Anyone want to join us on our journey to find a new nanny?

PS - I didn't contact their current employer until after I'd made a job offer of course!
Also, I agree with Belladimamma about not using your personal email address. I created a new email address specifically for the adverts which I then dumped after recruiting. That way I wouldn't be getting loads of junk mail after the recruitment process was finished.

One way you can get a CRB check done is by asking for them to become OFSTED registered if they aren't already - they would probably expect you to pay if you were asking for this (just over £100 a year). OFSTED will organise a CRB check - however, it can take quite a while for the whole thing to go through! Alternatively Tinies seem to offer an employment screening service (including a CRB check) for parents sourcing nannies directly rather than through agencies - check out their website.

We recruited our first nanny via Gumtree and our second from Nannyjob. On the second occasion we also advertised on Gumtree and interviewed some of the nannies that replied to that advertisement. I would say Gumtree, Nannyjob and some other websites mentioned can all be a source of good nannies but there will be a lot of rubbish applicants as you have already realised! I organised a first interview on the telephone with any that were potentials to help reduce the shortlist further before inviting them to a face-to-face interview (including my son).

I asked them to bring references (either contact details or written references - preferably both), qualification certificates, CRB check documents to the interview with them. In practice many nannies do have CRB check documents - I think if they register with some agencies they may organise this for them. I took up references before making a job offer but after interview so that I only contact those I was serious about. I think its is not fair to the nannies or their referees to ring up for a reference unless they have already been shortlisted as referees may get fed up if asked to give too many references.

Re CRB Check - I still haven't got to the bottom of this one as apparently an individual isn't allowed to request a CRB, only approved agencies eg a nanny agency using Disclosure Scotland, BUT CRB regulations state that the check itself is non-transferable between posts.

I think as individual employers of individual nannies we are put in a very difficult position. OFSTED are now withdrawing - so I hear from a reliable source - from voluntary registration and therefore removing one more useful check for employers.

I second what Wolfhound and KaroleAnn suggest, I have used the detailed sheet tactic, which includes 12 relevant nanny questions, and a request to see written references from last 2 posts. This stops the time-wasters and gives you a much better picture of the nanny.

Also, next time I will not use my personal email address as I now have very inappropriate spam coming in from the Philippines and Spain ? hmmm I really don't want to meet a beautiful lady or see naked pictures - so annoying!!

I don't think I have the exact one I did last time but I include names, ages and sex of the children, what they enjoy doing, ie going to park, craft stuff, getting muddy, swimming etc and their school and nursery hours. How far away nursery etc.
Rough schedule of how their week will be.
The times I want them to work and say I do need some flexibility in this occasionally. Fact that they need to be very punctual as will be doing school drop off occasionally
What my house is like, nearest tube, train stations, nearby parks.
Babysitting requirements and payment for babysitting (I pay less after the children have gone to bed)
Salary details, paid monthly with NI contributions and tax on PAYE only - ie not suitable for self employed.
Housework requirements.
Length of job.
Holiday entitlement
Requirement to have or get first aid certificate (I paid for my mother's help to get one)
Also asked if they have any questions!

Think that's everything!!

Karoleann, the detailed sheet sounds like a really good idea, think I'll do that too. It's a good way to avoid misunderstandings and be clear about stuff before interviews. Don't suppose you'd be able to share it with us (via PM), or perhaps list what you cover in it?

Yes, thanks Karoleann - very helpful...! (And encouraging) Yup - some of the same people have applied on gumtree and nannyjobs. I'm looking through all applications this week, discussing a shortlist with DH over the weekend and then getting back to people with questions or "no thank-yous" early next week. (Why I always deal with the majority of childcare issues rather than DH, even though we both work full time in equally demanding jobs, is a separate issue....)

