Bank Holidays

Bank Holidays 2020

2020 is upon us and it is always handy to have a list of the bank holidays for the year and what day of the week they fall on.

These are the dates of the bank holidays in 2020 for England.

1 January Wednesday New Year’s Day
10 April Friday Good Friday
13 April Monday Easter Monday
8 May Friday Early May Bank Holiday
25 May Monday Spring bank holiday
31 August Monday Summer bank holiday
25 December Friday Christmas Day
28 December Monday Boxing Day

 

If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a ‘substitute’ weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday.

It is worth noting that if nanny does not work 5 days a week that she is still entitled to bank holidays on a pro rata basis, for example if nanny only works 3 days per week then she is still entitled to 3/5ths of the 8 bank holidays whether her working day falls on a bank holiday or not.

Blue Monday

Today is Blue Monday, supposedly one of the most depressing days of the year, based on the weather, debt, time since Christmas, lack of motivation and many other factors. Undoubtedly, we probably all feel a little low at this time of year for a whole host of reasons. But for those people that genuinely suffer with depression every single day Blue Monday is just another day to them.

Depression in adults is a condition we’re all familiar with. Most adults have at some point felt mildly depressed and a surprising proportion of the population has suffered from clinical depression, whether treated or not.  Although there is still a huge stigma around saying that someone as an individual is or has been depressed, it’s no longer the hidden condition it once was. Depression in children and teenagers, on the other hand, is much less widely acknowledged but potentially very serious.

What on earth do children have to be depressed about?

We may cast our minds back to the halcyon days of our own childhood and wonder what there is to become stressed and depressed about but firstly childhood was never that simple and secondly today’s children are facing an infinitely more complex world with shifting social norms, advancing technology and mounting media pressure. In Hollywood everyone is popular, rich and happy, the guy always gets the girl and we all live happily ever after. This can set up dangerous expectations for real life and if children can gorge on this constructed reality, they can end up feeling like they’ll never be good enough. If we’re honest with ourselves we were all anxious about school and schoolwork, keeping up with our friends and living up to parental expectations and today’s children are no different, even though the challenges they face are. It becomes more complicated when children become adolescents because the maelstrom of hormones, which leads to tears, tantrums, rage and rebellion, can mask depression – it all gets put down simply to being a teenager. It’s especially important at this time to watch out for anything out of the ordinary which continues over a lengthy period as it may point to a deeper issue.

How can I spot depression?

Knowing what is normal for your child or charge is key, and that can only be achieved by keeping the lines of communication open. It’s difficult when your efforts are met with angry rejection but keep letting them know you’re listening and do genuinely listen to what they say even if it seems insignificant to you. A constant refusal to communicate may be a sign that something is troubling them, but they don’t know how to talk to you about it. In this case be guided by your instincts and you may need to seek professional help along with your child. Although it may feel like a betrayal at the time, a child will get over that faster than untreated depression.

Surely my child is too young to be depressed.

 In fact, depression can hit children as young as 2 or 3 years old so there’s no such thing as too young. The number rises sharply in adolescence, with girls twice as likely to suffer as boys at this point. Rest assured, depression in very young children is likely to be the result of physical or emotional trauma and rarely manifests in healthy children with a secure attachment to their parents. Children who are at risk of depression, be it from chronic illness or emotional disturbances in their life, are likely to be offered additional help, perhaps in the form of play therapy or counselling.

That said, although depression in children is rare it’s important to remember that it does still exist and shouldn’t be discounted because of age.

How can I prevent depression?

There is no one way to prevent depression but setting an example of a healthy, realistic lifestyle is a good start. Plenty of exercise and fresh air along with a good diet will help keep the brain’s chemistry in balance and ensuring plenty of time for relaxation and play is vital for relieving stress. Good communication skills lay the foundation for open and honest exchanges about emotions and will safeguard your relationship throughout the difficult teenage years. It’s never too early to talk to children, be honest with them and accept them for who they are, encourage them to express their feelings and give age-appropriate explanations for what they see in the world around them.

Get into the habit of looking for the good in life. At the end of the day encourage children to focus on the good things that have happened and consider encouraging older children who don’t want to be tucked in any more to keep a positivity journal. The act of reflecting on what has gone well prevents a spiral of negativity and a journal can be a source of encouragement when times get tough.

For more information please visit www.youngminds.org.uk

Payroll Terms

These are some of the most common terms used in payroll.

