Help with non comiting parent

[k1rstie]

I think personally, I would call it quits completely with this parent. Let her find an alternative during the holidays. All you are doing is getting a small amount of money between now and half term, and then in all likelihood she will mess you around again.

Can you even use tax credits to hold a space open? - I have no idea.

I also think again personally, that it is not reasonable for any aged primary school aged, ( or infant aged) to be picked up and transported alone in a taxi. And I would hope no taxi company would take the booking. Screams safeguarding to me.

[bunyip]

Want to thank everyone. I have spoken with mum today and after this week i will no longer have him school term and she will pay a holding fee to ensure his place during school holidays as that is what she is worried she will lose.

Pleased to hear it's worked out.

I think we all start on something of a learning curve with our first clients. I was lucky that mine was a friend of the family, so a good one to learn on, but have still made no end of mistakes since.

Contracts do need to be quite 'tight' and clear, without any "ifs and buts". Worth calling your insurer for advice on how to word something like this before you commit, or at the least ask the forum. Personally, I would have only put on the contract exactly what I could be sure of fulfilling, which in this case would be to care for the child from 3.25 (3.30 to be on the safe side.) Then I could still do the 3pm start when circumstances allowed, but it would be clear that was 'as and when possible'. What goes on the contract shouldn't be subject to what/when your OH is available for.

That, in essence, can be the difference between looking like you're letting mum down on something you agreed and providing added flexibility over and above the contracted terms, IYSWIM. It is a subtle difference, but a significant one. Live and learn.

I'd be tempted to think on Kirstie's advice to give notice and move on. She's right: a lot of parents tend to mess about new CMs, as they reckon you'll suck up just about anything to get your business rolling.

Just to be fair, Robert de Niro notwithstanding, taxi drivers are no more likely to be a safeguarding risk than 'EY professionals'. They undergo similar CRB/DBS checks and may often carry unaccompanied minors. In fact it was the number of local authorities requiring taxi and/or minicab drivers to be CRBed a few years ago that threw the entire CRB system into an enormous backlog that it is still yet to fully recover from to this day.