Elf Sitters Family Terms and Conditions.
ELF sitters, Triscombe, Silver St, Minety, SN16 9QF Updated May 2018
ELF sitters is a Child Care Staff agency. We provide introduction services to employers of child carers who are registered with ELF sitters.
For the purposes of this agreement, persons booked for employment through ELF sitters are referred to as employees and persons who contract with ELF sitters for the purpose of employing or hiring persons booked through ELF sitters are referred to as employers.
ELF sitters provides childcare employment introduction services and will endeavour to introduce to the employer, employees on ELF sitters register.
ELF sitters undertake to ensure that all employees on the register have been carefully selected and have demonstrated satisfactory previous experience in childcare employment.
The employer accepts that no amount of reference checking can provide a guarantee of future performance by individual childcare employees.
ELF sitters cannot be held accountable for negligence on the part of the employee who has provided ELF sitters with satisfactory references except where reasonable care has not been taken in the reference checking process or where ELF sitters has failed to take notice of other information received concerning the employees past performance.
When assessing an applicant for suitability to become a child carer the selection process includes the
following:
- A written application by the child carer
- Identity checks by sight of documents and records supporting the applicant’s identity, i.e. Passport, driving licence, birth certificate and proof of current address
- Qualification checks by sight of certificates
- A face to face interview
- Two or more references taken about the child carer
- All child carers are then reviewed, approved and signed off before they are sent on any assignments.
- Although it is not a legal requirement for babysitters all our child carers hold a DBS, (previously a CRB)
Booking Fees
For each booking an employer makes for finding an employee a booking fee is payable to ELF sitters.
The booking fee is chargeable per individual booking date and per individual sitter should more than one be required for any given date.
The booking fee is payable prior to the date of your booking. You will be sent an invoice and remittance may by made by signing up for our direct debit scheme, by bank transfer or by PayPal. Full details will be on your invoice.
If you no longer require a sitter and we are still checking availability please let us know straight away so we can stop contacting sitters to fill the booking. If we are not informed until we contact you to confirm the booking the booking fee will still be chargeable. This applies if we reply to your request with sitter confirmation and we have had no previous indication that the sitter is no longer required.
If you cancel before we have confirmed a booking there is no charge.
Once a booking is confirmed the booking fee is not refundable if the booking this then cancelled at a later date by the employer.
If for any reason ELF sitters, the agency has had to cancel your booking and is unable to find a replacement sitter, no booking fee is payable.
Paying your sitter
You agree to pay your sitter the agreed hourly rate, with a minimum charge of 3 hours. Anything after the initial 3 hours should be rounded up to the next half hour.
You should pay your sitter in cash at the end of the booking for any hours worked. Sitters do not except cheques or BACs transfer.
All sitters are classed as self-employed.
Should you not have the funds available to pay your sitter at the end of the booking, a £5 administration fee will be incurred in addition to the hours worked. This is payable to ELF sitters in recompense for recovering the monies and ensuring the sitter receives the payment.
Cancellation. If you need to cancel your sitter after Midday on the day of the booking or with less than 6 hours’ notice then 3 hours is chargeable. This will be collected by the agency and forwarded to your sitter.
Additional children. Should you have any visiting children who will be present during a booking you must let the agency know. ELF sitters will require the child’s name, date of birth and details of any special requirements or medical conditions. You are the Employer are responsible for assuring that the child’s parent or guardian are aware that they will be looked after by an employee and they are happy to proceed.
Additional children. We charge £1 per hour per extra child attending your booking.
Other information
ELF sitters is an introduction and booking agency and does not employ child carers or other staff booked by employers.
The employer is responsible for the supervision, direction and control of the employee.
The employer undertakes to pay employees in accordance with ELF sitters published rates of pay. You will be informed of current rates at time of booking and on the reminder text you will receive on the morning of your booking.
Conditions
In signing this agreement, the employer undertakes to make all bookings with employees through ELF sitters. Private approaches to employees are not permitted. If an employer if found to have made an offer of child care employment to a current or past employee originally booked through ELF sitters the employers registration will be terminated immediately. No further bookings will be accepted or refunds of any monies made. The employer will be liable in damages to ELF sitters to
compensate ELF sitters in respect of all past, present and future losses by reason of breach of the undertaking.
The employer undertakes to respect an employee’s right to privacy and agrees not to ask any employee for a phone number or contact address or email other than through ELF sitters.
Copies of written references are available upon request. Please allow 5 working days for delivery.
The employer accepts that ELF sitters’ responsibility is to introduce employers who have demonstrated previous satisfactory childcare employment experience.
The employer is responsible for the instruction, direction of the employee for the duration of the booking.
The employer is responsible for ensuring the employee clearly understands the needs or the employer’s children and the employer’s expectations of the employee’s performance of duties.
ELF sitters have no responsibility for any employees acts or omissions when under the direction of the employer expect where these could reasonably have been identifiable from ELF sitter’s selection procedure or as a result of other information received by ELF sitters.
In the event that an employee is booked and for reasons beyond the ELF sitters control cancels at short notice or fails to arrive at the appointed time, ELF sitters will use its best endeavours to find another employee for the employer. In the event that it is not possible to refill the booking no booking fee will be charged.
ELF sitters are not responsible for any loss suffered as a result of the employee’s failure to keep the appointment except where ELF sitters have failed to use reasonable care in confirming the details of appointment with the employee.
While the employer employs an employee from an introduction made by ELF sitters the employer undertakes to reimburse ELF sitters fully for any costs, claims, damages and liabilities whatsoever arising from the employer’s wrong doing or negligence.
ELF sitters reserve the right to terminate your registration by giving the employer 14 days’ notice and a refund of any unexpired booking fees.
In case of any dispute English law shall apply
ELF sitters. Triscombe, Silver St, Minety, SN16 9QF