Babysitting... official MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

There is no minimum age for babysitting in this country, but the parent will be held responsible if something goes badly wrong:
http://www.rospa.com/safetyeducation/advice/babysitting.htm
"
Using your eldest child as a babysitter

• As with parents hiring a sitter under sixteen years of age, you must also be prepared to take some responsibility for anything that should go wrong in your absence. You are also responsible for the care and safety of your eldest child who is acting in loco parentis.
• Try not to take advantage of your eldest child by expecting them to babysit on too frequent a basis - and certainly not seven days a week. This can lead to resentment and family tension. However, if circumstances dictate that there is no alternative, then talk things through with your eldest. Understanding why things are as they are can be helpful.
• Ask yourself whether your eldest child has the maturity and qualities you would look for if hiring a babysitter from somewhere else. Are they capable of looking after the rest of the children in your absence?
• Give praise where it is due and reward your eldest child for a job well done: This can be anything from pocket-money, to a small gift such as a favourite magazine, or just sincere thanks.
• In the unlikely event that something does go wrong in your absence, try not to allocate blame. It is not easy being expected to have authority and control over younger family members who have probably already reminded them that they are not you and, therefore, have no authority.
• Help your eldest child do a risk assessment of your home. Point out potential hazards and risks and explain how to control them.

Good Practice for Babysitters

Sitting for younger siblings

• Do try and be open with your parent/s about how you feel about babysitting your younger brothers and sisters. If you have any worries or concerns, try to bring them out in the open. Try to talk about it calmly.
• Negotiate. No one can be expected to babysit every night. Agree to sit a few evenings if you, in turn, can have some nights off to do your own thing.
• If you do have to stay in with younger siblings for a whole week, ask if you can have a friend to come and sit with you so that you can share the responsibility of looking after the children.
• Try not to resent or blame your younger brothers and sisters for the situation, it is not their fault. Try to look at the situation from all points of view including that of your parent/s.
• Treat your responsibilities as seriously as you would were you sitting for someone else’s children.
• Set up a back-up system. Is there another relative or other adult you can ask for help in an emergency? Would a neighbour help?
• Make sure you know where your parent/s will be and roughly what time they will be back. Give them a little leeway as it can be difficult to return ‘on the dot’. Get a contact telephone number, if you can.
• In the unlikely event that something major occurs - illness or accident - would you know what to do? Do you know how to get hold of the family doctor and the Emergency Services? If not, ask a parent to help you find out.
• A knowledge of home safety would be helpful to you. Get to know the hazards and risks in and around your home. Identify the hazards which have potential to cause harm to you and the other children. What are the risks? Do you know how to manage and control those risks?
• If no-one thanks you or praises you for looking after your younger siblings, then give yourself a pat on the back for doing a good job. "

kacie wrote: »

if you babysit daily for more than 2 hours then you have to be registered - otherwise you don't have to

In England, The Childcare Act 2006 (and associated Acts such as Care Standards Act 2000 and The Children Act 1989) make it unlawful to provide daycare at the residential home of the carer, when care is provided for more than 2 hours in any day, for reward (note: reward may not be money, it can be hard to prove that there is no reward going on). The period of 6pm to 2am is excluded. Childcare provided in the home of the childcarers between 2am and 6pm, is considered to be Childminding, for which in England you need to be registered with Ofsted, if you provide such care on more than 5 occasions a year.

Babysitting is like nannying - it is childcare provided in the home of the child. Currently UK childcare legislation does not regulate babysitting / nannying in any way, though over the past few years we have seen the introduction of a voluntary regulation scheme - which from April 2007 is called the Ofsted Childcare Register (part . Therefore you may find that some babysitters are now Ofsted Registered, though very few will be.

Babysitting can be a good way of boosting your income, though it is a very responsible job. You are in direct control of other people's children. While some children may sleep at night, others will not. Children can become ill very quickly, often in the evening, so having some knowledge of childhood illnesses is an advantage, as is basic First Aid.

Parents these days I find, especially new parents with babies / toddlers are often shying away from having a local teenager babysit, instead they are turning to more mature babysitters - who may or not be already working with children as their day job. Parents I find are looking for a babysitter who has experience of caring for young children, some will only use a qualified nursery nurse, where as other parents will not require formal childcare qualifications. I also find that many parents these days want someone who is CRB checked - which will mean someone who already works with children in some capacity, as currently you can't get a CRB check done on yourself as an individual.

To conclude... while there are no legal requirements for a babysitter to be trained in childcare, First Aid including Infant Resuscitation, or have a criminal background check, or to have any experience caring for children - the more of these you can offer, the better your chances of finding parents who will ask you to babysit.

I googled babysitting and found a couple of agencies. I am now signed up and have accepted my first job.

I am now wondering if I need to register as self employed or not as it is cash in hand??