Evening babysitting agency

[SingingMummy]

Has anyone any experience of using evening babysitters provided through an agency. My DH is often away working for several days or whole weeks at a time, and so I am on my own alot. This either means that I am housebound or relying on the goodwill of friends to babysit. I have no family nearby, and I can't join a babysitting circle because I can never reciprocate with DH so often away. DD's nursery don't allow staff to babysit for families either, so I'm feeling really stuck.
I've found a couple of agencies online which i'm thinking of using. They say that they interview all candidates face to face, do reference checks and require 2 yrs experience in childcare. Has anyone used this sort of agency? I'd be interested to hear your experiences Thank you!

Where are you located?

Some childcarers won't work for them due to the low pay.

Parents have posted on here in the past saying it can work well but also that sometimes it doesn't. It really depends so much on who the agency sends.
It may be better to find one or two local people who your children can get to know, via sites such as Childcare.co.uk, Netmums Local Childcare Board.
I did a study a while back to work out costs of a large agency vs independent childcarer based on 3 & 4 hours of care - conclusion was if you use a babysitter 15 times a year or more than an agency is usually cheaper than paying an independent childcarer. If you go out less often than that, then an independent childcarer is usually cheaper. This was based on the agency rates in my area vs £8 an hour to a childcarer.

When looking at costs, remember that agencies charge membership fees and booking fees, so hourly rate can seem low at first but soon add up.

We use sitters.co.uk
The cost works out about the same as using a local nanny once you add on their fees

We can usually get the same person

Some message threads about this subject over the past few months which are probably worth reading:

Sitters
Attention all "Sitters" sitters
Does anybody use or work for sitters
Cancelling a job with a babysitting agency
Have just booked my first ever evening babysitting with Sitters - and now I'm wibbly
£9 to babysit (general discussion about babysitting costs)

Quite frankly you will find mixed opinion on this subject. Some parents will use agencies, others will not. Some childcarers will work for agencies, others will not.

List Of Mumsnetters Who Babysit

We use sitters.co.uk. Have found them good and have two ladies who I like very much who come from them, both with quite a lot of childcare (not just babysitting) experience. It seems very well organised. Advantage is, that if you are away from home, they can arrange sitters around the country too.

Minimum 4 hours though, but the rates are very reasonable. £6 ph plus £4 booking fee for each booking, I think?

We use Sitters we have a regular of three ladies who sit for us one of whom is the reception TA at DDs school. They have all been excellent and I find the service easy to use, prior to using sitters I used the girls at DDs nursery, however, they were generally flaky and would let us down with very short notice on one occasion 45 minutes.

I have used sitters and always been happy with them. The quality of care is than that what I would expect from full time daycare/nanny. But, that's fine for evening care here and there. The nice thing is they do the calling around for you.

Another option might be ring local childminders and ask if they babysit. Many of them do in my experience.

And, as Nick pointed out, sitters is pretty reasonably priced. Around £6.50 an hour if I remember correctly. Not sure though. Depends on your area.

i would look on your local netmums, there are often nannys/cm's looking for babysitting work

im surpised that the nursery wont allow their staff to bs for their customers - i can understand not being allowed to work there full time as a nanny, but not to be able to bs?

Big thanks for all the messages - really helpful. Yes it is weird about nursery, but I found at our previous nursery where the nursery nurses did sit, they were really unreliable (as someone else here mentioned) even if they were good nursery nurses and my children liked them - so I got a bit fed up with that anyway.

what area are you?

maybe someone on here can help?

there is a list of babysitters on here, think nick linked it for you

Im reg with a babysitting agency called Likeminders, and they met me face to face, saw my cv, crb, references etc.... I think their hourly rate is slightly better (for me!) than sitters £7 an hour weekday babysits, £8 weekend babysits. To be honest I dont babysit much thru them as I mainly joined for the ad hoc daytime work, but they seem quite nice! They only (i think) cover south west London however.

what area are you in babysit i have my own 2 children aged 5 and 2 crb and first aid due to being childminder 9 yrs of experience in childcare i charge £7 an hour i am in richmond surrey (laura and jess at hot mail dot co dot uk)
Laura

SingingMummy where do you live? I am available in the East Midlands (up to 30mins from NG10 for babysitting, or up to 1hr for overnights).

Liz

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I have the same problem with booking babysitters for the evening, I have 2 kids and sometimes it can be a nightmare trying to get a baysitter at short notice. I would say though I use an agency called Butterfly nannies. Their rates are pretty good. I think their rates are roughly £5.85 for the babysitter in the evening and £3 booking fee. But I have used them over the last few weeks and they have some good speical offer rates at the momment. If this helps?

I work for Safehands babysitters in warwickshire/oxfordshire and am available every evening.

This thread is over 4yrs old

Hi my name is Teresa I have been working in a primary school for 20 years and I have been babysitting for many years. My last babysitting job was for two children aged 6 and 4 I have known the family 5 and a half years. but they have moved to America because dad was offered promotion I have been to America this years to visit them. references available on request and I charge £15 an hour. please contact if interested I am very trusthworthy and DBS checked