Short-term/emergency Nanny help

[r3dh3d]

Situation is: we have a live-in Mothers' Help, who broadly does before and after school care in term time and longer hours in the holidays. I'm not working but DD1 is severely disabled and looking after her plus DD2 is a bit more work than one person can handle.

Mothers' Help is now on sick leave for an unknown period - it's been 2 weeks and the doc is signing her off a few days at a time. She's currently signed off till Friday 9th but it may be weeks more, or even months, she just doesn't know. She's currently at her family home.

DH is (sod's law) suddenly swamped at work. He runs his own business and it's at a critical time so it's really bad news if he has to be home for the kids. So we desperately need a temp. Temp doesn't need to have any experience with kids with disabilities: I can work it so the temp has DD2 and I have DD1 most of the time and DD2 is 6 and mostly very sensible so the only real requirement is to be fairly local - as it would have to be live-out - and able to drive.

Have contacted the biggest agency I could think of, who drew a total blank. Tbh I'm too swamped atm to handle checking references etc. myself so I'd rather go through an agency if possible. But I don't want to register with hundreds, and there are hundreds out there. Any suggestions which might have short-term temp staff available? We're in Surrey so not entirely in the wilds though I get the impression anywhere outside of London is considered a bit too far.

have you looked on gum tree

or advertise on nannyjob.co.uk (think it costs about £20 for a parent to advertise a position)

I think most nannies looking for temp work look there

good luck

have you tried SNAP? they might be able to help out.

what kind of Sn experience woudl you need? real true hands on and experience with medical side (sorry, can't remember what needs your dd has), or unflapable, capable, get-on-with-it and it will be ok?

Oh, I tried SNAP first off, silverfrog. They placed the sick MH.

We need absolutely ZERO SN experience, because I am at home too, so we can work it so the temp has DD2 while I have DD1, or when they have DD1 I am within earshot (eg doing DD2's homework). What we do need is another pair of hands in a hurry. I'm not surprised SNAP have no-one at such short notice, but am a bit surprised that blew us off too. We require absolutely nothing except clean CRB check and a driving licence. Would be delighted to give an unemployed school-leaver a line on their CV and a reference. It's just a question of finding them...

nannyl - I will bung something up on NJ if I can't get any agencies interested at all. I just can't face the avalanche of CVs from eg Croatian Au-pairs who haven't read the ad and aren't in the UK till after Easter. And having to chase every single reference up to find out if these people exist or, indeed, are their aunty or something. The reason we need a temp is I'm already pretty swamped.

if what you need is a competent and nice, able to drive helper, then checking nanyjob and/or childcare.co.uk might be the way to go.

you can search on both according to area. I know you don't want to do the checking yourself, but you need help, and you need it now, and even getting someone in for a week would relieve the prssure immensely.

bummer SNAP didn''t have anyone - I dont rate them hugely myself, but in an emergency I'd be back there on a just-in-case basis.

i see your point

where abouts are you?

Ouch, I'll pass it on to some nannies I know in your neck of the woods. Its a shame its not live in cos I'd love some temp work now - its just a bit far to commute! Good luck finding someone.

also how about a smaller but more local agency?

i got all the temp work i ever had from probably the smallest agency in the area... she was small enough to know everyone off the top off her head... i started one of my (lovely) temp positions within 3 days of mum contacting (tiny) "agency" (a nanny who was still a nanny and ran her small lovely agency)

Well, I have had a squint at the local vacancies on NJ and contacted the local agency who seems most active, and they think they may have someone, if she hasn't got a job at interview today! Will keep trawling...

I have sent you a message as I may be able to help

just a thought... you could try sitters

they might find you someone for immediately, if you are happy to take a day at a time while you find someone more permenant?

When I last looked, Sitters had an official policy that they would not deal with kids with Special Needs. Even if there are no special skills required, they just won't touch you with a bargepole. I really don't understand why that is legal under the Equalities Act, but there you go.

I don't know if that still holds if there is an SN kid in the house but their person is with a different child. Will investigate.

r3, I have used sitters before, but in a babysitting/children already in bed scenario.

ime, it entirely depends on the local branch as to whether they will take on SN jobs or not. they do have an official policy of no SN, but I and others have used them ok at times.

I hope you find someone. I have no knowledge of agencies in SUrrey, so can't help you out unfortunately.

Good Luck

would be tempted not give them any business if they have such horrible policies... though in this instance it could be cutting off your nose despite your face

I wonder what their definition of special needs is? where they draw the line? i

I'm shocked at what sitters said to you!

Can you do live in? I may know someone who could cover this but she needs live in.

Can't really do live-in at this stage - the issue is that MH packed a few things to go home for a week at half term, thinking she'd be straight back. So her personal stuff is all over her room and I'd have to go rooting through her drawers and bag it up which isn't really respectful. OK, if it turns out she'll be off for months or something, I'll have to have a conversation with her about doing exactly that because it is a far easier job to cover if they can live in. But she's only been off a couple of weeks so far and keeps hoping she'll be back in a few days.

nannyl and NannyTreeChelsea - it is standard sitters policy. no SN at all.

I'm not sure how I managed to use them, but as I said before it was for after bedtime babysitting, and absolutely no hands-on work at all (my children sleep like the dead!). I obviously got lucky, but have to say used them sparingly due to the policy. I did always explain to the sitter that dd1 had ASD, and she (rural area, only had one regular sitter) was not bothered at all.

but the policy overall stinks.

Did you get my message r3?

I'm just trying to work that out DM..!

I would be willing to do this! You can email me on nanny dot beth at hotmail dot com and I'll send my cv etc

I would also try a few nursing agencies, eg BNA, Prestige. They may be able to provide a carer to help. You would also only need to pay for the hours you need.