Blindfold the children and then say the rhyme as you guide their fingers to the appropriate bowls. Take the blindfold off just as you say the last words so they see their fingers covered in ‘blood’.
I went to a graveyard and dug in the ground
Here are some of the things that I found:
Continue reading “A Halloween sensory poem and touchy feely game”
We appreciate nannies have a number of questions and are understandably feeling extremely
anxious.
At BAPN we don’t pretend to have all the answers, in fact no one currently has – not even our
government or medical experts worldwide. The Coronavirus is a new virus. However, based on the
more common queries we’re receiving, we’d like to offer the following information and hope it
proves useful:
What’s happening?
The government and its health advisers are telling us that large numbers of the country’s workforce
are likely to be absent at any one time as the Coronavirus takes hold. We appreciate this is worrying
but bear in mind there will be varying degrees of symptoms, some no worse than the usual winter
flu.
Of course the impact on nannies won’t just be if they become ill or have to self-isolate. A further
unknown is what will happen in the event of schools and nursery closures? Just as their employer is
likely to need them more, nannies with their own children could find it impossible to go to work.
Likewise, those who have partners or dependents who become ill may also need to stay home…. and
so it goes on. The situation as it develops will have a major impact on all of us.
The best advice we can offer right now is that by working together and having open dialogue,
nannies and their employers can avoid unnecessary panic. Employers MUST adhere to government
guidance and if their nanny has to self-isolate so be it. Infected nannies or those who could
potentially be at risk, must self-isolate and stay at home and not show up for work as a result of
either misplaced loyalty or employer pressure. This is no different for a live-in nanny, the same
applies although it does come with additional challenges when the nanny’s home is that of the
employer.
Your Employment
Many employers in various industries are already considering allowing their workforce, where
possible, to work from home during this current crisis. However, the majority of nannies are simply
not able to work from home. That said, government guidance is still relevant and the requirement
on employers to treat their nanny fairly still applies. Nannies must not be put at risk simply
because of the nature of their employment.
Self-isolation
The government is currently recommending that anyone who has recently visited certain “high risk”
countries or regions, or has had recent contact with someone who has, should isolate themselves.
For updated information relating to countries or regions considered “high risk” please visit https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/02/20/what-is-self-isolati…
We understand the list of high-risk areas is being updated on a daily basis.
The government has also set out guidance on measures to take while in isolation: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-self…
You should familiarise yourself of these measures regardless of whether you are feeling ill or not.
If you know you have been in contact with someone who has a confirmed case of Coronavirus, or if
you have symptoms and, having contacted the NHS 111 line it was recommended you self-isolate,
you should follow instructions to the letter.
To get help from NHS 111, you can:
• visit 111.nhs.uk (for people aged 5 and over only)
• call 111
• NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A period of suspension
Should an employer have concerns about an employee, in particular, where it is known or suspected
that they had contact with someone known to have Coronavirus, they might decide to suspend as a
precautionary measure. This is acceptable and must be on full pay unless the employee’s
employment contract allows for suspension without pay. This would be most unusual.
Sickness absence
It’s likely that this might become tricky for employers and employees on the basis that it will not only
be those who are ill that are off work but also those looking after family members who are ill or
those with children in the event of schools and nurseries being closed.
Please note: Employers are not obliged to pay their employee if s/he is not sick but cannot come to
work because they have been advised to self-isolate. Your employer can choose to treat this period
as sick leave and pay following their usual sick pay procedures or, offer you the option of taking
annual leave or unpaid leave.
Statutory Sick pay (SSP)
Eligibility for SSP can seem complicated at the best of times.
To qualify for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) you must:
• be classed as an employee
• have been ill for at least 4 days in a row (this can include non-working days), however the
government has temporarily changed the rules on this meaning payment will come in from
day 1 for COVID-19 symptoms or self-isolation.
