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Just wondering whether anyone is currently or has been self employed as 'early years' supply practitioner in committee run pre schools/playgroups? (not supply via an agency) - if so I would love to discuss this with you further.

 

This is an area I want to investigate. I am aware that in my local area most early years settings are Pre schools and not the large 'chain' nurseries. I also know that supply work in the day nurseries is done via using an 'agency' but in committee led pre schools it is done by using parents/volunteers/committee members to 'fill in' for staff absence to keep costs down - BUT the big headache for Pre Schools is the continual problem of using inexperienced and unqualified people for cover and parents/committee members not wanting to commit to this regularly.

What I am finding is that settings really want experienced / qualified practitioners to cover short term staff absence (sickness/training) but the costs of using agency staff are too high for settings such as small committee run pre schools. I have also found that there is a desire for a bank of short term supply SEN 1:1 roles needed too.

 

This appears to be a constant need that isn't being met in my area and in my dotage I am feeling a bit entrepreneurial and wondered what could be done - but I don't want to re-invent the wheel so to speak if there is something already out there...looking forward to hearing from anyone who has become freelance in this area or just general thoughts from you all regarding this situation.

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this is something I've thought about for a while also! I'm a leader and recently our staff members have always been able to cover, but I'm also a chair of another setting who have big problems getting cover! I wanted to set up a "bank of staff" for local settins (have close links with 2 other pre-schools) however Ofsted need CRB for each setting, had problems with how to pay the staff, what rate etc so would also be interested if anyone has been able to do this!!

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funny becuase for a long time i have thought about this, how fantastic to have a bank of practitioners with good experience that are local and perhaps will fit with your setting

 

go for it

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Our LEA run a staff bank for settings and obtain CRB's. I've never used them so cannot say if they are expensive or not though being an LEA I would imagine not. They've just made their service available online so that settings can contact the person directly I believe via text message. Settings pay the staff member directly via their usual PAYE system.

 

Good luck

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Guest jenpercy
Our LEA run a staff bank for settings and obtain CRB's. I've never used them so cannot say if they are expensive or not though being an LEA I would imagine not. They've just made their service available online so that settings can contact the person directly I believe via text message. Settings pay the staff member directly via their usual PAYE system.

 

Good luck

 

 

You cannot pay for supply staff via PAYE as you are not actually their employer - they are employed by the LEA. If you employ them, you would have to get your own CRB etc and if they work for you for more than a week, and are not employed by the LEA you would have to put them on your payroll. However, if they were put on the payroll of every setting they worked at, they would have (for example) 20 or so Tax codes, and P45s and the Revenue would never get their tax straight!!!

 

If they ere self-employed, they would have to issue you with an invoice, you would pay them gross (which would naturally be at least your hourly rate plus pro rata hols, but it could be whatever you mutually agree above that, partic if you are desperate.

 

Otherwise you pay via invoice from their employer who then deducts their cut and pays them net

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You cannot pay for supply staff via PAYE as you are not actually their employer - they are employed by the LEA. If you employ them, you would have to get your own CRB etc and if they work for you for more than a week, and are not employed by the LEA you would have to put them on your payroll. However, if they were put on the payroll of every setting they worked at, they would have (for example) 20 or so Tax codes, and P45s and the Revenue would never get their tax straight!!!

 

If they ere self-employed, they would have to issue you with an invoice, you would pay them gross (which would naturally be at least your hourly rate plus pro rata hols, but it could be whatever you mutually agree above that, partic if you are desperate.

 

Otherwise you pay via invoice from their employer who then deducts their cut and pays them net

 

 

Hi Jen

 

I don't know much about these things, what you say above seems to make sense however the information below taken from our LEA website states the following:

What does it cost to use the Staff Bank?

There is no charge to Dorset childcare settings for using the services of the

Staff Bank, you just pay the person who comes to cover your vacancy as you

would a member of your existing team. We recruit people onto the Bank and

do the matching for you at no cost.

What are my responsibilities?

Your responsibilities towards temporary staff are the same as your

responsibilities towards your permanent team. We ask you to ensure that

Bank Staff are treated equally. The contract of employment will be between

you and your temporary worker and you pay them direct, making any

necessary deductions.

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

With regard to PAYE, I guess the only way to do it properly would be to ask the relief staff member to sign a P46 to declare that this is not their main job, and to deduct tax at the appropriate rate. Unless of course the person is self-employed and then they would invoice you for the hours worked, because they are responsible for paying their own tax/NI contributions.

 

I'm not sure what would happen about the CRB. I think you might need to take advice from your Local Authority unless of course they organise CRBs for their own bank staff.

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Hi

I think Maz is right about the PAYE, bank staff can sign a P46 to say that this is not their main job.

 

With regard to CRB, with our LA run childcare staff bank, the LA carry out enhanced CRB disclosures, a safer recruitment check, take up references and interview staff.

 

HTH

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  • 1 year later...

This is all really useful. I have also identified a gap in my local area and was thinking of starting an Early Years crèche bank to supply cover for sickness and holidays. I have experience of being in a situation where I have needed crèche staff to support with ensuring ratios are met within the Children centre and couldn't find anyone to do this. I haven't a clue about where to start, what I need to do and how much I would need to get this started. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :)

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As an aside, I have often thought there was room for a 'relief childminder' working in a similar way. Either going into settings to cover the practitioner or taking emergency places in their own home. I'm thinking of planned holidays or medical recuperations etc. There are difficulties here, as the practitioner and setting are linked

 

I'm thinking the new Disclosure and Barring Service would be helpful for practitioners working in multiple settings, but settings may have to look at their policy to accept an existing one rather than always requiring their own.

 

H

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We had a committee member who became what she called 'emergency childcare', and was a registered childminder who took children at short notice or for occasional hours, not long term..was used by the preschool parents in an emergency or for things like appointments where they did not want to take the children with them.. she did a lot of business locally as she had found a gap in our market for those who needed this sort of thing..

 

no idea how she did her paperwork etc.. but she was registered and Ofsted were very happy with her set up.. we did help her when she decided to do this with policies etc and found the training for her to do as she had done none until deciding to give it a try, other than having 4 children of her own.. so lots of experience. :D

 

she was on standby for the setting if she had no children in her care but we never needed to use her as we were always one over ratio which gave us the staff needed for cover if anyone called in.. never had to chase around..

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We had a committee member who became what she called 'emergency childcare', and was a registered childminder who took children at short notice or for occasional hours, not long term..was used by the preschool parents in an emergency or for things like appointments where they did not want to take the children with them.. she did a lot of business locally as she had found a gap in our market for those who needed this sort of thing..

 

she was on standby for the setting if she had no children in her care but we never needed to use her as we were always one over ratio which gave us the staff needed for cover if anyone called in.. never had to chase around..

 

 

And here we have the start of an integrated, co-operative, self-supporting, wrap-around childcare service.

 

H

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We are in the process of setting up a recruitment agency but being cheaper than the normal agency we have to use if necessary. My business partner used to work in recruitment so it's fairly straightforward for her. I have just taken on a bank staff person for my setting but it will turn into a full time job as our occupancy is increasing. Yet we need extra cover if people are off sick etc. agencies charge £14 an hour here and thats for unqualified, I'd rather pay some £8/9 an hour and use them regularly and know who they are etc. The market is monopolised by one large chain in particular! Good luck if you go for it - happy to help if i can

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