A Nanny is employed to look after a child or children in the family home, usually while parents are working. They can provide high quality, flexible childcare in familiar surroundings; however, not all nannies will have received training as this is an area less well regulated than any other type of childcare.
If you choose to employ a nanny for childcare you are taking on the responsibilities of an employer. This will include responsibilities like paying tax and national insurance, holiday and sick pay, doing a health and safety assessment, arranging a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, arranging insurance and providing facilities like a mobile phone.
Types of Nannies
- Live-in nannies live with the family they are working for, who provide them with food and a private bedroom in addition to a salary.
- Daily nannies come to the family home each day or part day. Babysitting in the evenings might be arranged as part of the terms of employment, or in exchange for extra pay.
- Nanny-share is an arrangement whereby a nanny is shared by two families. If a nanny is shared by more than two families, they may be required to register as a childminder.
Currently nannies are not registered with OFSTED however they may choose to become an approved childcarer.
What will a nanny cost?
Your nanny’s pay will depend upon the type of job (live-in or live-out), the hours, the number of children to be cared for, the nanny's qualifications and experience and also upon the area in which you live. A nanny can be a cost effective childcare solution when two or more children need care.
Can I get help with the cost?
If a nanny is an approved childcarer parents can use the childcare element of Working Tax Credit or Childcare Vouchers towards the cost of employing the nanny.
How to find a nanny?
Before looking for a nanny you will need to consider things like:
- writing a job description and questions to ask at interview.
- what you will expect of your nanny and what she can expect from you.
- drawing up a draft contract of employment.
Some suggestions for finding potential nannies are:
- Phone the Family Information Service at ask.
- Contact a nanny agency, many of which advertise in various specialist magazines which are available from the larger newsagents. Nanny agencies charge a fee for finding suitable candidates for you to interview.
- Place an advertisement in a magazine or your local paper.
- Contact local Colleges of Further Education that offer courses in childcare.
- Put an advertisement on local notice boards where potential nannies might look for new jobs, e.g. primary schools and drop-in clubs for parents, nannies and children.
- Talk to other parents or join local parents organisations, like the National Childbirth Trust.
Any advertisement needs to detail things like hours, duties, ages of children (for safety reasons not their names), and the area where you live. Ask potential candidates to send details of their age, experience, qualifications, employment history and a covering letter explaining why the nanny would like to apply for this particular post.
It is also a good idea to involve your child or children in your choice of nanny.
What do you need to check?
Because there are currently no legal requirements on a person applying for a job as a nanny, you, the employer, must be confident as far as possible that you are making the right decision. Your nanny should expect you to check their references, identity, background, qualifications and employment history.
Useful Links
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Nanny Tax
For a small fee, will deal with pay, tax and National Insurance, and also issue payslips for you should you be inexperienced or daunted by the prospect.
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Professional Association of Nursery Nurses (PANN)
Issues a Nanny Pack, which includes a sample contract and other useful information for employers.
