Evening Babysitting Service

The following advice is based on my placing daily over 38 years thousands of Evening Babysitters with hundreds of families.

Parents, please register with us at least 2 weeks before the first evening you require to allow time to interview for 45 minutes 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.

Firstly Babysitters need to understand Parents:

Struggle to budget to go out so realistically the rate must be affordable.
Naturally will want you to aim to commit to Babysitting for their Children for at least one year, we know most Babysit for each family for at least 3 years.

Parents also need to understand the needs of an Evening Babysitter and realistically:

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.
Will be available or happy with short notice bookings as most require at least 5 days’ notice of a date unless a Parent can be flexible with.
Saturday nights - Babysitters have evenings out too so most will need at least 2/3 weeks’ notice.
Most Babysitters seek and need the income of 8 evening bookings per month but most families only need 2/3 times per month, for this reason, we advise the Babysitter that we introduce them to 2 or 3 families.
Most Babysitters due to daytime work start midweek after 6.45 pm start and want to finish by 11.30 pm.

Evening Babysitter Rate:

Minimum booking of 3 hours, thereafter, charged by 1/4 hour and are paid at the end of the night in cash.

In each Childcarers CV Report, we suggest a fair rate they are paid but ultimately Parents decide the rate they will pay.

In the interview please discuss and agree on the rates of the following:

Monday to Thursday: up to £11 - 13 per hour.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: £12 - £15 per hour.

After midnight - the Babysitter will add an extra £2 per hour.

£20 Cancellation Fee - on the odd occasion a Parent may need to cancel within 48 hours of the start time of a Babysitter so we advise paying 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.

Day Nanny Work (7 am up to 7 pm) - agree on a rate.

Sleep Overnight - 12-hour shift £120 - £150 (based on £10 - £12 per hour)

New Year`s Eve or Bank Holiday (official) rate add on to your agreed rate.

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.

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.

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.

Parent Interview Top Tips:

Explain, the Childs (ren) evening routine, health, medication, the time they go to bed, introduce pets and whether others live in the house. The Childcarer will explain in more depth their Childcare work experience.
After the family interview if you are happy with how they chat and interact with your Child (ren) and want to offer the evening work it is essential that a Parent voice telephones the Childcarer to hear if they have a pleased reaction to know you have chosen the right Babysitter.
If they accept - reference checks by a Parent must be done, ask them for Childcare Employer telephone numbers as these Parents will know them personally (unlike LMM) to confirm more information about their personality, punctuality, and reliability.
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.

On the night and duties a Parent all year can ask of a Babysitter:

To arrive 5 - 10 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 as they may have spent for example £100`s on buying a Theatre Ticket or it is their once-in-a-lifetime special occasion booked, months earlier. This is the reason a Parent needs to hear a Babysitter or relative's voice so know are not casually letting them down.