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Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

Why can't I find a Nanny? Help me please

83 replies

childcarehell · 26/05/2013 17:30

I am paying £2200 for Nursery and hoped that could be better spent on a Nanny.

-I'm in London, zone 5 but pleasant enough and 30min to centre

  • standard 3 bed house with garden, being decorated but very clean
-3yr old and 8 month old -we're teachers and as we pay nursery anyway we happy to either pay in holidays or free them up to get high paid holiday work -need 4 days per week -(I think) we're nice and normal, kids very easy -can offer live in or out (single bedroom)

What am I doing wrong it not being able to get anyone? I've tried chilcare.co.uk, gumtree and asked around but nada. I don't need experience, happy for a national of another country, just someone who really likes kids.

How do you find them?

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Original poster
childcarehell · 27/05/2013 11:08

Just meet number 3, seems very very good. Happy, kept looking at/ offering to hold baby and clearly likes interacting with kids. Has a car, very flexible. Very quietly confident in how good she is at work 'they'd give me a fantastic reference', experience with the right ages. Used to long hours. Gut feeling was she was a lovely character and competent. Very polite, liked comments when I asked what she was looking for 'I'd like to be part of the family in how I'm treated', 'I like taking children out' etc.

My single concern is the nursery to nanny transition and how she'd find it, though this area is fantastic for social contact through (normal!) toddler groups etc

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nannynick · 27/05/2013 10:54

Are you going to see all 4, or just 2 to start with? If selecting two of them to see, I expect number 1 and number 4 are worth seeing as you can compare them - they have experience but in different childcare sectors, they may have different levels of education, so there will be factors that make them different but also factors that make them the same, such as age.

nannynick · 27/05/2013 10:45

Sounds promising. Number4 has experience of working in a family home, the others may not (though will depend on other work they have done). Nursery Worker to Nanny transition is talked about on here from time to time, many of us nannies have worked in nurseries so the transition can go smoothly. However not everyone adjusts that well - working on your own with young children is different to working in a group. Very lonely at times being a nanny, no breaks during the day, no other people to ask to help.

Meet them, have a common list of questions to ask them so you can try to compare them. Trust gut instincts. Short list and invite back to meet children if children are not present at first interview. See how they get on with your children.

Good luck.

Original poster
childcarehell · 27/05/2013 10:40

well number 1 is perfect...I'd not even see more to be honest, but great start

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Original poster
childcarehell · 27/05/2013 09:43

I'm hopeful, they seem good on paper

1-4 yrs work in posh nursery 2 min away and speaks our home language, 26, romanian, very polite and happy sounding
2-works in local nursery, drives, 22, lives 3 min away
3-works as baby room leader in nursery 15min away, drives, 23
4-polish girl who sounds lovely, working 6 years here but looks from references like past employers took the piss (eg 3 kids and baby, au pair plus, loads of housework, 5 days) 26, teacher in Poland, speaks another common language

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Blondeshavemorefun · 27/05/2013 00:30

I am really surprised you haven't had more interest

Stating pay is essential as those that don't say as someone said earlier means they normally want to pay £100 and call the role an au pair

Saying salary depends on experience but between £9/12gross should be fine

Again nannies love 4 days jobs but obv some have to work 5 days and as think outraged said maybe state in ad 3 or 4 days and possibly do a nursery /cm one day

I love working 3 days. Don't mind 3.5/4 but hate 5

I'm on Childcare.co and I object having to pay to send messages - so again join for a month. Send messages to nannies whose profiles seem ok and ask them to contact you and offer email /phone number

Look on netmums as well and dare I say gumtree but again state area pay etc

I look on my area (kent) and often families don't put area - Dover for example is very different and far away from
Ashford or sevenoaks - but all kent.

Good luck :)

Original poster
childcarehell · 26/05/2013 22:39

It was salary range plus holiday I think

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OutragedFromLeeds · 26/05/2013 21:28

Grin hope it goes well tomorrow

nbee84 · 26/05/2013 21:04

Smile [fingers crossed emoticon] Smile

nannynick · 26/05/2013 21:01

What did you change on the ad - was it just adding a salary range that got you these new applicants?

Original poster
childcarehell · 26/05/2013 20:57

I just wanted to express my thanks, to outraged in particular. I have three interviews for tommorrow. All three work in local nurseries at the moment and one even drives. Two more back up as well. It seemed you were right about pay! X

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OutragedFromLeeds · 26/05/2013 18:56

A NWOC would start at a about a third less than average so £8-£10ph gross.

OutragedFromLeeds · 26/05/2013 18:54

If you offer a lower wage, maybe include extra holidays to sweeten the deal a bit.

So standard would be £12ph gross, 5.6 weeks holiday.

You could offer; £9.50-11ph gross depending on experience, 8 weeks per year holiday (to be taken in school holidays). Something like that would appeal to nannies with their own children or nannies who have family abroad or nannies who like to travel.

Original poster
childcarehell · 26/05/2013 18:49

what would you pay nwoc?

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Original poster
childcarehell · 26/05/2013 18:48

sorry...got it nanny with own child

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Original poster
childcarehell · 26/05/2013 18:48

nwoc? sorry what's this

I really appreciate your help, thank you

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OutragedFromLeeds · 26/05/2013 18:43

There are ways to save with a nanny. A NWOC will cost less. You could look into a nanny-share. A live-in nanny will cost you less. Concentrate on the cheaper end of the market.

£2288 is only £88 a month more than the nursery and that's towards the top end of nanny pay. Maybe be more specific about the sort of nanny you want and just offer £11gross and see what response you get. At £11ph gross it's cheaper than the nursery.

Original poster
childcarehell · 26/05/2013 18:34

oh I'm an idiot, I take home 2200...not 2700 as I dropped a day. arse.

this just isn't going to work, I just hate the nursery, 2 young girls with 6 babies (crying)

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Original poster
childcarehell · 26/05/2013 18:30

Outraged, I'll leave it 24 hours then change it to 10-12 as a try

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Original poster
childcarehell · 26/05/2013 18:30

I'm wondering if London makes it harder as they imagine they get a floor of a house to themselves or something for a rich central family, we're just very very normal. Not rolling, not poor, Mr and Mrs Suburbs...

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OutragedFromLeeds · 26/05/2013 18:29

£12ph is plenty, don't worry about offering more. It's the lower end that may be too low. Nannying is one of those jobs where the gap between the lowest paid and the highest is generally quite small. So £12ph for someone very qualified is fine, but £9ph for someone not qualified may be too low. 95% of nannies fit into the £10-12 bracket. Only the very inexperienced or the very, very qualified/experienced fall outside that bracket.

Original poster
childcarehell · 26/05/2013 18:28

oh and I paid. AND I added to my ad I was happy to message them if added as a favourite

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Original poster
childcarehell · 26/05/2013 18:27

I've just got loads wanting £11ph + net and no experience, even if not for price I least want some work/ college recent history to prove they can get out of bed of a morning!

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Original poster
childcarehell · 26/05/2013 18:26

I've contacted about 20, 2 replied, both trailed off for the high pay/ no qualifications reasons

Outraged, that was my calculation. I take home £2700, £200 travel so £2500, over £12 I just couldn't justify working!

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OutragedFromLeeds · 26/05/2013 18:25

It's a good job, with a good wage you should have nannies biting your hand off!

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