One of the girls who used to work at nursery has just left and is looking for a nannying position.
Check the contract you have with the nursery for any clause about hiring their staff within a specific time period of that staff member, or you leaving the nursery.
- any thoughts as to standard hourly/daily rate for a nanny?
It varies by area and by the nannies experience plus market forces. A nanny in their first position outside of London could expect I'd say £7 gross an hour perhaps.
- does it make a difference to the hourly rate if employ direct or via an agency and, if so, by how much?
You already know the person so why would you want to use an agency? Nanny agencies are recruitment agencies, they shift through the applicants and pick out those who are the best match - they should also be checking things like the nannies references and right to work in the UK. In your case, you already know the person... so you can skip these steps (though do ask to see a passport to check identity and nationality).
- any other (dis)advantages of employing direct compared to via an agency (eg I have heard that it is difficult to run some of the administrative things, such as payroll/tax returns, if employ direct)?
You are the Employer regardless. HMRC provide you with online and CD-ROM based resources to do the PAYE. You can make life a little easier by getting a payroll company to do that for you, such as PAYEforNannies (who I currently like, as my boss does not seem to have any trouble with them at all).
- what qualifications should we check the nanny has obtained and is there a need for any kind of insurance?
Are you needing the nanny to be Ofsted registered so that you can part-pay using Childcare Vouchers? If so, then they must meet the requirements of the Ofsted scheme, which includes things such as an appropriate first aid course (like the St.Johns 12-hour Early Years First Aid), childcare training which is on the CWDC Qualifications List, Nanny Insurance.
If you don't require Ofsted registration... then the nanny does not have to have any qualification or insurance... though these days the nanny is advised to have insurance if they can get it.
As employer, you will have Employers Liability insurance as part of your home insurance - check the wording on your policy. This will help cover you if your employee is injured whilst working at your home.
- any other thoughts welcome
Do they drive... do they have a suitably equipped car? Do they have Class 1 Business motor insurance (or better yet specialist childcare motor insurance).
Have you already read my Example costs of employing a nanny, post on Sat 05-Dec-09 11:29:55. It is worth a read as it helps identify other associated costs - such as activities/outings and how quickly such costs can mount up.
Consider what you will do about providing a minimum of 5.6 weeks holiday for your nanny (the 5.6 weeks is inclusive of Bank Holidays). If not working 5 days a week, use the BusinessLink Holiday Calculator to determine the correct holiday entitlement in days, or hours.
Consider what you will do regarding the nanny having any time off, such as sickness.
You need to have a contract... you could use the ANA contract as a starting point and modify it to your specific requirements.
Remember to agree a GROSS salary
"This salary is ......... per month before deduction of Tax and National Insurance."
Where it says "Reasoned for summary dismissal include the following" I would suggest you add specific examples if possible.