How to find a good nanny

[maccapacwac]

I have 2 DC (one just started nursery p/t) and need a nanny for 3 days / week when I'm at work. We have had 2 excellent nannies and since the 2nd one left in the summer (went back home), I've had trouble finding a new one.

We have had 2 who just stayed a short time (1 left, the other I sacked) and have just discovered that the 3rd one is planning to leave end Dec to travel abroad. I discovered this recently when I found her profile on a childcare website after being a bit suspicious about her motivations.

So, now I need to find another within the next few weeks but bearing in mind my recent failures to find a good nanny I wondered if anyone had any suggestions?

Excellent nannies no 1 and 2 came from gumtree and through a personal contact, then have had a dud one from gumtree, a dud from findababysitter and our current ok-but-not great-and-plans-to-leave-soon, from gumtree.

I find gumtree easy to use but get lots that don't meet specifications, findababysitter ok to use but mainly seemed to be those who don't have fluent Eng (I want fluent English) and childcare a bit mysterious to use even though I paid. How about nannyjob? Is that any good? I think partly I am getting pickier and pickier the longer I have had children but I don't know if I'm just bad at picking a nanny as well!

Any help would be great! Also, if you are a fluent English speaker, what would you charge gross ph in central London? We have paid £10 cash and for our current one paid about £11.50 gross I think. I would go higher but our current one is more like an au pair.

Thanks all :)

We are in London, zone 2. I used childcare.com, nannyjob and gumtree. I found we got loads of replies from gumtree but most weren't really suitable. Pretty much everyone we interviewed (we did two rounds of interviews so about 10 interviews in all I think) were from nannyjob or childcare, and I'm pretty sure that our (excellent) nanny was from nannyjob. I would try them.

I used nappyvalleynet - every so often there are employers advertising on behalf of their nanny (along the lines of "we're very sad to have to let our great nanny go, here are her details") and I found our nanny through that kind of ad. It's SW london based but expect many of the nannies would be flexible about where they work.

Also, if you have friends who have nannies, get them to ask their nannies if they know anyone looking for work (who they think is a good nanny!)

Agree about trying Nannyjob, that would have been my next port of call if nappyvalley hadn't worked.

Pay - 11.50 gross works out as 9/hour net I think (?), whereas I gather 10 net/13ish gross is more standard for a good/experienced nanny in London - so if you want the top candidates you might need to offer a bit more than you've been paying.

Hello maccapacwac,
I am a montessori teacher and have been a nanny too before I had my daughter. From January I am looking at a nanny position in Swanley. I am very loyal (have been a teacher in a nursery for the past 6 years and before that was nannying two children for 3 years until they moved on to go to school. I am happy to send you my details .