Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Parents: How important to you are nanny qualifications, really?

24 replies

RahRahRachel · 08/04/2007 21:44

I've been working in various childcare positions (mother's help, part-time nannying, aupairing abroad, sole and shared charge) for about 2.5 years now. I didn't know I wanted to be a nanny when I was 16 or 18 so didn't study for an NVQ or NNEB but did A-Levels and Uni instead, but now that I've 'found' childcare I know this is what I want to do with my life! In my mid-twenties however it's much more difficult to drop everything and go back to college...

What I'm really wondering is, how important to parents is a qualification - would experience and a real love of children be enough? And unqualified nannies, have you felt it's held you back?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
FrannyandZooey · 08/04/2007 21:50

I was a self-taught nanny, with no childcare qualifications whatsoever, and never had any problem getting work - I have also been employed in a nursery.

I have also: run my own children's groups, coached young children in sports, entertained at children's parties, been invited to talk at postnatal groups by HVs, run a workshop for SureStart, and performed at a children's festival. So no, I don't think it has held me back

ScummyMummy · 08/04/2007 21:51

It wouldn't be that important to me if I thought you and my kids would get on well but i would use it against you to pay less, I expect. I've never had a nanny though so may not be the best person to advise. Nice to hear that you've found your niche, though. Good luck.

Dottydot · 08/04/2007 21:52

When we were looking for a p/t nanny for ds1 we met a few people and it wasn't qualifications that really interested us, it was the person. We went for an experienced nanny who had a house with room, toys, she cooked lovely meals for them, was fairly laid back but you could see would stick to a routine etc.etc. It all went on the meeting with them really. Good luck!

Pollyanna · 08/04/2007 21:53

experience was far more important than qualifications. i would rather have a nanny who had been working for 12 years than a newly (fully) qualified one.

RahRahRachel · 08/04/2007 22:18

It's good to hear qualifications aren't the be-all and end-all anyway!

I'm asking really because all my previous childcare jobs have been to various extents temporary or casual - which I've gone for because I've enjoyed the flexibility and wanted to travel - but in the next few months I really want to step up career-wise to a fulltime, long term, sole charge role. If a qualification would significantly alter my prospects I'd have to consider taking a year or two out to do it!

OP posts:
Aloha · 08/04/2007 22:18

Not all all. INtelligence, kindness, patience and common sense are they key qualifications for me.

cat64 · 08/04/2007 22:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Millarkie · 08/04/2007 22:35

First aid cert plus experience would be sufficient for me - but having said that the only nanny I've employed so far had qualifications - have to say that although she knew the theory she didn't have much clue about how to carry out things in practice.
I'm looking for a short-term nanny at the moment and am interviewing people with no qualifications - but I found them via gumtree, not sure how fussy nanny agencies are about needing qualifications.

ScottishThistle · 08/04/2007 22:37

RahRahRachel, I've 2 friends who have been Nannies for years without any childcare qualifications & it hasn't held them back!

Good luck in your job hunt!

jura · 08/04/2007 22:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Eleusis · 08/04/2007 22:54

As others have said, I'm far more intersted in personality, attitude, and experience.

nannynick · 09/04/2007 00:47

I find that Experience counts for a lot. Add to that how well you relate to the children and parents. Next comes things such as First Aid training and Enhanced CRB check.

You may want to look at becoming registered on the voluntary part of the Ofsted Childcare Register(which will require some very basic training), so that parents can pay you using Childcare Vouchers.
(old scheme: Childcare Approval Scheme )

I am like you to a certain extent... I didn't train in childcare at 16, choosing at that time to do courses in computing. 11 years ago, I started the CACHE Diploma in Childcare as a mature student, dropping most things to go back to college. While it was tough, it was do-able. I was in my early twenties then.

Some parents will want you to have qualifications and some won't. So it is the luck of the draw really. Perhaps consider doing an NVQ via Distance Learning.

NannyL · 09/04/2007 09:44

most of my employers have been more impressed by my degree than my childcare qualification to be honest...

oh and the references as well

Having done the qulaification if i was EVER looking for a nanny (cant imagine i would, but if i did) being 'qulaified' would not impress me at all, as IMO it really is NOT that hard!

dont mean to offend nanny nannies or anyone else by the way, im just saying that anyone who turned up to the course I did would have passed unless they were extreamly unintelligent! I was actually shocked at how easy it is!

Genidef · 10/04/2007 02:43

Experience is probably more important although like Millarke said, I would insist on first aid training; and like Nannynick said the CRB check. The nanny we used this past year is a former foster carer and very experienced; we use a nursery two days a week as well and the girls who work there have qualifications on paper but are not more competent to look after children than the nanny was.

By far the most important things to me are flexibility and responsiveness to the parent's expectations and values (one might say within reason, but I guess if you don't agree, you probably shouldn't work for that family!!) and a professional attitude overall. I've found that without these components in place it's pretty much impossible to continue working with someone.

auntymandy · 10/04/2007 05:21

Most mums I have come across prefer experience to training.
I had a friend who did her nneb(years ago) because it was an easy course to do! Got a job as a nanny to someone I knew and she was totally cr**!!!! She left hot drinks on the floor, sat in front of the tv. Gave them unsuitable toys..empty tablet bottles as shakers etc. She soon realised she hated the job and joined the RAF!!!!

