Scooby Snacks 23

With my wife approaching the end of her maternity leave, we're weighing up the options between the current (and extortionate ) rates at nursery or whether or not we consider a childcarer or nanny and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with them?

My wife works 4 days a week and our son (now 4) used to go to nursery for 3 days a week and had 1 day at home with my mum. As soon as my wife went off on maternity leave with our daughter, we reduced our son to 2 days a week.

Now she's due back at work, we're looking at putting both of them in for 4 days as week (as my mum has now said she can't even look after 1 of them now as she's getting too old) but this would cost slightly more (circa £100p/m) than my wife would be earning. This is certainly the case until my son goes to school next September.

One of the carers at my sons nursery has recently left but when we saw her at a party at the weekend, she said that she would be happy to work for us as a nanny and says that she will be cheaper per month than nursery.

Whilst I'm happy to pay cash in hand, she has said friends of hers who do the same thing have their employers registered as "employers" and subsequently paid tax and NI on her behalf.

I don't really want to become an employer but not really sure of the implications. Does anyone else do this or anyone else considered this at any time?

Appreciate any (usefull ) comments.

Thanks.

SJ_Skyline

Thought about it with ours as we both work full-time. We decided against it, partly from the financial aspect and partly from the interaction the kids will have with other kids at nursery.

Hope that helps

Graz

Russian (or other Eastern European) au-pair

Pros.

Get some young, fit, attractive girl living with you.
Looks after kids while you're at work.
Does cleaning etc.
May even cook you dinner.
You don't have to pay them much.

Cons.

Your wife may come home early and catch you giving the au-pair one.

So all good really

boxst

Yes, that. Well, without being caught by the wife (hopefully ).

Polish are very good, but getting expensive so it has moved to the other Eastern European countries now.

Steve

Turbohot

I can see where she is coming from. Yet you need to think if you want this responsibility to become someone's employer. To my understanding, employer status brings much responsibility with it e.g. formal contract, employee benefit, grievance, their rights to their time offf, their sick/maternity pay etc. She should be able to work for you in self-employed capacity, without you having to worry about her NI and tax etc. That way, she wil have to pay her own tax, NI etc., do dealings with IR by herself. Cash in hand could be a bit too risky for her, as your work seems to be regular. Perhaps that's the reason why she wants to be formally employed by you. I wouldn't, If I were you. It's up to you, though.

Scooby Snacks 23

Liking the idea of a foreign bird but can't see the wife going for that

Starting to think along the lines of Turbohot now - don't know if I want the responsibility of being an employer now!

SJ Skyline - that's what we decided when our boy first went at 9mths and we're really pleased with his development, but now it's about £1300 a month, it's getting difficult to justify.

jonny_693

iTrader: (5)

Don't even go down that route of paying some ex-nursery worker cash in hand. To be a childminder you need to be fully registered, insured etc. Our lass has just gone through the whole procedure and its a right PITA, even I had to have a CRB check done because I live with her and you need OFSTED inspections etc, its a minefield. In fact she's sacked it off and gone back to work now! We've been sending our 11 month old to a childminder and IMO its better than a nursery, cheaper for a start and still other kids to interact with. More flexible aswell and less likely to ring up wanting you to collect your kid just because their starting with a cold.