do any childminderd here work as a pair with another childminder?

[Hayleycm]

i have been asked by another childminder if i would like to work alongside her?

she just asked me today so not been discussed, but how does this sort of arrangement work?

I don't work with assistant, but know some that do, I did consider it but decided against it in the end, I think Katymac got me thinking of the ins and outs on a similar thread ages ago, if I remember she mentioned the following

Who makes decisions
Which house do you work from
How do you split mindees
If you work from your house how do you agree to cover your overheads
What about vehicles whose do you use, if both how do you cover costs
What happens if one is sick / on holiday / gets pregnant
Are you both still going to be s/emp / a partnership / ltd co
Will you agree on bugets for food / resources
Do you have a similar ethos
I also firmly believe that in a working relationship someone is ultimately responsible for making decisions and has to carry the can should something go tits up, so for me it was a no go.

Out of the two sets that I know that work together 1 set does well mum and daughter team, the other ended very badly, generally to do with one did nowt and the other did everything which ended in a lot of resentment.

I think if you know the other minder very well and have similar values / ethos it could be a good thing, but I still feel that the benefits of co-minding are too heavily wieghted on one side.

hmmm i see what you mean, she would make all the decisions and im fine with that but i will have as much input as i like.
it would be at her house, i dont drive yet, not sure baout the sickness thing
and she isnt my mum hah heh heh

wil have a chat and see what she thinks, would i have to be hired as her assistant or can i be registered to work as childminder in her homw in my own right?

AFAIK you can co-childmind so you can keep reg in your own right and work from her address, you will also have your own inspection independant of hers, but probably done by the same inspector at the same time IYSWIM.

If you go for it I would also keep you house reg'd just in case, I doubt if she isn't working, sick / on holiday she will want the mindees at hers, not sure if you can do this though Katymac has experience of employing registered minders if she's about and sees this she may give some advice.

Just another thought as well if one of you or your own children was ill, how do you decide which mindees to care for or send home as I'm presuming if you are together your numbers will be higher, therefore if its just one of you working you'd be over numbers. Oh its so complicated when you think of all the bits and bobs.