Parent wanting care but waiting for crbs and checks

[rsowter]

Hi all

I have a parent wanting after school care on a thurs for both her boys it's only for an hour can I help her out while I'm waiting for my paperwork to go through if so what do I do about charging her x

[Kiddleywinks]

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will come along, but I believe you can look after them for up to 2 hours per day, however, it would be 'as a friend' and therefore you cannot charge, or receive any form of payment, whether that be cash or goods to the value of. You also must not charge retrospectively as in once you GET registered you cannot 'back charge'.

Please also bear in mind that you wouldn't be insured either, and I personally just wouldn't like to take the risk with someone else's child

[bunyip]

There's a whole list of circumstances under which you can provide childcare without being registered, all listed in Osfsted factsheet 080134 Registration not Required.

Ofsted | Factsheet: childcare - Registration not required (http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/factsheet-childcare-registration-not-required)

If you don't need to be registered, then Ofsted don't regulate you - so I don't think they even mention whether or not you can do it for payment or reward. But I don't know where that puts you in terms of tax/NI and being a business.

I agree with Kiddleywinks. You'll almost certainly not be able to get insurance and could be leaving yourself open to all sorts of risks. It's not great from the parent's point of view either: if there's an accident/incident, I believe the parent remains responsible, and some LA's will involve social services immediately in such cases. You might also have future dificulties with potential clients or your local CM group, who might well frown on you having done unregistered minding.

[loocyloo]

if you go to the parents house, then you are working as a nanny, and can be paid and it is not childminding! you can do this temporarily until you get your registration through.

[rsowter]

Thanks for the help ladies I did think it might be awkward and don't wanna get any bad reviews before I've even started lol hopefully I won't be waiting long I've sent back all my forms so just a waiting game now

[blue bear]

I wouldn't do it as a nanny as parent would have to register as your employer and pay national ins contributions. Better off going to their house as a babysitter.

[TAZ]

If you're looking after them for under 2 hours (and get paid) then you do not have to be registered as a childminder, so why should you not be allowed to do this while in the process of registering?
I don't see why anyone should 'frown upon you' for doing this as it is perfectly legal.
I have previously recommended to friends who have been looking for an after school or before school childminder, but for whom I (and other registered childminders) were not available, that as long as it was for less than 2 hours in a day they could see if any of their friends at school would like to do this on a regular basis.

Once you are registered you can sort out a registered childminding contract which will give you the insurance re getting paid etc but as it's just 1hr, which you could get paid on the day, the risk of not being paid large quantities of money is minimal. Just make sure that Mum knows that you will not have CRB or insurance in place until you are registered.

[scottishlass]

if you go to the parents house, then you are working as a nanny, and can be paid and it is not childminding! you can do this temporarily until you get your registration through.

This is what I did while waiting on my reg to come through - I did ask my inspector (care inspectorate) if I could have wee one here for less than 2 hours a day until then but my inspector was set against it so I just stuck with nannying which is what I did before for a different child too.

[rsowter]

Thanks guys think ill speak to mum and see what she wants to do x x

[rsowter]

hi again

my crb is in the post and just wondered how soon before they come for pre reg visit ??

thanks rachel

[serin]

I also had a parent waiting before I registered and what I did was called ofsted and asked what was left to do and hassled them everyday. Even when my crb form was back and they were waiting for an inspector to be assigned I got Tribals number and called them up and managed to speed it up even more. It all worked out in the end. My CRB was really quick too but you can track that online. I was lucky.

[thills]

I found call ofsted all the time helped move my registration along as if something hadnt arrived they never called me so I could chase it, so I would have been waiting for ages!!! I had both my health check delayed and a reference didn't arrive and had I not called I wouldn't have known to chase them up!

[rsowter]

Ill give them a call tomorrow see what they say thanks