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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Advice on hiring a nanny needed please ...

9 replies

RageAgainstTheWashingMachine · 15/07/2012 18:53

Can anyone help me please! Am looking to hire a nanny on the following basis (I have already decided against a nursery or childminder for a number of reasons).

  • 4 or 5 days a week
  • 7.15am-18.30
  • 2 children. 14 year old who only required dinner heating up after school and - 3.5 year old who attends pre-school three mornings a week (09.00-12.15) and one full day (09.00.15.30).
  • outer London (London/kent borders)

Should I be offering an annual salary or a per hour rate? Having done some initial research, rates seem to be around £8-12ph net.

Working out the above hours on a rate of £10ph net this equates to a salary (before tax and national insurance) of around £45,000 for 5 days a week ? does this sound right? I have no idea! (I used this calculator www.nannytax.co.uk/taxcalculator?gclid=CKy3kv2dnLECFRIjfAodsDMLeQ)

What would the nanny do the 15 hours a week my youngest is in pre-school? What should I expect them to do?

We would plan to take leave to cover most of the school holidays (and have family who could help out). Would it be better to advertise for a Nanny/Housekeeper who could take on some other duties when the youngest is at pre-school or would this cut down on the number of people interested. My priority is obviously the childcare but if I could find someone who wouldn't mind doing some other duties (especially on the day my youngest is in pre school all day) would be great.

Thank you if you got the end of that very long and not particularly interesting plea for help, but any information, suggestions etc. would be gratefully received.

OP posts:
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nannynick · 15/07/2012 20:00

Should I be offering an annual salary or a per hour rate?

In adverts, quote it as annual salary gross, per hour gross, and per hour Net (based on taxcode 810L) if you like. Personally I prefer knowing the annual salary, as I've had non nannying jobs in the past so was used to that.

When agreeing the contract, agree a Gross salary either as per hour or annual.

Working out the above hours on a rate of £10ph net this equates to a salary (before tax and national insurance) of around £45,000 for 5 days a week ?

7:15 to 18:30 = 11:15
56:15 I make that if 5 days per week.
Do the timings include anything for handover/potential late arrival home?

Rounding up to 57 hours...
MrAnchovy's PAYE Calculator gives £39,985 Gross annual salary, if 10 net, taxcode 810L, no student loan. Employers NI: 4,486 So cost to employer (gross salary + employers NI) £44,471

So yes, £45,000 for just salary, cost of a payroll service (if using one) and a couple of hundred towards expenses. Expenses however will I suspect be more than that, especially if nanny uses their own car thus doing work mileage. Expenses I tend to estimate out at £5 per day, so £1200 a year. Mileage can vary, personally I do about 3000 work miles a year, so £1350

What would the nanny do the 15 hours a week my youngest is in pre-school? What should I expect them to do?

It won't be 15 hours once taking off travel time back from pre-school and to collect again. It's also not every week... it's only term time, so maybe 38 weeks.

Laundry is often a big ongoing task, changing bedding, general tidy around communal areas and child's room, baking cakes for the pre-school cake sale, picking up parcels from the post office, being in for the dishwasher repair person, tending to the veg patch, feeding the chickens, all sorts of things. They may if they get lucky get a 20 minute break to have a cup of tea/coffee.

Might be better to think about what things you Would Not ask them to do. They are a nanny rather than a cleaner, so cleaning the loo might be a bit too much to ask.

We would plan to take leave to cover most of the school holidays (and have family who could help out).

Costings are based on them working all year (with 5.6 weeks annual leave). If you want someone only to do term time, then that may limit who would apply for the job.

You can give more than the statutory holiday entitlement of 5.6 weeks, so if you can cover 6, 7, 8 weeks of the year... then giving that much holiday to your nanny would be a good perk. In exchange you would Restrict them in their ability to take holiday... such as it must only be during school holidays.

Would it be better to advertise for a Nanny/Housekeeper who could take on some other duties when the youngest is at pre-school
What duties do you have in mind? You could have a cleaner come in for a few hours a week to do the more deep clean stuff... then nanny could do the lighter housework.

