There’s no law to say that you must have insurance to work as a nanny but when you’re working in other people’s homes it’s a sensible precaution to take out public liability (PL) insurance. PL insurance will protect you against claims brought against you if you cause an accident, injury or death, and you’re found to be at fault.
For example, if you accidentally leave a hot drink on a table and a child in your care knocks the drink over and is scalded, the family employing you could bring a case against you for negligence. You wouldn’t be able to afford to defend a case out of your own pocket, which is why PL insurance for nannies is important.
If you work for an agency you may have to have PL insurance. And you have to have it if you’re Ofsted registered.
Your employer may also ask you to have insurance and in some cases they may pay for it or contribute to the cost. If this happens it will still be your policy.
PL insurance will cost around £80 a year for £1 million of cover and you can buy it from specialist providers that you can find online if you search for “nanny insurance”.
Premiums may be a little cheaper for Ofsted-registered nannies.
If you live in you may need insurance to cover your personal possessions. Talk to your employer before you take out insurance though as your possessions may be covered under their own house insurance policy.
The family employing you must have employers’ liability insurance. It’s a legal requirement for anyone employing a member of staff. This will cover your employer against any claim you may make if you have an accident, are injured or become sick while working for your family. You can ask to see a copy of the family’s employers’ liability insurance certificate. It must be available for you to see.
The Association of British Insurance have guides to employers’ liability insurance and public liability insurance.