• earn an average of at least £118 per week
• Tell your employer you’re sick before their deadline – or within 7 days if they do not have
one
The SSP payment is currently £94.25 per week
If you do not qualify for SSP, you may be able to apply for Universal Credit or Employment and
Support Allowance, and the government has made temporary changes in this regard. See their
website for the most up-to-date information.
Occupational sick pay
Many nannies, not all, will receive sick pay as set out in their employment contracts. All nannies
should dig out a copy of their current contract and be familiar with its terms, in particular, what
happens when the nanny is ill / unable to work.
It is most unlikely that your contract will include self-isolation, time off to care for infected family
members but nonetheless, be familiar with what is included.
Nannies are urged to speak with their employers about “What If”. What will happen in cases of
illness or isolation? Have this conversation as soon as possible and agree a strategy before anything
happens. We’d advise an inclusion is added to the employment contract so that expectations are
met and understood.
Sick Notes / Fit Notes Certificates of Sickness Absence
An employer will normally require you to produce a doctor’s certificate, or ‘fit note’, after 7 days
absence. Coronavirus symptoms are likely to last more than 7 days, and if you are unwell or in
isolation, it will be difficult for you to obtain a doctors’ certificate. In these circumstances, the
government has ruled that an e-mail confirmation of diagnoses will be enough for Coronavirus
COVID-19 and those in self-isolation. You can access more information online via NHS 111.
What if I don’t / can’t go to work through the current crisis?
There is no legal right for employees to be paid under these circumstances or if a school / nursery
closes and an employee is required to care for a dependent. Your employer could offer you a period
of paid annual leave or unpaid leave or allow you to work from home where this is feasible.
BAPN is urging all nannies to check their current employment contract and to have a conversation
with their employer now, before such a problem arises.
Lay Off
Employees who are willing and able to work but are not provided with work by their employer can
be placed on “lay off”.
Lay off must be with full pay unless there is a provision within the contract of employment for lay off
without pay. If there is no contractual provision, employers can attempt to agree with employees a
period of unpaid lay off. BAPN is aware that many employment contracts provided by nanny
agencies and some nanny payroll providers allow for lay off and therefore you should check your
contract closely.
Providing information, advice and guidance
There is a duty on all employers to keep their employees informed with up-to-date, reliable
information from sources like the Department for Health and Public Health England and nanny
employers are no different. BAPN is aware of some really dubious sources of misinformation, in
particular, that found on Facebook! This is far too serious a subject. Only seek information from
reliable sources only. Such as:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/getting-workplace-ready-for-covid-19.pdf
https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/coronavirus.htm
I have my own company; can I pay nanny through my payroll?
No. Nannies are considered a personal employee and should not be under a company’s PAYE. Nannies should not be paid through your company, but through your own personal bank account.
Therefor you need to register yourself as an employer of a nanny and register nanny through this new company and process and submit payroll through this new company.
You can either do this yourself through HMRC or contact us at payrollfornannies.co.uk and we will then hopefully take the responsibility of doing this on your behalf
Choosing a childminder to provide care for your child has many benefits for both the child and the parents. In this article we will outline a few of the reasons of why a childminder can be a really beneficial influence in your child’s life, as well as why they can be a great choice for parents, too.
In an ideal world, parents would be able to choose to stay home with their children until they felt the child had reached an age that they were able to cope with being separated from them, but unfortunately this can’t always be possible. A childminder offers the child a real sense of safety and security because they can really get to know each other well. The child will not have to get to know a large amount of staff and be used to different people caring for her – instead they only have to settle in to a familiar home environment and one carer. Developmentally speaking this is very important – children need to be able to form secure attachments to their caregivers, and this can be hard if there are many different caregivers in the picture.
A childminder looks after children in their own home, and as such they can be very useful when trying to find care for children who are already at preschool or school. They generally will be happy to do pick-ups and drop-off’s from/to school and clubs, and some childminders will even pick up children from their homes and drop them back again if they are out and about at that time anyway. This can make life just that little bit easier for busy working parents. Additionally, special requirements (such as dietary needs) can be more easily managed in this kind of environment where care can be individualised.
