to school an experienced au pair may have been a good solution.

I replied on your other thread about potential help from the forces, btw.

Lollipop shows there are CMs out there who could help! Good luck.

tks..frankkinnuts...ya..i m thinking of approaching my forces help..they do have HIVE...here...n its useful...tks alot..
YA there shd definetely be more ppl like you lollipop...u have given me hope now....tks alot...

I work for the NHS (London Ambulance) and I do a 24 hour rota, days, nights and weekends, 365 days a year. I have a daughter of 5 and lots of family and friends and a great childminder.

I would say I'd find it near impossible to do these hours if my dd were only 2.5 and with no family. Perhaps it'd be better for you to not work whilst your husband is overseas for 7 mths? Surely you are not thinking of sending your dd to a country where you say living condition are poor, just so you can work for those 7mths? You say yourself your wages aren't particulary high - what will you gain from sending your baby away for half a year?

You are definetely rite.Theresnoplacelikehome..
...but i plan to do a degree next year September...and while i got a job after quite a while, i am quite reluctant to let it go easily..as i would need to have some experience in the hospital...I am thinking of asking for flexibilty for the time being till my hubby will be back....awww..finger cross...anyway tks 4 d suggestion..

Does your hospital have a nursery, they are usually slightly subsidised so cheaper than an ordinary nursery and the opening times (whilst not night) will probably be longer than a regular nursery.

The first thing I would do is contact your childcare coordinator. Most hospital trusts should have one and they will advise about finding the best child care provision and saving money for your childcare costs (not just providing vouchers by the way). Most large hospitals will have a nursery - ours is run by Child Base and I believe they have nurseries in many places. NHS staff get subsidised places. I think you can bring your children along from 7am.

Ask your HR department (maybe via the Child Care coordinator) if it is also possible to be given a contract for fixed shifts (at least for the period when your husand is away). Some trusts always have contracts that stipulate rotation but it is worth talking to them as the alternative for them of you leaving may be filling those shifts with expensive agency staff. A last resort might be to put your name on the bank and then only work shifts that you can fit childcare around. Depends on your trust as to how much bank work is available.

If you can fix your shifts, and have the use of the nursery/child minder then you may just manage. With a 2.5 year old it may be possible to find someone with good experience willing to au pair who is competent enough to cope but with 3 shifts, the flexibility required is almost too unfair. Trying to coordinate any sort of childcare when you are working different shifts from one week to the next, or one day to the next, is pretty much too difficult to organise.

o tks alot..Treeesa..I am planning to go tommorrow to see my ward manager about this thing and will surely mention about the contract for fixed shift. That way it would be much easier for me....Tks alot..and will see the HR as well for nursery in the Hospital....tks alot...to libra..