Universal credit - does child care provider have to be registered

[EJ1000]

Hi all
My son is severely autistic and I’ve organised for a lovely TA at his school to look after him a couple of days a wk after school. Would be paying him through the books however he is not “registered” in sense of doesn’t have OFSTED number as he’s just a self employed carer.

It seems wrong I can’t claim 85% back on this child care as he’s isn’t registered with ofsted , but I can claim 85% back on my daughter’s child minder for example.

My son can’t go to a setting after school as his special needs are too severe, so he has to be at home and need someone to come to him, but that way it seems the people won’t be registered.

Can you still claim money back if not registered? Seems not but maybe I am wrong x

Register him then as a nanny.

No you can’t - otherwise everyone would be “paying” their neighbour /granny and claiming the money back. It would be to this TA’s interest to get themselves registered

This is what I mean though, what’s registered ? With ofsted ? Because as far as I under, they won’t register individual people, it has to be settings ie child minder house

They do accept individuals but that individual has to register first as a childminder. They have to jump through lots of hoops first, lots of paperwork, making sure their home is suitable etc.

He can voluntarily register with Ofsted as a nanny.

It doesn’t have to be settings, nanny’s can be registered. But they do need to be ofsted registered

Well childminders are individuals!

Yes, register him with Ofsted. You can't really expect the taxpayer to pay out to just anyone, that would be open to all sorts of abuse.

The registration as a nanny should be straightforward as he will already have DBS, first aid and training.

Yes but this is my point - whilst childminders are individuals, they operate in a setting, ie their house, and that’s what ofsted inspect (as well as the child minder themselves). But this person would be coming to my house and it seems this type of arrangement isn’t dealt with by ofsted.

Also whilst it could be open to all sorts of abuse if could register “any one”, being mum of special needs child, it’s actually very hard to find suitable people who can handle my son, and a lot of parents at his special school are in the same boat, and it’s often family members who are best suited as the kids are most comfortable with them and/or the family members are able to withstand the pressure better. They’d obvs still have first aid and dbs check but my sister , for example, who’d be ideal to care for my son, can’t just take time off work to do it, so of course I would pay her as she’d be a much better carer for my son than some random person from an agency.

Yes it is, this arrangement is what Ofsted call a 'home childcarer' eg nanny/babysitter.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-and-childcare-providers-register-with-ofsted/nannies-registration

You might do this by getting ss to set up direct payments as an assessed need so you can use that funding to pay this TA

https://www.devon.gov.uk/children-families-education/send-local-offer/money/personal-budgets/social-care-direct-payments/#:~:text=Explaining%20direct%20payments-,Explaining%20direct%20payments,a%20nominated%20third%20party

Again, nanny’s can be ofsted registered and they operate in your home.

Nobody has said to register him as a childminder. Everyone has said nanny (which is someone who works in the child's home).

Is there a reason you don't want to do this? You seem more intent on arguing with everyone about how unfair it is.

Thanks for this - we’ve been approved direct payments not so long ago so that’s a little bit of help but it wouldn’t cover all the time I’d need.

Ummm wasn’t it you who said “child minders are individuals”? 😬

The nanny suggestions from posters helpful however - I had asked a few nannies but , as ofsted reg is only voluntary for them, none of them knew much about it and had commented (wrongly) it’s only child minders in settings who get registered. Now I know diff.

have a lovely Sunday!

Well yes but only in your contradictory comment that they don't register individuals, only settings. I was pointing out that they do, and indeed a childminder is an individual! Anyway....

Then you need to get reassess for all the time your son does need
Go back and argue he needs xx hours because otherwise xxxcc
I know it can take time to get the hours you need but that is your goal so by the time he is 18 you getting 24 7 if that is needed

If your child is funded at a special school all day, are you not in a position to spend time and look after your son yourself at all? This is invaluable time in a child’s development. Under the disability act your own employer should be able to offer you part time employment.

My son is at school til 3pm. Not at wkends, not until 1am when he can take to fall asleep, and not over school hols. If his little sister wants play date at house after school, she can’t if her brother is there. If she wants to go soft play with me at wkend, she can’t unless her brother is taken care of. I work part time to care for my son but school is not 24/7 unfortunately, and his sister needs quality time with me too.

@Vivienne not surexwhatvyou mesn by child s development. It s a different ball game with a child with severe learning disabilities or severe autism who cannot attend a regular after school and probably cannot go to play dates or be dropped to a friend..... she probably cannot send ds to a play date etc. Other child needs time too as a sibling of disabled child. And I imagine op is as she says up all hours with ds ..she needs the support. As he gets older that need intensifies.