Help hiring a nanny

[Maursh]

I am in the process of hiring a nanny and would like some help in understanding the difference between all the different qualifications.

Whats the difference between ESOL, CACHE, NVQ and how does this differ to people who have taken a degree route in child development.

Any good questions I should ask?

Any other tips or things I should know or think of?

Many thanks in advance.

Check qualifications against registers such as wwe.ofqual.gov.uk

Are qualifications important to you? Whilst they are useful, courses do not teach common sense and tend not to teach practical things like bathing a baby, changing nappies, making bottles, correct storage of breast milk. Some courses cover those things others do not.

Experience even just small bits of babysitting babies/toddlers is very useful. Consider how much you learned by just caring for your first baby.

Consider if you like the person, can you get on with them, can you manage them effectively? A lot is about the relationship between employer and nanny. If you look on here you will see that problems are often due to poor communication, lack of respect, unrealistic expectations, poor timekeeping. It takes two to tango, if you are at loggerheads with your nanny, it is not going to work. You need to be on the same wavelength.

Nick,

Sorry, my broadband has been playing up and periodic at best ....(5 days and counting).

Thanks very much for the advice. I learned on Tuesday that ESOL is an English language qualification and not a childcare one .

I take onboard what you mean about parents not having childcare qualifications, but it's too easy for people to fib and say they had sole charge when really they were an au pair. I have had a hundred people tell me that they have babysitting experience and can therefore take sole charge of a two year old for 10 hours at a time. Anyway, I have found someone and made and offer (fingers crossed).

Absolutely, thus why it is important to check references, though even then you need to feel confident you are actually speaking to a previous employer.

Trust gut instincts.

Good to hear you have found someone, hope it works out.