Gross pay – this is the pay before deductions for tax, national insurance, pension and student loans. The gross pay includes overtime, commission, bonuses, statutory payments and any other taxable income.

Net Pay – This is what nanny takes home in her pocket.

Tax – Deducted based on nanny’s tax code which determines nanny’s tax free allowance and then any earnings above the tax free allowance is deducted at 20%.

NI – National Insurance. There are 3 types of NI for PAYE.

Employees NI deducted from nanny’s gross wage at 12% on earnings above £166.00 per week.

Employer’s NI on top of nanny’s gross wage paid at 13.8% on earnings above £166.00 per week.

Class 1A NICS, this is a yearly payment for any benefits in kind nanny may have had for the previous tax year.

SMP – statutory maternity pay. Nanny is entitled to 39 paid weeks of leave providing she meets the criteria. Nanny is allowed a further 13 weeks unpaid

SPP – statutory paternity pay. Nanny entitled to 2 weeks of statutory pay.

SSP – statutory sick pay. Nanny will get SSP after 4 consecutive working days of sickness

P60 – Nanny will be given this form at the end of the tax year to show her annual pay, tax, NI and statutory payments, she then keeps this for her own records.

P45 – When nanny leaves your employment, a P45 will be issued with her leaving date, tax code, if a student loan has been deducted and total gross and tax to date in that tax year, she then gives this form to her next employer.

DBS Check

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is a government body which processes criminal record checks that prevent unsuitable people from working with children and other vulnerable groups.

There are three types of checks –

​Standard check shows spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings.

​​Enhanced check shows the same as standard and any information held by local police that’s considered relevant to the role.

​Enhanced check with barred lists shows the same as enhanced check plus whether applicant is on the list of people on the list barred from doing the role.

​​These usually take around 8 weeks.

Cost of a DBS check –

​​Standard                                         £26.00

​Enhanced                                        £44.00

​Enhanced with Barred lists             £44.00

Jury Service

Our recommended partners at www.PayrollForNannies.co.uk  provide payroll advice for parents and have created this content.

All employees must be allowed to take time off for jury service.

Employers can choose to pay staff for time taken off, but they do not have to.

The Court will pay the employee for the time spent on Jury service and employee will be given a statement of earnings notification which employee then gets employer to complete and then give to Court to claim for loss of earnings.

If employer chooses to pay employee whilst on Jury service, then it would be expected that the employee then repays the employer any payments from the Court that they receive for loss of earnings.

Alternatively, an employer can if they wish, but not obliged to do so, top up the employees earnings they receive from the Court.

My Mood Stars

Nannyjob are always keen to discover great ideas to encourage child development and we are really impressed with these fantastic My Mood Stars. The idea was thought up by former Childminder Wendy Elizabeth White and in the early stages of development her keen needlework skills came in very handy!  Each yellow star filled with cotton depicts an emotion. There is sad, happy, angry, scared, shy, silly, surprised and sleepy.  We all know that the ability to express and control our emotions and to recognise them in others is an essential skill.  However, for some children trying to communicate feelings can be difficult and frustrating.

Self-confident children in touch with their feelings find it easier to flourish in social situations. Indeed personal, social and emotional development and communication are key aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage in the UK. Children who understand and can express and manage their own emotions, as well as those around them, are more likely to develop a positive sense of self and be assured and inquisitive learners and these Mood Stars are a great way to encourage conversation and expression with your little ones. For more information please visit.

www.mymoodstars.co.uk

Twitter – www.twitter.com/mymoodstars

Facebook – www.facebook.com/mymoodstars

Instagram – www.instagram.com/mymoodstars41

Saying Goodbye To The ‘Red Book’

For generations, parents of babies and young children in the UK have used the ‘red book’ to record their child’s development, keep track of vaccinations and monitor baby’s growth.

However, in a recent update from the UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock announced that in a new bid by the government to stay current and to help improve health services for new mothers and babies, the ‘red book’ will be going digital in 2024.

Continue reading “Saying Goodbye To The ‘Red Book’”

New Look Nanny Job Website!

By now, you’ve probably noticed that the Nanny Job website has a whole new look!

We hope you like the new design and find the site easier to navigate than before.

To get started on our homepage, just choose from one of the 3 options; Childcarer, Parent or Agency.

Then use our free and simple search tool to filter the search results to meet your requirements and find your perfect match!

