What is the nanny market like in London at the moment?

[NoMoreWasabi]

I'm going to need to recruit a nanny soon to start some point between late October and early January (I'm waiting of confirmation on when my new employer can have me start). It will be a full time post in outer London caring for one 1 year old.

I've heard that there may not be many jobs coming into the market at the moment but not sure if this is true. Any nannies or employers who've recruited/been recruited able to say how they found it? Are wages static or going up/down?

Also if time allows and the market us quiet is it worth trying to find someone myself via websites before paying an agency? Any advice greatly welcomed.

No personal experience but a friend advertised for a nanny on a fairly large website (I think Gumtree) and had nearly 1,000 responses. Many of these were from people not even living in the UK. I think it is best to find a personal recommendation.

I think the market is very, very slow at the moment. I've got friends that have been out of work for months and friends who have taken a pay cut to find work. I'm in West London and a couple of weeks ago one of my friends went to register with an agency (a well known, long-standing one), she has a job, but wanted to leave and the agency told her to stay as they had nothing and were not likely to get anything.

Unless you have a lack of time or money to burn I would suggest you try looking yourself first. Try Gumtree, Childcare.co.uk, Nannyjob.co.uk. You will get loads of responses which you'll have to filter through so you do need time to do it, but agency fees can be shocking. The only time I would recommend using an agency would be if your child has significant special needs and you need someone qualified/experienced in something very specific.

1000 replies, wow. That is a huge sifted exercise even if there are some good candidates in the pile. That's gumtree off the list for sure!

To be honest I'd love a personal recommendation but I know very few people with nannies so I think the chances of finding one that way are slim.

do you know if you will be looking for a live in or live out nanny?

I'd recommend www.childcare.co.uk
and www.nannyjob.co.uk

Holy - that is very interesting. A maternity nurse told me recently things were v slow on that front but I thought it quite a different market so not necessarily comparable. We don't have any specific needs above usual nanny requirements.

Iluvkids - I think we will want live out. We are in East London.

I don't live in London but would recommend childcare co uk.I have used an agency as well as childcare co.uk and a lot of the nannies were on both.

I was recently jobhunting, in the SW London area. I had plenty of interviews but only when I decided to consider 3 or 4 day a week roles- I just didn't find that many 5 day, which I prefer to do. In the end I was offered two part time roles, one 4 day and one 3 day. One family found me on Gumtree- which has happened in the past too, my last long-term family searched Gumtree and found me, without ever having to place an ad. You may get lucky if you do a search for nannies in your area in the people looking for employment area. The job I took I found through word of mouth, a friend of mine mentioned a mum at the school gates needed a nanny. I know your LO is only one so no school but if you go playgroups, baby gym, anything like that it may be worth just asking nannies there if they know anyone!

Nannyjob.co.uk is also a good site to place an ad on. If you do place an ad on Gumtree make it very specific and mention wages in it, to try and wean out the crazies/chancers!

Robin that is interesting. Do most nannies want 5 days?

NoMoreWasabi Actually oddly enough no- most seem to prefer 3 or 4 days, of my two best nanny friends one does 4 days and the other does before and after-school nannying. However they both have partners, so can share the rent/mortgage/bills- I'm all alone! So my preference is to earn as much as possible, which means 5 days, 11-12 hours a day if I can get it. Plus as much babysitting as I can find!

I think the problem is- I live in an area (greater London) that has families that can afford a nanny, and lifestyles that require one. But in order to live here, and do the long hours, I have to pay triple what I would pay back home on rent and bills! I currently pay out about 80% of my income. I'd have cheaper rent etc anywhere else in the country, but would have no income!

My friend who tried to join the agency, she wanted 5 days and they said they could maybe get her 2/3 day jobs, but had nothing for 5 days. I think it's a combination of more mums going back to work part time and people trying to keep childcare bills down by using grandparents/friends for a couple of days a week.

Interesting to hear few 5 day jobs about. Hopefully this means we will have some great candidates interested when we advertise.

I am looking for a new au pair, and find it is very much an employer's market. Especially a lot of euro zone candidates. Although, many of them would not qualify for a nanny position.

Gum tree is known for attracting a huge number of unqualified candidates.

I have had really good experience with Poles, Czechs, and find Germans have excellent English. So nothing wrong in my view with looking to the EU.

Wasabi, I will be looking for a full-time nanny from October so I read your thread with interest. I am in two minds about agencies. They are very expensive but at least their nannies are checked.

Let's stay in touch and swap experience.

'They are very expensive but at least their nannies are checked'

Don't count on it. What checks is it you think they do that you can't do yourself?

MummytoLO yes that would be good. I am starting to speak to agents at the moment.

Following this with interest as I will be looking into child care to start next spring....

I didn't have that experience. I was looking for 5 days a week for 3 kids. Not a huge amount of responses and not a great selection of candidates. We had a very bad experience with the 1st one we employed this time who had been commuting over an hr away (we were a 10 min walk). She applied for another job in the 1st wk to a good friend of mine who'd advertised on gumtree. Our current one is brilliant though.

I will be in this position next year so read this thread with interest.

One question I would like to ask the nannies - is it better to offer live in or live out, which would attract more candidates? Do the two attract different kinds of nannies (eg maybe live in attracts younger nannies?)

is it better to offer live in or live out?

It depends entirely on your circumstances. Live-in nannies are cheaper and often work longer hours, they may also babysit once or twice a week as part of their contracted hours. If you have space and don't mind someone else living in your home then it's a good option. If you don't have space/ don't like the idea of someone else living with you, then it's probably not worth it.

which would attract more candidates?

I don't know tbh. I think with live-in you'd possibly get a lot of au pairs applying as well as nannies, so you may need to sift through more emails.

Do the two attract different kinds of nannies (eg maybe live in attracts younger nannies?)

I would think live-in nannies are generally younger and without children of their own. They're probably more likely to be living away from their home country.