Nannies in London & the Home Counties

[PNAinUK]

I'm on an extended break in UK and we have talked about hiring a nanny, we have a full-time Live-out nanny where we live. Our main concerns about hiring one are:
a) where do they tend to be from - Eastern Europe?
b) are they honest/reliable/experienced?
c) how much do they expect to be paid for a Mon - Fri position working 8 hours/day?
d) are they insured?
e) is it better to hire through an Agency?

Thanks for any insights.

A) No. There are plenty of British nannies, as well as Antipodean, European (eastern and western) and a variety of other nationalities - less common but I have met a few South American and Canadian nannies.
B) that's such a broad question. You could ask that about any occupation but do you honestly believe that many many parents in the UK hire people to care for their children who are generally considered to be dishonest or unreliable? You probably didn't mean to be offensive but c'mon...
C) you would be looking at circa £15/h gross but to be honest 8h is a short day for a nanny so you may want to pay more to make it worth their while.
D) a good nanny will have personal liability insurance.
E) entirely up to you. It costs a lot more because you pay an agency fee. Some parents prefer to do it themselves.