Using a nanny agency

[McLurkin]

I am starting to panic think about childcare for when I go back to work in April 2013.

DCs will then be 1yo and 2.9 and I'll be working 9-5 3 days a week.

Am thinking about a nanny as the cost will be similar to nursery or childminder round here (I think!) and will be more convenient with me and commuting. Also I felt so awful leaving DD at nursery when she was 1, am a bit apprehensive about leaving DS.

I have had a look at nannyjob etc. but find it all a bit overwhelming and thinking about using an agency to guide me through the process and hopefully help pick someone suitable/help me deal with admin/think about everything I need to organise.

Interested to hear any experiences of agencies, pros/cons etc. Do they help sort out any issues you have with nannies, or does involvement end once nanny is placed? And any tips on what I should look for/ask when choosing one?

Thanks

Just answered one of my own questions looking on a couple of sites - seems 'settling in period' offered to rectify issues.

Also only just worked out introduction fees properly ...

Hours of say 8am-6pm sould really nice hours, it may well appeal to nannies so may not be that hard to recruit privately.
If you have time I would try recruiting privately and only use an agency if it's getting too close to start date.

Agency fees vary and can be high. Support from agency varies, it can be rather minimal or they can give good advice.
I expect you would get as good advice, if not better advice from many of us here on mumsnet - some of us have even been known to go through CV's giving a view as whom to interview. We have also helped write job ads, contracts, and suggested reasonable priced payroll services.

A nanny will, in my view, cost you more than a childminder or nursery but has some advantages - no need to get children up in the morning, childrens bedding and laundry gets washed, children can carry on with any activities/groups they already do.

9-5 sounds lovely hours but on a 3 day salary most nannies wouldnt survive on 24hrs if only job

look at nanny job/gumtree and netmums as still have a few months, then if no joy look at agencys - or just now if money if no object

once you have 2 or more children then a nanny generally works out more economical

Brilliant this is really helpful thanks. Yes I think I should try without agency (with mn help!) first. Actually probably before all of this I need to sit down and think carefully about pros and cons of all the different options available to us and what is most important. I always get so stressed about childcare that I struggle just to deal with it step by step in a rational way.