I've employed two nannies from an ad on gumtree and both have been great. As long as you're really specific the amount of timewasters have been less than 30%. I put an ad on nannyjob too and the same people applied on both.
After people have send out CV's - I send out a detailled sheet of exactly what the job entails, the experience and qualifications I expect them to have, the salary I would offer, working hours etc. Then ask them to email back if they fit the bill. Then I call them (mainly to make sure they can speak english), then interview.
Good luck x

Hi - am in the same position wolfhound - moving house and need to find a new nanny.... I advertised on gumtree on Monday and have had 50 responses. I just can't understand some of the replies at all as the English is so bad and some people just seem to think they'll have a go at nannying, even though they have no experience at all. I think it's fair enough to ask for a fluent English speaker with some (proper...) experience, given we are advertising a job for up to £38,500 pa (or £10 net per hour). However, I just advertised on nannyjobs too now after reading this thread - so we'll see what happens. I know it sounds tight but we would really struggle to come up with the cash to pay an agency (6 weeks net salary!) at the moment as we're v stretched with our house move. But I'm looking into interest free credit cards...

I advertised on gumtree and got hundreds of useless replies such as "I like little children I want your job"....

On gumtree you will get anyone responding. I going nannyjob.co.uk much better and that is where many agencies advertise also.....

i send out references without the contact details. my references are my strongest thing so dont want to miss out ;)

as a nanny i dont send out references until after i have met you-well i mean i have them on my in interview. it isnt fair on previous-busy-employers having loads of people calling them for an interview, when a lot of interviewsndont get past stage one. likewise, u wouldnt want, nor i doubt have the time, to go through everyones references.

I'm not a fan of gumtree at all, have found most of the applicants to be timewasters. I advertised in nannyjobs, childcare.co, and netmums and found most of the respondents to be more professional, who sent in properly spelled CVs and who were genuinely looking for a job. I'm all for recruiting directly and avoid agencies, just be prepared to do the research yourself and to spend some time and effort on the process.

I tend to shortlist applicants from their CVs based on experience and depending on the criteria that I have in mind. e.g driver with own car, willing to do kids laundry etc. After i interview, I will check references before, just seems to make more sense to me that way.

Have you been very specific in your ad? The more specific you are, the easier it is for the applicants to tailor their response accordingly.

I would not feel that happy about providing someone elses contact details to someone I have not met, unless of course it was fine by the person whose details I was providing.

On e-mail you could be anyone... so the more I knew about you, the happier I would feel about giving you more information.

You could ask, though if they are say already employed and are thinking about changing job, then you may find you can't talk to their current employer until such time as you have formally offered the position subject to satisfactory reference.

Have you given an indication of salary? If not, are nannies suggesting a salary to you. Consider what you are able to afford given the total cost, not just salary. Keep in mind that the person could well have other employment, so your job may be using taxcode BR, so DON'T agree a Net wage... always agree Gross.

7 out of 16 sounds very impressive. You are perhaps very lucky, or just haven't narrowed it down enough yet.

Conduct things by e-mail for a while. Narrow it down to a couple of candidates who tick all your boxes and then get them to visit you (and your children) so you can see how they interact.

To narrow it down, consider what you desirables are... do the nannies have the things you desire. Consider the nannies home location - is it really practical for them to be travelling to you, also how would they be travelling... are they likely to be reliable?

Check that they are entitled to work... some guidance from UKBA.

CV/Work History is useful to have. Written references could be of help. Verbal references are very useful. Try to build a picture of the person, does it all seem credible.

So my impression that 7 out of 16 replies are 'possibles' is probably too generous

Maybe you got lucky , but you only need one anyway so I wouldn't worry about how many/how bad the rejects are. Just don't use your regular email address so you can ditch any real wierdos if need be (hope that's not too late).

No, I end up finding the childminder through the council website. I heard that some of the nannies are Ofsted registered, try to call your local child care information - council support and asked them to send you some information.

Sorry but I am not experienced with nannies, or nanny share.

Bad experience with strange people answering to mine post.

I agree 90% of people are out.