New Nanny looking for any advise!

[Sophienewnanny]

Hi!

I have recently graduated from University (Early Childhood Studies) and decided to take a year out as a Nanny before deciding on my future career (probably pre school work/primary PGCE)

I feel happy with the roles and responsibilities of a nanny and childcare but I am looking for advice on how much to charge, paying my own tax, sick pay- all the paperwork really!

Also, should I be considering applying for Ofsted registration? I have all the requirements so I wouldn't think it would be too difficult.

Thank you!

Sophie

Do you mean a Nanny or Childminder?

A nanny is an employee and you will be offered a salary/hourly rate at interview stage and obviously this can be discussed between you but I wouldn't call it 'charging a family.

As an employee you will also be taxed via PAYE and your employer is reponsible for sick pay etc.

Which is why i think you might be confusing it with childminding where you are self employed selling a service to several families and these things do need to be considered.

OFsted reg is compulsary for cms and helpful for nannies.

Ah thank you! I have a position as a nanny with a family. I wasn't sure on the terms of payment and tax, thank you for explaining that.

Other nannies are talking about self assessment forms? Does my employee arrange that?

I sound awful for not understanding all this yet!

Well SA forms are for self employed people (and some other groups of people but probably not you) so I would question why they are completing SA. Your employer doesn't arrange that no, it's all down to you if it applies.

Do you have a contract? Have you started working? Payslips?

Sophie, have you ever had any job? Being a nanny working for just one family is just like working in any other job, such as for M&S. Your employer calls the shots, they tell you what salary is on offer and you decide if you want to apply for the job or not. The employer then decides if they want to employ you.

Ignore what other nannies you meet do. If they are not working legally, do you really want to follow what they do? An individuals tax circumstances can be complex and you may occasionally come across a nanny who runs their own business working for many clients during a month.

You say you have a position with a family as their nanny, can you tell us any more about that? What days/hours you are working. They I presume agreed a salary with you but are we sensing that you might not be getting monthly payslips showing tax deductions?

I am impressed that you have found a job as it is a tough market out there at the moment and many families in my view would be wanting a nanny who would stay a while, not just a year.

No point in becoming Ofsted registered if you already have a job which does not need it.

I have not started working for the family yet, we have spoken over the phone, briefly met the family to pass on my CV and CRB and I am meeting them again next week to discuss the position. I will be starting full time in July.

Yes I have had worked before, previously in retail during uni but I am currenlyt at a pre-school. I have never been 'on my own' as such, which I why I was asking for advise on here before I meet the family. They may explain everything to me, but I just hoped for help on here first.

I have never paid tax before (low hours during uni etc.) which is why I do not know how it works. A close family friend is a nanny for a family who pay her £10p/h and then she does her own self assessment forms. The previous messages have explained this which was helpful.

The family were advertising for nanny for 1 year as their current nanny is taking a year out for personal reasons.

With regards to Ofsted registration, I was asking for personal development mostly. In a year I may wish to continue nannying, and was asking for advise of Ofsted registration in general.

I don't feel this is particular forum is helping the way I hoped it would, surely everyone has to start somewhere?

The family having had a nanny before helps as the parents are not new to employing a member of staff. With luck they will have everything sorted out, such as a contract detailing agreed working hours, procedure for making holiday requests and any restrictions on when holiday can be taken, expected duties in particular any housework tasks.

Ofsted registration does not help personal development, least I do not think it does. It enables parents to pay using childcare vouchers or tax credits. In some areas it may mean your local authority offers you access to training courses but in my experience such courses are aimed at childminders and nursery workers, not nannies so it can be hard to find things that are beneficial and hard to find things that are not weekday daytime.

This forum is very good for advise about specific things. It is very hard for anyone to advise about more general things - every job, every nanny, and every employer plus every child is an individual. What one employer sees as being an important quality in a good nanny, another may not view as being important. For example, there are nannies out there with no formal chidcare training, others have done courses whilst working in a nursery, others have done a 2 year college based course (with practical placements) and some of us have higher level education at HND, Degree, Masters levels but perhaps not in subjects relating to childcare. The employer decides who is a suitable candidate for the job, often it may come down to who they get on with, who they and the children like.

Have the familiy indicated a salary, or salary range? If not, then try to ask about that as there is little point in progressing too far to find that the job does not pay you enough to pay your bills.

Hi Sophie
Congratulations on your degree and getting your job.
Re Salary you must be employed as a nanny, so your new employers will pay your tax and National insurance. As NannyNick said they will probably have this all set up; as they have had a nanny already.
You can only be self employed as a nanny; if it is ad hoc short term child care for multiple families.
You will be entitled to 5.6 weeks holiday per year including bank holiday.
The employers may want you to take holiday at a particular time of year, you can negotiate when you discuss your contact, maybe they choose half, you choose half. But employer's choice.
You are not entitled to redundancy or unfair dismissal. You may get Stat Sick Pay after three days.
You must sign a contract within two months of starting work, but best to do this before starting work IMO to avoid any communication problems.
Regarding Ofsted, their is no benefit to you, costs £103. Your employers may require it for childcare vouchers and will advice you.
But do take out Nanny Insurance and get firms for permission for first aid and medicines.
Hope this is helpful :)

Sorry forms for medicines etc.
Re personal development , paediatric first aid, children safe guarding courses are about, but you probably have already.

Thank you Nannyowl! That's all really helpful :)

I never even thought about nanny insurance! I have paediatric FA and a handful of different safeguarding qualifications from the degree, so nanny insurance will be the next thing to sort.

Thanks again!

Hi Sophie

Others have answered the very straighforward employment points (i.e. same as being employed at M&S with employer responsible for paying you; deducting Income Tax and NI etc; providing you with a pay slip). If they don't already, is a great company called (iirc) 'NannyTax' that they can outsource that too. If they are NOT going to be taxing you at source, then you will have a major problem (as will they!) so you need to ensure you are NOT paid cash in hand.

All of that said though, THIS to me is the - faintly alarming if honest - question that leaps out from one of your posts:

'I have not started working for the family yet, we have spoken over the phone, briefly met the family to pass on my CV and CRB and I am meeting them again next week to discuss the position. I will be starting full time in July.'

If all they have done/you have done is 'briefly met', how on earth have they hired you? Equally, that doesn't stack up with 'meeting again next week to discuss the position' - is that meeting actually a further interview? Or is it genuinely to fill you in on your job requirements?

Having both been a nanny, and then employed nannies to look after my DCs, in a million years would I ever hire someone I'd 'briefly met' Ditto, whilst I know jobs are scarce, I couldn't concieve of working for a family that, again, I had 'briefly met'.

Both as employee and employer (ESP. the latter), always interviewed at least twice and then had a 'dry-run' of with DCs and checking 'fit' was right - as if it isn't (DCs aside ) you could be in for a very long year...

I think you also need to look thoroughly into whether you actually have the job and are 100% happy with it. A brief interview really isn't enough to decide. You need to be quite clear on wjat the arrangements are so you do it all legally, particularly because (as a recent graduate) you presumably have a student loan which will need to be factored in.

If you don't find Mumsnet is helping, and it's mostly parents, try the Nannyjob messageboards or contacting a specific organisation like BAPN for advice. They'll also be able to point you in the direction of feasible professional development courses.