London Nannies

[NannyK7H]

Hi all,
Just wondering, has anyone been a live-in nanny in London? I've been a live-in nanny to other families in the UK and I am a UK resident but I'd just like to hear any stories of anyone who has worked in the capital! I think I would quite like to live/work there :).
Would also be nice to hear of any parents who have had live-in nannies.
Thanks!

I've been a live-in in London, just left to be live-out as I want to live with my bf. What would you like to know?

I seem to have heard a lot of horror stories about live-in in London and I was just hoping to hear some positive things! Accommodation seems to be more of a bedroom/bathroom rather than a separate annex which is what I've had so far - guess that is because you get a lot less house for your money in London! But I love the museums and opportunities in London especially with school age children - lots of places to visit with them.
Were you allowed to have visitors in your post? What kind of accommodation did you have?

I'd say sep accom is fairly rare, and for those roles there is a lot of competition. I've nannied abroad and the accommodation was always larger and away from the family areas, but space is tight in London, and I've always had a bedroom and bathroom but not necessarily away from the family. I was allowed visitors as long as I asked, but didn't feel it appropriate to have my bf to stay over when the children were there.

My live-in jobs have been in SW London with "normal" families, however when abroad I worked for super rich families. I couldn't tell you about live-in with a high profile/mega wealthy family in London, you might have better luck on the forums on Nannyjob.co.uk.

I think you need to screen families carefully, speak to their previous live-in nanny if possible, and go with your gut instinct. Remember that live-ins typically work longer hours than live-outs.

I'd say if you're new to London then a live-in job is the best idea. No stress about getting to work in the morning either ;)

Nannying for school aged kids in London is just wonderful as there is plenty to do, and so many nannies around for company. You'll hear no negatives from me!

I lived in as a nanny my first year in London before becoming a maternity nurse.

The family lived within a stone throw of the natural history museum so it was a great area to live. The family did up their third floor flat so that it had four bedrooms. Mine was en suite however the children used the bath. During the week I kept out of the living areas after work. What I really enjoyed about the position was that the family left on a Friday evening and came back on a Sunday evening to travel to their weekend house. I don't think I would have been able to finish out the year if they stayed the weekend as it would mean been out of the house for bath time and also hearing the children at all hours.

There isn't a huge selection of jobs about at the moment. However there are positions where you get own floor or shared flat or family leave for weekend etc. Best bet is to join some agencies and see whats about.

Nannying in London is the best thing I've ever done! I've done both live in and out.
I did love living in cause I didn't have to commute but as others have said there is a lot less space in London for your money so in my experience it is more a room and maybe bathroom than a floor as a general rule. The jobs with separate accommodation do pop up but a lot of people want them.

It is just amazing! There are so many nannies so always have lots of play dates, loads of different places to go (all the museums/cafes/classes and great parks) and once you make some friends the social scene is also quite good.

I was always allowed visitors but rarely did as I more often went to them.

I think everywhere has horror stories and if you just look for a nice family as best you can and ask lots of interviews and aren't just looking for rich families then you should do great.

Thank you for your replies!
I used to live-in about half an hour north of London so the nanny scene and museums etc are all very familiar to me.
I'm not sure I would want to work for a mega-rich family, I think there would be so much more pressure and maybe unrealistic expectations. I would rather earn less and be able to be more flexible with the kids! My other bosses have all been really down to earth so I feel more like part of their parenting team rather than just 'staff'.
I think maybe I am just worried about the unknown so it is nice to hear of all your good experiences :)