When a job is advertised as nanny/housekeeper in my mind I see it being more of a cleaning job with some childcare... rather than a nannying job with a little deep cleaning. It's just perception though... it will actually come down to the job description as far as what duties are expected. You could run multiple ads with varying job titles but the same duties listed and see what happens regarding who applies.

eurycantha · 15/07/2012 20:05

I am a nanny and there are all sorts of nannies ,different nannies will be willing to do different things.When the children are at school I do all the duties involved with the children such as preparing their evening meal.cleaning their rooms,playroom and their bathroom.I don`t mind ironing so since the children I look after have been at full time school I also do the parents ironing as well as the childrens. I will empty the dishwasher,hang out washing and pick up any odd items of shopping, post letters etc.Most of my nanny friends will also do these things, apart from the ironing.when most of my friend s would not do the parents only the childrens.

BlueMoon74 · 15/07/2012 20:10

£45k to be a nanny?! jeezz..I'm in the wrong job....How can a nanny get paid £20k MORE than a teacher???!!!

RageAgainstTheWashingMachine · 15/07/2012 20:12

Thank you both for the replies. Will read properly (have skim read) and reply. I would definitely have a cleaner so was thinking more tidying up than getting out the Hoover. It is great to know that most things relating to the children a nanny might expect to do anyway.

OP posts:
JennyNanny · 15/07/2012 20:52

Any cleaning jobs to do with the children is a given, to me at least, with the job - so the children,s laundry, ironing, playroom cleaning, bedroom cleaning, meals etc etc.
I always do the parents ironing too, if they want me too, and always have a tidy of the kitchen (dishwasher etc) and normally make big dinners for the parents to have some if they need to.
When you are doing laundry, meals etc it tends to use up the pre-school time anyway. I tend to do the weekly shop for the parents too in that free time, which burns a few hours. Odd jobs such as post, dry cleaning etc...
I would like to think that most nannies take this as standard anyway?

I always admire the nannies who can be full cleaners/housekeepers to as when I'm with the children, i don't like dedicating myself to too much cleaning - I prefer to wait for preschool or nap time for that!

And yes, £45,000 per year gross is about right for that area with the standard wage.

I'm currently looking for a nanny position in that area so I'm more than happy sending my CV to you if you're interested. PM me! Wink

But yes, i think you wouldn't lose candidates by asking them to fill in the free hours with basic duties.

Hope this helps!

nannynick · 15/07/2012 21:01

Sweeping the floor, running the hoover around, perfectly normal jobs for most nannies.

These days a nannies job I feel is to look after the children and the home... it's not just childcare. There may be some nannies working in fully staffed households who just do childcare but for many of us I suspect, we do whatever is needed. In the past we have listed things that have been done - clearing blocked sewers (or calling in contractor in to do that), rat catching, fixing washing machine, sewing name tags in school uniform (often a late summer job), making costumes for the school play... all sorts of things.

If your 14 year old is anything like teenagers I know, they will want more than just food... they will want taking to places, picking up from places (nannies taxi service!) they may need IT Support, they may need things getting for them for their art/science project.

forevergreek · 16/07/2012 21:07

bluemoon - you do realize than many nannies are more qualified than a teacher and work more hours.

There is a whole spectrum from those who may have never seen a child before, up to having several degrees, specializing in certain languages/subjects, special needs experienced, qualifications updated every few months/ year

MrAnchovy · 17/07/2012 08:33

Note that the nannytax 'calculator' (it's not really a calculator, it's just a table of pre-calculated values) shows the total cost including employer's NI, not the gross salary.

Please feel free to use the one Nick linked to Grin

MrAnchovy · 17/07/2012 08:38

Bear in mind that in 12 months time your youngest will be in reception full time, and as your eldest is 14 I can't see that your job would be enough of a challenge for a nanny that is capable of earning £45k.

When you say you plan to take leave to cover most of the school holidays do you mean that you don't want the nanny to work during holidays and don't expect to pay her then? This is going to make the position less attractive to most applicants.

Many families would use an au pair in your situation; do you have room?

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