Sitter and family FAQs: all your questions answered!
Frequently asked questions for Sitters and Parents
Hello CocoRio community! We thought we’d fire ahead and answer any questions that future you might ask when looking for your perfect match, whether you’re a sitter, or a family! To reiterate, we create perfect family-sitter matches so that families can rest assured their little ones are well taken care of while engaging in meaningful activities, and sitters can have really rewarding part-time work alongside their creative commitments.
Let’s start off with some FAQs from our sitters!
How do I get paid?
Send us your invoice by the last Thursday of the month (circled in blue). For November 2021 this would be Thursday 25th November.
Payday is the last Friday of the month (circled in green). For November 2021 this would be Friday 26th November.
* Please note, if you send us your invoice after the last Thursday of the month you won’t get paid until the last Friday of next month.
I can’t get my head around the DBS check and update service- help!
You get your Enhanced DBS check in the post.
You get an email from the team asking if you’re on the update service.
“What’s this update service thingamabob?” Well, let’s break it down!
Being on the update service means you don’t need to apply for a new DBS check each year. Not only does this cause less hassle when you have jobs lined up, but it also means you don’t need to fork out another £50 for a whole new check!
Instead, you pay £13 for renewal and can carry on with all the amazing work you’re doing! Head on over to the GOV.UK website to apply for the update service within 28 days of receiving your Enhanced DBS check in the post.
Invoicing for materials you bought
First things first, avoid buying materials if possible! We encourage using recycled items and other bits and bobs that can be found around the house. Reduce, reuse, and all that beautiful stuff for our planet.
If you have bought any specific materials for a one-off session or private event, remember to keep the receipt which you’ll send over to us with your invoice. If you’re with a family regularly, you can arrange what materials need to be bought with the family directly- but make sure you provide them with proof of purchase!
What happens when I look after multiple children at once?
You get a call from a member of the team about a job with two children, ages 4 and 5 years, who have similar creative and care needs. You ask whether you’ll be paid extra for this job and you’re told ‘no’.
You get another call from a member of the team about a job with three children, ages 16, 7 and 2 years. Each child has very different creative and care needs. You ask whether you’ll be paid extra for this job and you’re told ‘yes’.
In most cases, when siblings are close in age and have similar care or creative needs, you will be paid at the standard rate. However, if there are many children involved and/or they have a very big age gap, the rate may be slightly different. These situations will be treated on a case by case basis.
Now let’s take a look at FAQ’s from our families!
What safety measures do you have in place?
Don’t fret! All our sitters hold a valid Enhanced DBS check, a First Aid certificate and have completed a Safeguarding course. CocoRio offers regular ongoing training too. Read more about our Safer Recruitment Policy here.
I need to cancel a booking- can I?
Scenario 1: Your child is unwell, and you have to cancel your creative session tomorrow. Don’t worry, this is a completely valid reason for cancelling! No fees would apply.
Scenario 2: You just remembered that you promised to watch a movie with your dog tomorrow but you have a creative child care session booked in. Unfortunately, this doesn’t count as a valid reason for cancellation, and as it is less than 48 hour notice you would still be charged as per our T&Cs.
Can I interview a sitter before booking them?
You're in luck because we've already done all the hard work of vetting and interviewing, however we are happy to arrange a meet and greet call if you’re looking for a regular commitment – this can be on Zoom or a phone call!
Creative child care for more than one child
If you didn’t whizz right past our sitters FAQs you can probably guess how the number of children affects families, but if you did, here’s a quick run down for you!
Let’s say you’ve got two children of similar ages and care needs. You would not be charged any extra fees.
What happens if you have 3 or more children, all very different ages and with very different care and creative needs? In this case, it is likely that we would charge a custom fee for your situation.
We hope this information has been helpful to both our creative sitters and our families. If there are any questions you still have, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0208 126 5577 or feel free to drop us an email at info@cocorio.co.uk.
Finally, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube
Until next time!
Written by Shaheda,
CocoRio Administrator
