Substitute grandparent required!

My mother in law did this voluntarily before her own grandchildren came along
Arranged through the church and both she and the young mother and child benefited from the company but it was on an "as convenient " basis

I wonder if she hoped some kind member from the Amersham area would up and volunteer!! Maybe somebody has but more likely it was wishful thinking.
It does bug me that anybody who has chosen to follow a career should quibble at paying the going rate for even an advertisement. And OP refers to her parents, so why does she call this home help/childminder a "substitute grandparent".

I found a different one, then!

Anyway, the op seems to have disappeared. Perhaps she was taking the pee.

AMERSHAM!!

1. APPLY ONLINE
2. MAKE PAYMENT (£65 Standard / £75 Fast Track)
3. RECEIVE YOUR BASIC DISCLOSURE WITHIN 7-14

This is what I found.

daphne I've just looked it up and according to the site I looked at, it's 27 and 44£. But not free. I stand corrected.

I thought OP said she lived in Amsterdam ! How about an au pair ?

DBS. Check £55 standard application, £65 fast track application, so no, not free gettingonabit!

I would ask, are you thinking of a registered child minder or not. You really must read this link.

It defines the law about childminding. Do you not have and after school clubs in Amersham?

www.gov.uk/register-childminder-childcare-provider/overview

BUT
"You can get an unlimited fine or be sent to prison or both if you provide childminding or daycare services without being registered."

Are there still newsagents in Amersham in which you could place a card? There used to be when I lived there many years ago.

I think you should make it very clear that this is a job and that you will do all the checks and check all references. I think you also need to look into your liabilities with insurance and pensions.

I think an after school club might be a lot easier and then your child could play with friends after school.

Must admit to being both scared and cross with this post. How can you trust any granny type person with your most treasured possession, Being older does not preclude being criminal, stringent checks need to be in place before employing anyone you will leave with your children. Sound to me like Mrswoods is looking for cheap labour and grannies will be happy to do it - not.
Think again.

Obviously you'd want to be completely satisfied with the integrity of a potential candidate. But I don't see why an agency would do a better job necessarily. I think a dbs check is free, and many people have them anyway.

Actually I think the op is a tad unrealistic in her expectations. And a bit naïve. You never know, though.

I have no idea what the cost implications would be of DBS checking, first aid qualifications, etc but you don't just hand a child over without the most stringent checks on the suitability of an application do you? Being a sweet natured old dear doesn't cut it and I am shocked at how easily some parents seem to be willing to hand over their children to a " kindly soul".

If OP's free press quoted £150 for a recruitment ad, I agree it seems a lot, but a week's/month's wage/salary is far from being an unusual finding fee.
Deep down I think my hackles rose at the correlation of a grandparent with someone "who picks up from school AND does the ironing!!"
Just get a childminder and find an ironing service.

I'm not sure what an agency can do that the op can't though? She knows what she wants. Many people do not use agencies to look for work.

Then she should be happy to pay the requisite recruitment fee too.

daphne I think the OP is happy to pay!

Childminder who also does ironing.
why am I, as a granny, not feeling particularly flattered?
If you want a job doing, be prepared to pay the going rate for it, do not presume upon the kindness of others!

You need to be clear on what you're looking for too. Sounds as though you're seeking a cross between Supergran and Mary Poppins.

I think the term is "mother's help"?. I'd put an ad on Gumtree to start with, to test the market. Are you employing the person directly?

As Daphne says its not straight forward now a days with all the checks that have to be made regarding looking after children. Also looking at the other side of the coin would an older person want to be a substitute grandparent.
If you are wanting to pay someone then you will have to go down the employment route as you are basically asking for a child minder, it could all get very complicated.

All sorts of hoops to be jumped through these days, I would be very very reluctant to advertise.

Gumtree?

There has been a lengthy conversation about this subject recently. You may be better to look up the old thread.

(Obviously I'm looking to pay someone but I still don't want to go down the "recruitment" route).