How do I find a live in nanny?

[AbiBanbury]

I'm desperately in need of a temporary live in nanny. Where can I find one? Had a relapse in ME, OH is travelling with work for most of November and my dad's about to pass away!

I work as a temporary or holiday nanny. Can I help?

You can look for nannies on childcare.co.uk, nannyjob or gumtree. These are websites where you privately arrange childcare. They are low-cost, but you will need to do all relevant checks.

As you need someone urgently you may be better using an agency, they are pricey, but should have done all the checks already. You can google 'nanny agencies in London/York/wherever you live' and go from there.

You will have more choice of candidates if you looked for a live-out nanny. There are many emergency live-out nannies, far fewer live-in nannies so maybe worth considering if a live-out nanny could work.

Thanks, that's really helpful. Have you had a nanny before? What would be your advice when vetting them?

You need to see their passport to make sure they are who they say they are and that they can legally work here.

You need to speak to their references, don't just go on written references. If possible on a landline number (although so many people don't have landlines now, that's maybe not so important).

Ask to see certificates for any qualifications they claim to have.

Do a DBS check or ask to see a current DBS check. If they are Ofsted registered a DBS check will be done as part of their registration, although they may not have a current certificate. If you ask them for their registration number, you can look online and see if their registration is 'current' if it is then this means their DBS check will also be current (Ofsted do not issue updated certificates).

If they will be driving your DC, check their driving licence.

Listen to your gut instinct.

If they come through an agency all this should have been done already.

Always speak with former employers, get a feeling for how genuine the reference is. Ask what they thought the person did really well and about what they did badly or were not very good at.

Try to trust your gut instincts. If something does not seem quite right, avoid it.

When you actually meet someone, watch how they interact with your children.

Make sure you understand how payroll works. Outsource it to a nanny payroll service. NannyTax and NannyPaye are the largest two in the UK. The payroll company will do as much as possible for you, leaving you with just paying the nanny and paying HMRC when the taxes are due.

Try to agree a Gross salary as a temp nanny may have had a lot of other jobs during the tax year.

Wow, that's so helpful. Thank you so so much. Fortunately, I used to be a recruiter so I'm used to interviewing but it's good to know all that you've mentioned.

Temp nannies are generally se ( I am) so Probably no need to contact hmrc but do agree a gross wage

Check has dbs first aid pli and references

Your local agency (where are you) may be able to find your someone assp who has been vetted and can start this week