Part time Nanny in Scotland - differences to employing in England?

[GrumpySwivelHead]

I currently have a nwoc looking after my 3 doc (10, 7 and 5) after school. We pay her through vouchers and payslip @£8 p/h. She picks them up from school, cooks tea and takes them to clubs etc, tends to work 2pm - 630 ish to get an additional couple of hours to do washing etc. it's all working very well.... However.... I am moving to east Ayrshire, 15 miles south west of Glasgow over the summer holidays.

In an ideal world I'd love to replicate the childcare arrangements I have here in the new house but now sure how it all works in Scotland. Does anyone know

• if the after school nanny arrangement is common / works in Scotland?
• what kind of rate should I expect to pay?
• can I use childcare vouchers to pay the nanny?
• I get the sense there are fewer nannies in Scotland and childminders are the norm. Do you think I'll struggle to find someone, especially as we'll be quite rural a location?

- any recommendations for an agency to use or who to avoid?

I wondered if there were any kind MN-ers who might be able to help with my daft questions?

TIA

Someone I know in edinburgh has a brilliant nanny 2 days a week and found them by placing an ad on Gumtree. In the same way, a nanny I got chatting to at toy library said she and all her nanny friends get jobs off Gumtree. So maybe post there and sift responses?

• if the after school nanny arrangement is common / works in Scotland?

Don't know but I see a few ads for it in Aberdeenshire (an area I keep an eye on as I may move there at some point).

• what kind of rate should I expect to pay?

Between 8 and 10 gross per hour seems typical, least in Aberdeenshire. Ayrshire I therefore suspect may well be similar.

• can I use childcare vouchers to pay the nanny?

Yes, you need to recruit the nanny via an agency. Care Inspectorate: Service Search - select Child Care Agency from the list, enter in the postcode for the area and then pick an agency. See what the agencies are able to offer, such as a fully managed recruitment service, or something so you can use vouchers if you find the nanny yourself.

Not sure how payment would work in Scotland but I'd definitely advertise on gumtree or www.childcare.co.uk I have got several nanny jobs via these sites. If your company pays via vouchers I don't see it working any differently in Scotland. My vouchers get paid direct into my bank account on the same day as my boss pays the rest in cash.

Some factsheets to r ead about Childcare in Scotland

Home Based Childcare in Scotland (pdf)
HMRC:IR115 (pdf) - see page 9 for details of what is approved care in Scotland.