About Nannies
General Information
A nanny is someone with sufficient qualifications, or who has a few years experience or a mix of both. A nanny can look after children of all ages and should provide plenty of fun and learning opportunities in a safe environment. A nanny often works flexible hours, part time or full time, term time and holidays to suit you and your child's commitments. Above all, being a nanny is a professional career choice leading to a position of significant responsibility.
Nanny duties
A nanny is expected to be able to take complete charge of the children including all tasks relating to the children’s well-being, e.g. washing, ironing, cooking and potty training. He/she is not expected to carry out general housework beyond taking care of the children’s rooms and belongings. A full range of activities should be provided by your nanny to suit the child’s age and ability both inside and outside of the home.
Qualifications
Although there are no specific qualifications for nannies, you should expect a nanny to hold recognised childcare qualifications such as
- CACHE Diploma in Childcare and Education (previously known as NNEB)
- NVQ or SVQ Level 3 in Early Years Care and Education
- BTEC National Certificate or Diploma in Early Years
- BTEC Certificate in Children's Care and Education
- BTEC Higher National Certificate or Diploma in Early Childhood Studies
- A First Aid Training qualification
Average Nanny salary
from NannyTax survey| Live-in full time nannies | |||||
| Year-End | Central London | Outer London | |||
| 2007 |
weekly net 355 |
Annual gross 24,545 |
weekly net 296 |
Annual gross 19,988 |
|
| Year-End | Other cities | rural | |||
| 2007 | 269 | 17,908 | 268 | 17,797 | |
| Daily full time nannies | |||||
| Year-End | Central London | Outer London | |||
| 2007 |
weekly net 466 |
Annual gross 33,179 |
weekly net 368 |
Annual gross 25,548 |
|
| Year-End | Other cities | rural | |||
| 2007 | 325 | 22,263 | 321 | 21,937 | |
| Role | Live In | Live Out | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nanny | £350-450 | £400-550 | £8-10 |
| Nanny/Housekeeper | £350-450 | £400-500 | £8-10 |
| Housekeeper | £350-450 | £400-500 | £8-10 |
| Couples | £700+ | £600+ | £8-10 pp |
Working Hours
Full time
Live out nannies usually work from 8am to
6 pm
Live in nannies slightly more, however
they can have a time off during a day. Live in positions often include 1 or 2
evening babysitting.
Part time
Live out nannies they work minimum 4
hours at the time and pay is L8 per hour +
Live in nannies part time tend to work
for families with school aged children. Some nannies (especially foreign) are
happy to take on Housekeeping duties , or study during their free time.
Our Verification Procedure
Perhaps the most important aspect of our work is the verification around our applicants. We take this seriously and set a high standard in our process.
- Require a minimum of 2 proofs of identity (no photocopies), one of which must have a recent photograph.
- Verify their qualifications
- Verifying references. We contact as many as possible from the last few years, but at the bare minimum, we take references from 2 employers, one of which must be the present/last employer.
- All Happy Home Childcare must have valid First Aid Certificate or must be happy to obtain one prior to start of work
- We mandate that all our applicants seeking a position of responsibility provide us with a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check for enhanced disclosure. If the candidate is applying from abroad and never worked in the UK, we require a police check from their home country
- As well as the formal checks, we will interview the applicants and will use our knowledge skills and experience to gauge their suitability for a position.
- As part of this interview, we have a 40 question template designed by a qualified nanny which they have to pass before being taken on to our books.
We also encourage our candidates to take on insurance on sufficient cover. Insurance should cover public liability, contingent motor liability and legal cover in case of a prosecution in connection with activities as a nanny.
Procedure of getting a nanny
If you want to use our services, we will need to obtain some initial details from you by way of registering with us.
Please remember that there is absolutely no charge for registering, and that you are under no obligation to use our services.
We will then speak with you at length to ensure that we fully understand your requirements, and provide you with guidance, if needed, as to what type of childcare/home staff is most suitable for you.
Quite often we will have suitable applicants already on our books, and so you can tell us straight away if you would like us to progress with anyone in particular.
Then we arrange an interview with suitable candidates.
If you decide to employ a candidate we will provide you with draft of Employment contract as well as with your duties as an employer.