Engaging a Nanny

racksu

My husband and I are working from home and I have been talking to a registered childminder about providing some care in our home for my boys age 6 and 7 from 9-1pm three days a week. I am a keyworker but can do my job from home and one of the boys has additional needs so this extra help will be invaluable. This if the first time we have ever engaged any sort of nanny or childminder so are unsure about contracts etc. Given the uncertainty around how long schools will be closed for and whether either party would suddenly have to go in to isolation (he lives alone so would be 7 days), how would it be best to formalise the arrangement? I have a week of leave planned already for Easter and my husband is likely to take a week too at some point. I'm told it takes a month to set us up with a nanny tax account so the childminder is indicating he would be happy to keep it informal, but with certain protections in place such as being paid if we have to go in to isolation. Thanks.