cover for other childminders

[Belly2009]

Hi,

Ive been approached by two seperate childminders to cover their holidays.

What paperwork and arrangements need to be in place

TIA

[Koala]

You need to complete your paperwork as you do with any mindee, don't rely on others passing on info, it's your responsibility to get the right information:- contact details, medical details, allergies etc.... etc... to safeguard yourself. And just have a short term contract.

[bunyip]

You need to complete your paperwork as you do with any mindee, don't rely on others passing on info, it's your responsibility to get the right information:- contact details, medical details, allergies etc.... etc... to safeguard yourself. And just have a short term contract.

I agree. I've done cover for some lovely fellow-CMs but they've often been terrible at passing on the information. Actually, one of the CMs cross-checked the data I'd collected and found the client had changed her job, email and phone number without telling her.

The only thing I do slightly differently is that I use a normal contract (not short-term) as it saves me doing a new one every time they come back. I just write "ad hoc/emergency cover" instead of filling in the table of contracted hours.

[Belly2009]

Great thanks! One of the childminders has invoiced the parent without checking with me. I want a contract and paid directly to me. Im within my rights to ask for this?

[bunyip]

Great thanks! One of the childminders has invoiced the parent without checking with me. I want a contract and paid directly to me. Im within my rights to ask for this?

You are certainly within your rights to expect just that. You should also make it clear that your policies, Ts&Cs, etc. apply - and your scale of fees, unless you regard that aspect as negotiable. I usually charge whatever the parent has been used to paying the other CM, but that doesn't mean you have to.

If the other CM is invoicing them, then personally I'd refuse to do it. At the very least ask if s/he thinks s/he's employing you; in which case, you require him/her to pay you a wage, plus your tax, NI, and be covered by her/his insurance. That should make them think twice.