You can also find a range of other useful information, including the Nanny Job blog which will also be updated soon, by clicking Info in the navigation menu.

If you have any feedback, let us know!

‘Hurrah’ to the Royal Baby.. ‘Boo’ to the acute morning sickness!

Hyperemesis Gravidarum – The Facts

Along with everyone else in the UK, Nannyjob let out a huge ‘Hurrah’ this week upon hearing the lovely royal baby news. We’ve all watched this perfect pair go through the courtship we all envied, then the wedding of the century. And now, the ultimate – a new cute bundle of joy for the nation’s sweethearts.

So, after our excitement had (only mildly) died down, we started to feel really quite sorry for the beautiful Kate, as we heard that she’d been admitted to a London hospital with hyperemesis gravidarum (a.k.a acute morning sickness). Now you may be thinking that all or most expectant mums get a bit of morning sickness – true, but this acute condition means that rehydration is needed, hence the hospitalisation. So, as we are always here to be the fountain of knowledge to our lovely readers (or tell you what the doctors say!), here we explain what Kate is going through:

  • hyperemesis gravidarum, is a serious medical condition with potential consequences for mother and baby.
  • by definition, the condition is the loss of at least 5% of the total body weight.
  • while seven out of ten pregnant women suffer nausea, usually in the first three months, some are sick morning noon and night throughout, vomiting as much as 25 times a day.
  • Other than the vomiting and nausea the mother might also experience very sensitive olfactory sensations, bad taste in the mouth, shivering, difficulty reading (from dehydration and changes to the eye), and delayed gastric emptying.
  • Charlotte Bronte is believed to have been a victim. Women were dying from this condition up to the 1950’s.
  • Now dehydration can be treated with a drip and is a common reason for hospitalisation accounting for more than 25,000 admissions a year.
  • Now for the fun bit – A Swedish study in The Lancet in 1999 suggested women suffering from the condition were slightly more likely to be carrying a girl (we’re already making a list of potential royal girls names!).

Nannyjob is super excited about the royal baby, and wishes Kate and William the very best of luck with their pregnancy. And who knows.. They might even start their search for a nanny soon….! 😉

 

 

‘What If Money Didn’t Matter?’

Yesterday here at Nannyjob towers, we came across something utterly fantastic – this video, that was flagged up through the powers of social media (our Facebook page!).

To say that this really got us thinking would be a huge understatement. The narrator, the late Alan Watts, takes us through the video, asking the listener to consider something  that they may possibly have never really considered before – what they would REALLY want to do with their life, if money didn’t matter.

So, as I’m sure you can imagine, when the Nannyjob team comes across something as thought provoking as this, it leads to a big discussion about how these principals apply to children. We all pretty much agreed that encouraging a child to follow their heart and gravitate towards what they love doing, rather than what might be a ‘sensible’ option, was incredibly important for their long term happiness.

There are still many parents out there who push their child into doing what they themselves think is most beneficial to get them a ‘good’ career. A recent example is a parent I came across at a local private school, who is a surgeon (as is her husband). Clearly a very clever couple in so many ways you might think, although I was utterly flabbergasted at their response to their 10 year old’s new found love of archaeology: “We’ve told him that it’s ok to like it now, but not to get too interested in it, as it wouldn’t be a good career choice”.

Oh. My. Goodness. Me! This child is TEN for God’s sake! And he REALLY ENJOYS archaeology! Apart from this, if they’re concerned about future financial successes for their LITTLE boy, surely some of the world’s leading archaeologists are onto a really high earner? Needless to say, Nannyjob was very confused (and a little sad) about this.

It appears that for many parents, this is the chosen approach. Very often the children are denied what they love doing, and are steered in the direction of something they aren’t remotely interested in, or naturally good at. The parents are then surprised when their child grows up and rebels, or even worse, spends their entire career totally miserable. Of course, this is not always the case, as many children in this position actually start believing  that this approach is the best, and that denying themselves of a degree and potentially a job in archaeology, art, dance, or whatever they actually enjoy but were told wasn’t ‘sensible’ is more beneficial to them. But I bet my last nannying pound that they turn around one day, even if it is in retirement, and say ‘what if I’d done what I really wanted….’.

So our advice is to most definitely follow the late, great Mr Watts’ advice after you watch this video, and to do what you REALLY want to do, and encourage your children the same. They will thank you for it, we promise….

To watch the video Click here!