Evening Babysitting Service

Parents please register with us at least 2 weeks before the first evening you require to allow time to:

Interview your first Childcarer as if they do not suit your family you will need to go on to interview the next until you and the Child (ren) are happy.
Parents cannot assume one person will be available on every date they ask to do, for this reason, we advise a team of 2 Babysitters so if one cannot do a date usually another can. This also means possibly at short notice one may be available.
Most Babysitters need an income of 4 - 6 evening bookings per month, for this reason, we advise the Babysitter that we introduce them to 2 or 3 families.
We advise Children and all house adults to be present in the Face to Face interview for about 45 minutes to see how the Childcarer chats and interacts with them. Explain, the Childs (ren) evening routine, health, medication, the time they go to bed, introduce pets and whether others live in the house.

Babysitters need to understand:

Most Parents only need or struggle to budget to go out more than 2/3 times per month so realistically the rate must be affordable.
Parents must be able to rely on your reliability, and punctuality as they may have spent £100`s on buying a Theatre Ticket or it is their once-in-a-lifetime special occasion booked.
Naturally, a Parent will want you to aim to commit to Babysitting for their Child (ren) for at least one year, and most Babysitters work for each family for at least 3 years.

Once you agree an Evening Babysitter rate follow these steps:

Minimum booking of 3 hours - thereafter if in mid hour charged by the 1/4 hour.
Payment - is to be paid on the night in cash or by bank transfer before the Babysitter leaves.
After midnight - the Babysitter will add an extra £2 per hour.
Notice - most will require at least 5 days’ notice of a date especially for a weekend unless a Parent can be flexible to another day.
Saturday nights - Babysitters go out these evenings too so aim to give at least 2/3 weeks’ notice.
Monday to Thursday most Babysitters due to daytime work start after 6.45 pm and want to finish by 11 - 12 pm.
Petrol Allowance - to be paid if a Parent asks a Childcarer to collect in their car a Child (ren) from a friend, School, Club, Nursery, or do a day outing.
£20 Cancellation Fee - on the odd occasion a Parent must cancel within 48 hours of the start time paid by bank transfer as most are too proud to say they rely on the expected income. If a Babysitter is regularly canceled they may stop accepting bookings.
Agree on a rate for Day Nanny Work (7 am up to 7 pm)
Agree on a rate for a Sleep Overnight - 12-hour shift £120 - £150 (based on £10 - £12 per hour)
Agree on a higher rate for New Year`s Eve or Bank Holiday (official).

Babysitter - annually these earnings can be high. By UK law HMRC Inland Revenue treats Evening Babysitters as Self-Employed because they work for several families and the earnings in full must be declared by the Babysitter usually in their end-of-year tax return and any Income Tax paid. We provide Babysitters with one Earnings Record sheet (to photocopy) for 8 Babysits per month that states the booking Date - Hours - Amount Paid - Car mileage and a column for a Parent to sign. The following costs (Staple receipts to your earnings sheet) reduce tax liability at times to nil:

Petrol to and from booking, all-year car repair, and insurance.
First Aid, Ofsted registration, and Childcarer insurance.
For Children - take to bookings a bag of quick-to-set-up activities, Christmas and birthday gifts.

Parents - How best to book a Babysitter:

When a Babysitter is in your home agree on one or a few booking dates.
Text dates as they arise to all your Babysitter Team and always give the booking to the 1st Babysitter to reply they can do as this will encourage all your Babysitter Team to respond quicker.
If Parents can be flexible many won't mind short notice in any week. Just text and ask if free to do an evening but will unlikely be Saturday but often a Friday.
Same-day request - do not ask too often as Babysitters rarely can do.
Always reassure it is ok if they are unable to do a requested date as they do feel guilty if unable to do and so may withdraw from being a family’s Babysitter.

If you want to offer a Childcarer Evening Babysitting Work it is essential:

That a Parent does personal reference checks and voice telephones the Childcarer to hear if they have a pleased reaction to know you have chosen the right Babysitter.
To email the Babysitter a short discussed and agreed with rate and terms letter that both parties sign. Include that the Babysitter (not a family or Little Masters and Misses) is solely responsible to HMRC for declaring your Evening Babysitting earnings and if any occasional Day Nanny work. We are not accountants so cannot advise further, therefore, Babysitters please contact HMRC or Tax Payroll company for advice.

Duties a Parent all year can ask on the night:

To arrive 5 minutes before an agreed start time.
Offer the Child (ren) on arrival to do a calm 30-minute activity.
Check with the Parents that night's routine, bedtime, snacks, and what drinks are allowed.
To cook tea and wash up items used.
Read a 15-minute bedtime story or the Child can read to Babysitter.
Text a Parent when the Child goes to bed.
Tidy up toys and play area.
Check Child (ren) every 30 minutes until the Parents arrive home.

Parents, please provide:

Inside a door display all year a 1-page sheet of your mobile number (s), doctor, emergency family or friend telephone number and any medication or allergy information that may arise and what to give. On the odd medication occasion write Babysitter has permission with dosage to give note.
On a kitchen tray (all year) leave the Babysitter a few snacks e.g.: fruit, crisps, cake, and biscuits.
If a Babysitter is coming straight from work please say they can make a sandwich.

Occasional Unforeseen:

Babysitters that accept a booking many weeks in advance with good personal reason occasionally may need to telephone a few days before to ask if there is any possibility another Babysitter can be found. If not in our experience most keep with the original would do the booking agreement.
On the day of the booking the Babysitter, unfortunately, is ill but in case pass to the Children will have to telephone the Parents. It is essential the Babysitter (or their relative) voice telephone a Parent and not text a Parent this unavoidable news. If not a serious sickness or issue most Babysitters still often offer to do the evening still but are telephoning to ask if there is any possibility another Babysitter can be found.
On the day of the booking, the Babysitter has an emergency.

On the above, we hope a Parent will reassure the Babysitter they are not angry but the reality is most Parents are then often left without Childcare and may sound in panic , this is the reason a Parent needs to hear a Babysitter or relative's voice so know are not casually letting them down.