How best to find a 'junior' nanny?

[JinxyCat]

Hullo all - so my lovely au-pair-to-nanny has just given her notice as she has a family emergency (sob) and I now need to find another nanny.

So firstly I'm panicking about it being completely the wrong time of year to recruit a nanny - so anything you can say to reassure me would be most appreciated!

I also wanted to check that I'm looking in the right places and offering a reasonable salary.

We've had inexperienced/junior nannies before, and I'd like to say that we've learnt our lessons about making sure expectations are clear on both sides both before and during their employment.

So, I live in London, zone 2, have two small boys (4 and 1). The 4 year old will start school next September and is doing Mon/Tue and 1/2 day Wednesday at nursery.

Myself and DH work full-time, so we're looking for someone 8-6.30pm Monday to Friday, live-in. Two nights babysitting. Travelcard 1-2 and membership to zoo/merlin pass to take the kids out & about.

I want someone who is reasonably experienced, and am hoping that I will be able to find some good candidates for £300 pw (gross).

I've put up a profile on childcare.co.uk, and will look at aupairworld.net as I found one of my junior nannies through there.

What does everyone think? Is it about right for a junior/newly qualified nanny - or am I going to be disappointed?

All advice gratefully received (as always)
Thanks, Cat

I would say its a bit low. I'm live out but I would probe think a junior nanny is looking at £300 net a week rather than gross ( sorry not sure of he top of my head what that is)

Most live in nannies I know and from jobs ATM advertised through agencies a live in wage seems to be £400 ish net a week. So £100 less sounds about right for a junior nanny, especially as still workig long hours sole charge ( most junior nannies work along side a parent as more of a mothers help as they are inexperienced)

8-6.30 is 52 1/2 hours a week plus babysitting twice puts it up to around 60 hours work. That is a lot of hours for £300 gross you are offering

I also think it sounds a bit low.

I'm not sure from your post what exactly you're looking for though as you say 'I want someone who is reasonably experienced' and then that you want a' junior/newly qualified nanny'. I don't think a newly qualified nanny will have all that much experience and someone with reasonable experience is going to want a reasonable wage (i.e. more than £5 gross ph).

Having said all that, the market is slow at the momnet and there are more nannies than jobs, so you may be able to get yourself a bargain. It's just good to be aware that what you're offering is a low wage so you may be a 'second choice' job i.e. can't get work, so will settle for this until something better comes along.

What sort of accommodation do you offer? I think you can get away with paying less if you can offer self-contained accommodation.

That is a big job for a newly qualified nanny. I also think you are paying well below the market rate. A quick look on some nanny agency websites suggest the minimum would be £250-400pm net.

That should be pw!! Otherwise that would be a bargain!!

Thanks for the comments.

In terms of what I'm looking for - my first nanny was a nursery nurse who was transitioning to being a nanny, so she had 3 years experience as that; and my third was someone who needed experience as a nanny after doing her CACHE 2/3 qualifications and had done some placements.

Not quite sure if that clarifies what I'm looking for - but I guess I'd be happy with either of those. Essentially, I do want someone who has experience of caring for children (even if just in a temporary placement). Does that make more sense?

I've looked into the Norland Nanny probationers (those who have competed their training and need one year experience) and they're saying salary is £17,250 gross, which is £330 gross - so I guess I was working backwards from that.

Accommodation is own room, but shared bathroom, in big house with own TV and virgin media STB.

We do want someone long term, so might have to think about upping it somewhat to make sure we're not second choice!

@EverybodysSpookyEyed - really £400pw? We were paying our Norland Nanny £350 per week (net) last year, have prices really gone up that much??

I'd speak to some agencies and get their advice. I did before I started recruiting. When I advertised a few months ago most told me £350pw net was the going rate in London for live in 7-7 with 2 babysits. I appreciate that some jobs pay more and some nannies want more but we had plenty of quality applicants.

Your hours are shorter which is helpful. But from what I've seen the pay sale is pretty flat and that highly experienced nannies don't seem to get a great deal more than the less experienced. So basically I don't know whether you're going in too low with the money.

Sorry - That's for more experienced

The more junior nanny you get the less likely they will stay long term as they are after experience.

Quite a lot of the live in nannies I know prefer to have weekends off and tend to go home as it gives them time away from their work environment.

The appeal of your live in room will have a lot to do with location so make sure you advertise proximity to tube etc

Ah yes I forgot about the saturdays, that would be a premium cost in my opinion ( as a live out nanny I charge time and half at the weekend)

I wouldn't say it's horribly low for a first job. Agencies have an interest in inflating wages. I suspect you will get quite a lot of good candidates, and there are lots on great au pair btw, but the key will be retaining them after a year. Can you hint at a payrise after a specified ablut if time subject to everything going well?

If you benchmark it against Norland it's probably fair.

Hi, I've sent you a message, I haven't looked at your profile as I'm only able to use my phone and it's not letting me do a whole lot! :)

Thanks for the comments, will check out great au pair as well. Phew, this childcare business is stressful, isn't it?

@ReeFord, I've sent you a message.

I think it sounds like a good job for someone who is moving from nursery or au pair+ to nanny - but I would only expect them to stay a year before they look for more money elsewhere.

I was an aupair +/Junior nanny to four little boys under 4 and worked 60h a week for 100 npw live-in. So 300 pw doesn't sound that low to me.

MissNJE you were underpaid.

I know. But that was what every friend of my boss paid their staff.

We're not in London and our nanny isn't live in, but we pay about £1200 per month (net) for 35 hours per week (£10 per hour gross). I was told by 2 agencies and a friend who had 2 nannies (in succession) that this was the going rate around here. Are things cheaper in London?!

Our nanny was previously a nursery nurse (and had been acting deputy manager) but was relocating and wanted to move into nannying. We looked about this time last year and thought we only wanted someone for a few months while DS was tiny, so didn't have lots of applicants. However, she's stayed because she's ace and because I've decided to retrain. So I think low no of applicants was due to our circs, not time of year.

'our nanny isn't live in'

that's the difference Apparently, £10 gross per hours is probably going rate where you are for live-out, in London it's probably £11-13ph gross.

Live-in is completely different and £10 gross per hour would be generous even in London.