Would a nanny be an option?

[liliesanddaisies]

Two parents working full time, no support from anywhere else.

However, we have a one bedroom flat. Would this be a problem?

How much would we have to pay?

Thank you!

One bed flat rules out having a live-in nanny.

So you are looking at a live-out nanny. It may be bit cramped at beginning and end of day but shouldn't be a huge problem. What may be a concern is things like parking a car near the flat.

Location?

Salary varies quite a bit around the UK, cities higher than rural generally.
You may find £8-£13 gross per hour is a range of salary. Have you calculated what you can afford to offer?

This fact sheet provides some things to consider when looking at cost.

What do you mean 'Location?'

There is a car park.

Thanks for the link.

Where in the country - geographically?

If you are in West London then you could be looking towards the top of the salary range.

If you are in a village on the ourskirts of Milton Keynes, then I expect it would be mid to low in the range.

Have a look at what other jobs in the area are offering. Sites like www.nannyjob.co.uk can be useful for seeing what other jobs are offering.

Nanny nick was asking for your location because you asked how much it would cost you and it depends on location. Would she need to pay to use the car park?
I don't think it's an issue with it being a one bed flat. Are the communal areas small?

Have you considered looking at Childminders? I am assuming you only have one child being in a 1 bed flat, so a nanny is a very costly option for care of one child.

This may be useful: www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator
There are various schemes available and a new one which is likely to start later this year which can help parents with the cost of childcare.
A nanny can be suitable care for some schemes as long as they are registered with the childcare regulator.

One bed flat may be an issue depending on number of children and the space available in other room(s). Some flats have huge rooms, while some have tiny ones... so it depends on the flat.

Car Park - if a permit is needed, then you may not be able to get one for the nanny, you will need to look in to that. If it is a public carpark then look at what costs would be.

Would nanny need to even arrive or use a car? You may be in London and very near a tube station. If nanny lived further out of London near the same tube line, then they could commute by tube.

You say Full Time but is that hours that other providers do or are you needing say 7am-7pm Mon-Fri. Do you need childcare all year round or only during some of the year? I used to nanny for parents who were both teachers (at different schools). I would work mostly term time but with a couple of days extra at the end and beginning of some terms so the parents could have some child-free time to do marking, preparation.

Age of children could affect the decision as a child may be at school.

You need to look at all factors and compare what childcare providers you have local to you.

We're nowhere near London - in Lancashire.

The car park is free.

I have thought about a childminder but it's reliability that's potentially an issue, and also managing child sickness and so on.

I've had my childminder for 5 years (3 DC) and in all that time she's had one week of sick leave following appendicitis. Don't be too quick to rule out a childminder.

Lancashire - probably looking at £8-11 gross per hour. You might find someone quite young for whom it is a first job - if that suits you - who may accept a little less. It depends how much experience you need and who is looking for work in your area. For a live-out nanny you must pay at least National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage - which is dependent on their age.

Reliability would be a potential issue with a nanny, so not sure how that would be different.
A nanny will generally care for a mildly ill child but it depends on the situation. Great that you are thinking about all the pros and cons of the different types of care available.

How old is your DC? We have an 18 mo in a 1.5 bed and in the last few months he's got very fed up of the flat and wants to be out more, so a childminder or nursery may work better?

Nursery would be better. But it's available hours. I hoped a nanny might take her out a bit.

As a nanny, if I was working in a one bed flat, I would be going out a lot.
Toddler group, music group, library, swimming, woodland, playgrounds, historic houses/castles, train rides.

You will need to include activities plus travel costs in your budget.

Ah ok - my little one is in nursery 8-6, which works with my hours.
As nn says there are things Nannys can take them to, but a lot of them would require budgeting. If you could drop her at a childminder she might need fewer activities