Do you need childcare qualifications as a Live-in Nanny?

[Mum2Luke]

Can anyone clear this up? My 18 year old daughter wants to do nannying for her year out before University, does she need NVQ Level 1-3 In early Years qualifications? She has GCSEs and A Levels. She is very sensible, has a CRB with myself being a Registered Childminder and loves cooking healthy food which I would miss very much if she moved away .

Can anyone tell me if you would employ someone such as her to live with you? I think doing work as an Au pair might be better.

She does not legally need any qualifications. It would be up to her employer as to what type of qualifications they ask for. However, i would expect her to be paid at a lower rate than a qualified and experienced Nanny.

I would only employ her if I was there with her all the time to begin with, until she had proven her ability and shown me that she was competent.

perhaps she could go as a 'mothers help'

I probably would do the same, I told her Dad this but (as usual) he thinks he knows best. She has a bother who is 9 and was and is a massive help with him, sitting for him if I have to go to First Aid and safeguarding courses which I think I will send her on which may help.

She would like to learn to drive but money is very tight at the moment for us to pay insurance (they want £2,000 even for an 18 year old girl as they are 'equal' to lads now due to EU rules) so until then its her bus pass or a student rail card!

She actually has a brother not a bother [ grin]

We had a nanny without qualifications in it and she was no different from those with.

(She probably thinks the brother is a bother actually!!! )

She could probably be an au pair plus, a mother's help is also possible (if she's any good with light housework).

I would say that at 18 with no experience the more bits of paper the better.

Au pairing would be an ideal solution as families shouldn't have the same expectations so won't want someone very qualified/experienced. Where would she be looking at going?

If it helps I'd consider her as a mothers help type role but not as a sole charge nanny, even though that may incorporate some sole charge.

Could she look at doing the certificate for the children and yp workforce using your childminding setting as experience? Although that does take time and money so probably not the best idea in the middle of her A-levels

She's actually done her A Levels and is in the middle of an Art Foundation, she has applied to University and is deferring for a year. At the moment she is in the 'thinking stage' but I think she wants to go to somewhere like Holland where she could perhaps help with teaching English as an Au Pair.

As I only have a 5 year old she doesn't really work as an assistant as the little girl is usually gone by the time she gets back from college.

She has and does help with her 9 year old brother, changing his nappies when he was little and generally helping me as a big sister. I would definately employ her once I'd seen her for a trial period. she does not smoke and has no criminal convictions.

am not sure about the certificate for the children and yp workforce, there is no longer any funding for us childminders to do any further courses and they are even cutting down funding for First Aid and safeguarding courses which is disgusting as OFSTEd require us to do them.

We will have to see and explore some avenues.