How do you become a nanny?

[Howtobeananny]

I've recently moved to an area where a lot of families have nannies. They are in high demand.

I actually think I'd be quite a good nanny. Not just for the childcare part but also the housekeeping stuff some nannies do e.g. if looking after older children who are at school. I'm good at organising and cooking and enjoy cleaning and ironing.

How do people move into nannying? Would I need experience in a nursery/childcare setting first? How does it work?

Just musing really. I know I can't just waltz in off the street despite the high demand!

Advertise as a housekeeper that will do light touch after school care?

You can advertise yourself somewhere like childcare.co.uk. You can also see people there advertising for a nanny and message them.

Childcare experience and references will make you more attractive but lack of them won’t rule you out, especially if you write convincingly about your experience with children and why you want to be a nanny.

Most people won’t employ a full time nanny for school age children though OP, or if they do it’s often a nanny who’s been with the family for years, or a live in nanny housekeeper.

During my time at university I worked part time at a local nursery as a non-qualified assistant. Had loads of experience as ended up working in the Baby Room.

Moved to London and got a job as a nanny within a week. Was making fantastic money for a job that was fairly easy and enjoyable!

I am probably going to sound a bit harsh, but, it does make me cross that some people think nannying is an "easy" job that anyone can do.

I was a professional nanny for over 20+ years. I trained for 2 + years to obtain a level 3 childcare qualification. Throughout my career, I regularly updated my training and first aid training. I was also OFSTED registered.

I can assure you, that it is not an easy job. It can be very rewarding if you work for families who treat you with respect and kindness.

Please don't trivialize the nannying profession or think it's "easy" money. Remember, like any profession, if you are properly qualified and behave in a professional manner , then your salary should reflect this.

99% of families employing nannies want someone Ofsted registered to enable them to use certain tax-efficient ways to pay.

The higher the salary, the higher the expectation. I worked 80+ hrs p/w for 18 years, burned myself out. Yes I worked globally and got some terrific experiences but I also was disrespected and felt neglected, resulting in me suing & winning a legal case against one employer and having a nervous breakdown due to another one.

nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/nanny

www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-register-as-a-nanny