Is it normal for a nanny agency to ignore a request?

[seoladair]

After sending a message through the website of a nanny agency, someone called me back. I had made requirements clear in the email (one day per week), and when I had the phone chat, she said she thought it wouldn't be a problem to find someone for just one day.

After 2 weeks of hearing nothing, I phoned and spoke to a secretary who said the owner would call me back. A week later I've still not heard anything.

Is this typical of nanny agencies, or is it a rubbish agency? Or is a request for one day a week just not worth their while?

some agencies are just rubbish. Some are brilliant, find another agency or try childcare? I've been looking at a 4 day a week job so 1 day elsewhere would suit me perfectly so you can find someone but as you say the agency won't earn their fortune with your job. Childcare or gumtree might be a better bet for you

OK thanks. It's weird because she seemed so keen on the phone. I'd rather she had just been grumpy and put me off!

In my experience, I would avoid agencies if you can. If this is the service they are giving you now then it doesn't bode well for the future employment of a suitable nanny. Advertise on childcare and see what nannies are interested in your job. Part-time nannies may well snap up one day a week to fit in with existing jobs.

Agencies are a waste of money imo. They won't check anything you can't do yourself. There are loads of nannies on childcare.co.uk, gumtree and nannyjob.co.uk, have a look there.

I'm a nanny not a parent, but I had one agency who sent me details of a live-in job in Denmark, when I was looking for something live-out in London. I didn't go for it as I thought the commute might be a bit much ....

Thank you all for the useful advice. I think I chose to approach an agency as it seems somehow safer. Any thoughts on this?

It's rubbish.

Why do you think an agency would be safer?

A good agency will do the same checks you could (and should) do yourself and charge you a fortune to do it.

A bad agency won't do the checks, but you'll assume they have and may not do them yourself.

Less safe if anything.

The advantage of an agency is that they do the leg work for you, so they're great if you're really short of time/don't want to spend ages going through emails/interviews etc, but the safer thing is nonsense