A parents view on hiring a baby sitter for the first time.

[mumat39]

We have never hired a babysitter. Our dc are 5 and 3 and I am very nervous about just leaving them with someone.

So does anyone have any experience of using a babysitter for the first time with kids the same age (ish) as mine?

DD has multiple allergies so we would need someone who is first aid trained and knows how to administer a Jext pen.

How should we go about doing this? I think we'd want someone on a regular basis, but I feel odd about someone new coming into our house and us just leaving so is there a good way to get started?

My sister does babysit when she can but that isn't very often at all so we need another option.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

'The expection to the rule
It's clear to see that in most cases nannies do not meet HMRC's criteria for self-employment. The childcarers that do are maternity nurses and childminders.'

From that link.

As I said in my previous post there are exceptions - continuous temps, MNs and doulas - but they rarely want to commit to a regular job. QTPie was lucky to have found a doula willing to commit to 2 mornings a week. Although presumably if she had a birth doula booking and the client went into labour she could have not shown up and that would have been ok. Or sent someone else. If those weren't acceptable then she didn't meet the criteria for SE in QTPie 's job - employment status is done on a job by job basis and is the responsibility of the employer to determine accurately because they're the ones who would be prosecuted or fined.

A nanny cannot choose their working hours, take time off when they feel like it or send someone els to do the job.. The huge sticking point for SE nannies is the right of substitution and that's why nannies generally can't go SE. To have someone working for you when you dictate what they do, when they do it and that it is to be done by them is employment.

So the kind that QTPie mentioned are rare because it's illegal and very few qualify for it not to be.

To suggest otherwise, without the caveats (see previous post) is itresponsie and could land the OP in a world of trouble and potentially a £3k fine.

I have used and regularly recommend Sitting Pretty Babysitters They are fabulous. Each of the babysitters are interviewed and vetted by the owner. All of the people that I've recommended them to have come back to tell me that they are great.

I advertised for a babysitter on gumtree - specified childcare experience, a recent CRB and first aid training.

Interviewed 3 people, chose one, she met 2yo DS at interview then came round again for an hour (paid) then came to babysit. I pay £7 an hour.

Thanks everyone.

All the legal stuff around nannies, makes me feel really nervous so it's just as well we can't afford it.

Marslady, that website looks good but doesn't state which areas they cover so I'll give them a call and see whether they do babysitting in my area.

Sam, I'm glad you found someone on gum tree. I'm still not sure I'd be confident to try that yet. I'm thinking that maybe an agency might be the best starting point for us.

Thanks again for all your help

If you use an agency I would still check their CRB/first aid/references yourself because you can't rely on an agency to do it imo.

Sam, oh no! Really. That's the point of an agency isn't t?

How would I go about checking those things? Is it easy? Expensive?

Thanks for the heads up though.

I can feel myself turning into an ostrich. If you need me I'll have my head buried in the sand. :(

I agree with sam -An agency is an employment agency - nothing more and nothing less - they do nothing that you couldn't do yourself. Wrt to a CRB check - that means NOTHING, sorry but it doesn't, it means the person hasn't been convicted of anything, that's all, not that they are nice to children or are good at their job.

It's easy.

CRB you want to see the bit of paper and it should basically saying that there's nothing recorded
First aid they will have the certificate - it should be paediatric and less than 3 years old
References they may have written ones, read them and take quick notes on the details, ask for contact numbers and ring up to check the dates, children's ages etc and ask what they are like as a childcarer, did they engage the children, were there ever any issues with how things were done, how do they respond in an emergency, would they employ them again

Oh dear.

valium, i hear that sort of thing and think AAAARRRGGGHHHH!

Fraktion, thanks for that. I suppose even with phone number to check, how would I know that they're genuine and not just a contact who has agreed to help that person get a job.

Ok, I don't think I'm ready to handle all the what ifs right now so going back to burying my head in the sand.

Sorry, Op but people put far too much faith in bits of paper - I would always do my own checks and use someone recommended if at all possible.

Again wrt references - I would do my own calling and checking etc - but yes, the references could be anyone.

I say that as someone who worked as a nanny for years and years.

I would advertise myself for someone, do my own checks and break them in slowly and see how it goes.

You can minimise that risk by asking for a landline number or a work email, double checking the job details (their mate probably isn't going to remember how many children they were supposed to have) and purely by asking for the bits of paper. It's like speed cameras - even if they aren't on people will slow down for them so just by their presence they reduce speed (localised effect) and the more of them there are in an area the more often people have to reduce their speed. Asking for paperwork makes it hard for a convicted criminal who's incapable of putting a plaster on working for you, if everyone does it then it makes it harder for them to get a job full stop.

That someone has gone to the trouble of getting these things, and is then willing to show you that they have, is a sign that they're committed to caring for children safely. Or they're a hardened criminal who will stop at nothing, but that's unlikely A CRB won't prove that they haven't done anything, just that they've not been caught, but it minimises the risk and that's all you can do.

Never hire someone if they look brilliant on paper but your gut is telling you something else, though. That's why an interview and references are important.

Personal recommendation is great, if other parents are willing to give up their secrets

YY all that ^