Koru Kids Family Terms & Conditions – User friendly version

The terms we use

We have simplified some of the terms we use in our main Terms & Conditions so this document is easier to read. 

The Koru Kids website

We run a website which helps families to find nannies, and nannies to find families to perform one of the following services:

1. After school care: A nanny cares for children for part of the day, usually in the afternoon.
2. Nanny share: the same nanny cares for children from two different families together. 

What we do with your fees and data

• Nanny’s recruitment: To make sure we have the best nannies listed on our platform, we perform some checks including: references, DBS, childcare experience and right to work in the UK. We cannot guarantee that information provided by the nannies and their references are true and accurate so we encourage the family to check their nanny’s details, documentation and personnel references again before starting to work together. 

• Nanny using a Student Visa to work in the UK: For students who have limited permission to work during term-times, the family must obtain, copy and retain details of their academic term and vacation times covering the duration of their period of study in the UK for which they will be employed.

• Families’ job vacancy All job vacancies created by families are automatically posted on our website. Families shall make sure that the details provided in their job vacancy are true, accurate and up to date. We might suspend or terminate an account if information provided is inaccurate. Families and nannies can chat to each other using our platform and remain responsible for the content of their messages.

• Payroll services & Fees: 

Employer Setup Fee: You will be charged a £89 (including VAT) one off employer setup fee when you come to an agreement with your very first Koru Kids nanny. The employer setup fee is non-refundable. This fee will be added to your first monthly invoice. You will not be charged again if you stop working with your nanny and start working with another Koru Kids’s nanny: you will ever pay it once!

Payroll month: Our Payroll month runs from the 26th of the preceding calendar month and ends on the 25th of the current calendar month. For example, the ‘April payroll’ means the period between the 26th March to the 25th of April. 

Monthly Fees: You will need to pay the nanny fees as indicated on the website. Your nanny receives the fee as indicated in their employment contract. The remaining funds will be used by us to cover VAT, Employer’s tax, National Insurance & Pensions Contributions, any Statutory Sick or Maternity Pay administration and our fees.

Our fees might cover the following services: preparation of bespoke contract, registration with HMRC and PAYE scheme, provision of monthly payslip for nannies, payment of quarterly tax and National insurance contribution on behalf of the Family, electronic filing of a Full Payment Submission, processing P45, P60 and P11d when required, administration of statutory sick pay, storage of payroll record, set-up a workplace pension scheme on behalf of the family when required. 

The Family shall provide the Payroll Team with all the information they need. We cannot be liable for any costs or other losses arising if the payroll is late if the Family has not submitted its information on time. 

Sanctions: We reserve the right to issue the following sanctions if necessary:

• Off-Platform fee of £1,500 for any families paying their nanny directly not using our Payroll services
• Charge a 2% interest (per month) on any overdue Koru Kids Service Fee or other sums payable to us under the main Terms & Conditions from the due date until the date of payment. 

• Data usage: we collect, store, process and use personal information on our platform in accordance with our privacy policy. 

• Terms & Conditions: You are bound by our Terms and Conditions as soon as you start using our website. Given that we always try to improve our service, we might be required to amend our Terms & Conditions from time to time. We will always inform you in advance so you have the opportunity to review the new terms and opt out if you wish to. 

What do Families need to do?

• The Nanny Agreement: We provide a template and can help negotiate the terms of your future nanny’s contract. We are not involved in your nanny’s employment contract.

• Risk assessment: You need to make sure your nanny works in good and safe conditions. You have to complete a risk assessment and notify your nanny of any potential risks before that person starts working for you. 

• Minimum hours policy: You can decide in your nanny’s employment contract how many hours you would need your nanny for. However, we have a 9 hours per week minimum hours policy in place during school term time. 

Minimum hours: If your nanny works less than 9 hours per week you will be charged for the 9 hours per week. Standard weekly hours shall be calculated as a monthly average. For example, for a given month during school term, a nanny works only 6 hours per week, the Family will still be charged for the minimum 9 hours.

More hours: If your nanny works more than the contracted hours, you will be invoiced for all the hours worked that month.

Less hours: It is possible to notify us if you have the intention to employ a nanny for less than 9 hours a week. In that situation, you will be charged an extra £1 per hour on top of the amount listed on our website. 

• Pay an advance payment to secure your nanny: to ensure that all our nannies are paid on time, we ask families to pay an advance payment at least four weeks before your nanny’s employment contract starts, or as soon as possible if the contract starts in less than 4 weeks. Once the advance payment invoice is issued you need to pay it within 5 days. 

We will use the ‘advance payment’ against your last invoice. If your advance payment is greater than your last invoice, we will process a refund for the remaining balance within 2 weeks. If you owe us money after your last payment is processed, we will use the advance payment to offset this and refund the remaining. 

• Report nanny’s timesheet via the Koru Kids app: Each week, your nanny shall submit their timesheet through the Koru Kids app recording the hours they have worked for you. You shall check that the hours are accurate and approve them. Let us know as soon as possible or within 48 hours if there is an issue with the hours submitted. 

• Paying your nanny and our service fees: You have to set up a Direct Debit mandate and ensure that there are sufficient funds in your account so you can pay your invoice on time. We are not obliged to make any payment due from you to your nanny before we have received your payment. Let us know as soon as possible or within 48 hours if there is an issue with your invoice.

• Insurance: As the Employer of a nanny, you need to have adequate Employer’s Liability Insurance for the duration of the nanny’s employment. Make sure that you are covered for a minimum of £5 million per year as required by law. 

The good news is that most ‘home contents’ policies will already include this, so you should check with your existing policy first since you’re probably already covered. The only provider we know that doesn’t include employer’s liability is the Co-op.

If it turns out you don’t have employer’s insurance, then you can purchase it from around £100. Morton Michel is a reputable supplier of insurance who specialise in childcare related insurance. Kindly note, we do not have a referral relationship with Morton Michel, and other providers are available!

• Account security: If you know or suspect that anyone other than you knows your website user information (such as identification code or user name) and/or password, let us know at care@korukids.co.uk