Many parents worry that their children won’t get adequately socialised if they are not attending childcare in a group setting. In actual fact, large group settings can actually be damaging for confidence and social skills for some children. Research has shown that thrusting children into large groups before they are ready can make quite an impact on their emotional development. With a childminder, children will get to socialise in small groups in a familiar environment. They are able to get to know each other properly and will often become very good friends. Additionally, children will benefit from the opportunity to socialise with children of different age groups, which is a much more realistic form of socialisation – after all, apart from school, where else in life are we confined to groups of people of the same age as us?
Childminders are a very cost-effective choice for parents. Their cost will depend on their experience and any extras included but you can usually expect to pay somewhere between £4.50 and £5.50 per hour, depending on where you live. Some childminders will include the price of meals, snacks and drinks in their hourly rate, whereas others will charge extra. Additionally, childminders often get discounts for local child-friendly attractions, so excursions can be cheaper.
‘Zero hours contract’ is a non-legal term used to describe many different types of casual agreements between an employer and an individual.
Generally speaking, a zero hours contract is one in which the employer does not guarantee the individual any hours of work. The employer offers the individual work when it arises, and the individual can either accept the work offered, or decide not to take up the offer of work on that occasion.
Regardless of how many hours are offered, the employer must pay at least the National Minimum Wage.
Everyone employed on a zero hours contract is entitled to statutory employment rights. There are no exceptions.
A person will benefit from the employment rights associated with their employment status and individuals on a zero hours contract will either have the employment status of a ’worker’ or an ‘employee’.
Any individual on a zero hours contract who is a ‘worker’ will be entitled to at least the National Minimum Wage, paid annual leave, rest breaks and protection from discrimination.
Eligible employees can take unpaid parental leave to look after their child’s welfare, for example,
spend more time with their children
look at new schools
settle children into new childcare arrangements
spend more time with family, such as visiting grandparents
Their employment rights are protected during parental leave.
Parental leave is unpaid. Employees are entitled to 18 weeks leave for each child and adopted child, up to their 18th birthday.
The limit on how much parental leave each parent can take in a year is 4 weeks for each child (unless the employer agrees otherwise).
You must take parental leave as whole weeks (eg 1 week or 2 weeks) rather than individual days, unless your employer agrees otherwise or if your child is disabled. You don’t have to take all the leave at once.
Employees qualify if all of these apply:
they’ve been in the company for more than a year
they’re named on the child’s birth or adoption certificate or they have or expect to have parental responsibility
Employees must give 21 days’ notice before their intended start date. If they or their partner are having a baby or adopting, it’s 21 days before the week the baby or child is expected.
Employees must confirm the start and end dates in their notice. Unless an employer requests it, this doesn’t have to be in writing.
It is against the law to treat someone less favourably than someone else because of a personal characteristic such as religion, sex, gender reassignment or age.
Discrimination can include:
You can discriminate against someone even if you do not intend to. For example, you can discriminate indirectly by offering working conditions or rules that disadvantage one group of people more than another.
Discrimination in Job adverts
You must not state or imply in a job advert that you’ll discriminate against anyone. This includes saying that you are not able to cater for workers with a disability.
Only use phrases like ‘recent graduate’ or ‘highly experienced’ when these are actual requirements of the job. Otherwise you could discriminate against younger or older people who might not have had the opportunity to get qualifications.
Where you advertise might cause indirect discrimination – for example, advertising only in men’s magazines.
| 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. |
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| 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.
Sensory play is a catch-all term for activities which focus on stimulating a child’s senses : hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch. It can involve messy play, singing and dancing, cooking or gardening to name just a few activities which have maximum sensory input.
Like every child is different, every Nanny and Manny are different, but the one thing they all have in common is that they are always prepared! Here are our top 10 essential items that every Nanny carries with them. What is your most essential item? Or What have we missed off our list?
