How to get into full time career nanny

[rightspark]

Any advice from nannies or parents please?

I have applied to nanny agencies but they have told me that I do not have the relevent experience so I am wondering where to go from here.

I have a degree in education (where I studied units in child development, SEN, the curriculum, inclusion etc).
I have a level 3 qualification in working with children and young people.

My experience:
I have three years experience with a little girl from 2-5 years old. (Weekend and holiday care).
18 months experience as a nursery nurse.
Plus other experience with children such as a creche supervisor, play worker, learning support and teaching assistant.

Any advice? Thank you.

Really? They said no?
Change agencies? Change your CV?
Try applying for different jobs.
What about pastoral care/housemistress in a boarding school?

They said I did not have enough experience compared to the nannies on their books!
I have worked in pastoral care for 2 years in a secondary school and want to come away from working with teens now. My passion is to work with babies and children.

Whereabouts are you, OP?

I'm looking for a nanny at the moment, and would be interested in talking to you.

I went on to different nanny websites to see if there are any courses I could do to make me stand out but they are equivilant or less then what I have already done.

Tap I have sent you a pm.

You need to find a job privately. Look on childcare.co.uk, nannyjob.co.uk and gumtree.

Agencies can be very black and white when it comes taking nannies on. They often want full-time, sole-charge experience and don't take into consideration anyone who came into nannying via a different route. You should have no trouble finding a job privately though.

You may need to take a job offering slightly under market rates as it's your first nanny job, but (depending on location) will still earn more than in a nursery.

That's very odd indeed - I would agree you need to try some other agencies. It may be due to the fact that there are currently more nannies looking than there are full time jobs, so they can afford to be more picky IYSWIM? Regardless of this, you sound very well qualified to be a full time nanny.
FWIW, I have been nannying for 21 years, get top salary etc, and my last job was sourced for me through one of the top agencies in London, despite the fact I have NO 'official' qualifications at all! I learnt 'on the job'! You are, in fact, better qualified than I am.
(I do have paediatric first aid, and a DBS check, just in case anyone was wondering!)
Don't give up, you sound like you'd be a great nanny .

Outraged I have been looking on those sites thank you. A lot of parents in my area have written that they prefer a nanny who is registered?

Theresadog, thank you for your encouragement. The nanny agencies put down my confidence a bit, I thought I might have to do further training.

I don't know if anybody knows but the website childcare tool. Is that legit? It seems you have to pay just to receive messages?

Childcare.co.uk is a PITA but some parents will pay to send messages that you can receive. It's not worth paying unless there are a few jobs in the area that you like the look of. I got my first two live-out jobs on there at a time when payment wasn't so expensive, I did pay at that time but I wouldn't again.

If they have their names as their usernames on any "paid for" childcare site, google them, you may find their ad elsewhere. Google parts of the ad that may be 'unique' in wording too. So if you see an ad that has "we're a laid back vegetarian family with three kids aged 6, 4 and 12 months..." then google the phrase as it'll possibly come up with identical ads they've posted elsewhere. You'll likely be able to find people posting on a variety of sites too and even if the ads aren't identical, they may use the same pictures that you'll recognise so can find them that way too.

Agencies were funny with me too when I started out, refused to have me on their books because I'd only had a years nannying experience instead of two. It's all about ticking boxes really. There is work that can be found without going through an agency, it's just a bit more of a trawl to find it!

Which level 3 qualification do you have? If you need to become Ofsted registered you may have to redo one if it's not one that fits their criteria which is worth thinking about.

Pixie that is very helpful thank you.
I have the QCF Children and Young People's Workforce. The thing that I am struggling with whilst looking at the websites today are that the area that I live in has very limited nanny positions. (Nursery fees are around £750-800 a month).
How did you find your nanny position? I found my previous one as a parent at the nursery that I worked with asked me to join them.

When they say registered they mean Ofsted registered, not registered with an agency. You don't need to be with an agency to register with Ofsted, you can do that by yourself. You need a current first aid certificate, insurance, DBS and a basic qualification. You can register online. I think it costs £103. The vast majority of people want someone Ofsted registered these days so it's pretty much essential if you're looking for work.

Ok thank you. I think I will go ahead and do that.

CYPW is fine for ofsted :) I have that one.

I found two nanny jobs on childcare.co.uk, both families had paid the site themselves any way! Both were part time and one was for two days a week and the other was three mornings a week, so it fit well together. I got the next two jobs through my local agency as I had two solid years working live out by that point so they were happy to place me.

Agencies near me won't touch you unless had 3 yrs sole charge and over 21

Prob as have so many other nannies

You could try and get shared care /mothers help jobs to get foot in the door and then maybe find a job via online sites

It's so hard with the agencies to get your foot through the door with them. I have 20 years experience and NNEB qualifications but because at the time I didn't drive one wouldn't take me on.

I would get OFSTED registered, try gumtree, childcare.co.uk, care.com, findmeababysitter.com some of these websites might be more popular where you live.

Try Eden Nannies, Greycoat Lumleys, NannyWorld and also Imperial Nannies. All are excellent. Are you in London? How many references would you have.

For me the key was getting a full time job (temp or perm) through gumtree or somewhere private for your first jobs to provide the references and experience. With your qualifications I would have thought agencies would be keen!

I'm not a nanny but an employer who has recently been looking for a nanny. Your qualifications and experience would really stand out to me OP, and I'd be happy to support someone in getting that sole charge experience - do try advertising yourself on the sites mentioned, get a first aid qual and registered and I bet you find a family pretty quickly.

Thanks everybody for the advice. I am in East London and I have references from previous employers.
I will look to getting registered and advertised myself. Thanks!