I have mostly worked in childcare and apart from the rubbish money, I have really enjoyed it!!

fridayschild · 10/04/2007 21:47

OK I am going to differ here. The qualification IS important to me, and I think if I had to look for another nanny now I would not consider someone without a qualification. My children are important to me, I am in a profession where academic grades and qualifications are important and when I have interviewed experienced but unqualified nannies I have not really clicked with them.

Others on this thread have pointed out that it's not challenging for an experienced nanny to become qualified. I think that's right. I seem to be in a minority here, but I would recommend you do the part-time study route to get the qualification. After all, what have you to lose?

nannynick · 10/04/2007 23:23

I can see there being more of a move towards having all childcare providers trained to a certain standard, with of course some providers training to levels above that standard.

As I put in my earlier post, I trained as a nursery nurse as a mature student, self-funding my way through 2 years of college while working and keeping a roof over my head. It can be done... it is hard... but if someone wants to do a certain type of job, then they should do training for that job.

These days there are many more routes to training, such as distance learning courses which fit around work.

My view may be a bit biased, as I am public school educated, with 10 GCSE's, an HND in Computing, NNEB Diploma in Nursery Nursing and Maternity Practitioner award - plus then numerous First Aid courses over the years, plus very short courses such as Child Protection. So I suppose you could say I like training courses.

As a professional nanny, I feel I should continue with training, as things change over time, though finding short courses is a bit tricky as many courses are aimed at nursery staff and are funded to a certain extent, so private nannies do not get a place on a course unless the course is under-subscribed.
Not sure what course I will do next, would like to do some courses specific to working with children who have special needs.

One bit of training that doesn't get taught is Life Skills and Commonsense. It is with experience that we all learn, sometimes by our mistakes, often by watching our peers and mentors.

The more skills a nanny has to offer, the more employable I feel they are... plus the greater the benefit to the children. Music for example is one of my likes - I have played string instruments as a child, and dabble on the piano. Whatever training, however that training is done, is worth something as a nanny, as you are a multi-skilled employee.

Genidef · 11/04/2007 03:13

One thing I thought of after my initial reply is that someone who is completely untrained could well be basing their views on very outdated ideas, from what they remember their parents did when they were young or through ad hoc babysitting. If they've never really been supervised before, no one will have challenged them, so they may well assume it's all fine. You can always suss some things out at interview - of course - but it may be hard to predict where the gaps are. We had a babysitter once who didn't know that you shouldn't serve whole grapes to young children. I guess things like what foods are appropriate when that would be day one of any childcare training course today. The list could go on!

Lazylou · 11/04/2007 07:16

RahRahRachel, I studied the Level 3 NVQ in Early Years Care and Education (although it has changed now) and it was the best thing I ever did, especially in terms of senior/managerial level jobs. I've only ever worked in nurseries and pre-schools, however.

As you have a degree already you could use your credits towards the Foundation Degree in Early Years. I do mine 1 evening a week and one Saturday a month at a college and I love it because although the work is hard (as you would expect on a degree course) those few hours I spend at college is my time away from the family to do something I really want to do, whilst sharing a common interest with other childcare professionals.

One of my college colleagues did a degree in art or something similar, totally non childcare related and got onto the course because of her degree.

The Transformation Fund could help with fees etc. I got the two years paid in full (I'm aware that different Local Authorities pay different amounts towards fees so it is worth checking out) which amounted to £1,500 and then they paid me a further £1,500 for materials such as books etc. Following that I got £3000 to pay me if I needed to take time off from my role as Senior Nursery Nurse for anything to do with college. This money is also used to pay for cover, such as a temp Nursery Nurse.

I too agree with the use of qualifications but do understand that some people although excellent when it comes to theory may not be as excellent when it comes to the actual doing of the job. I believe that as someone who has undegone various training courses in my chosen profession, I would be pretty upset if someone came along with less qualifications (or none) than me and secured a job paid to the same level as the money I can earn now.

piglit · 11/04/2007 07:31

It wouldn't bother me at all. Our current nanny has no "paper" qualifications for nannying but she is wonderful. Our previous nanny had every nanny qualification under the sun but was a nightmare. She had no business working in childcare.

I would always say to a parent looking for a nanny that they should definitely look at someone who has worked in a nursery. Anyone who can multi task to the extent you need to work in a nursery and keep cheerful with a bunch of grisly babies/tantruming toddlers for 50 hours a week must be worth considering!

auntymandy · 11/04/2007 08:12

I also think it depends on what you want from a nanny!

nannyj · 11/04/2007 09:45

I think it is the luck of the draw tbh. I met a new nanny who had a degree and in her first job managed to earn a bit more than me and was about 8 years younger as well. She managed to last only 6 months in her job because she just didn't understand the relationship between nanny and parent and wasn't that great with the children in my opinion. I don't have any qualifications and it does exclude me from some jobs, especially abroad which is where i'm looking for my next job but i just can't justify at this point in my life starting a course. It hasn't held me back at all but i've been doing it for 12 years and if i was starting now i would probably look into doing a qualification.

auntymandy · 14/04/2007 04:14

NannyJ I agree. When I started looking after shildren many moons ago. I got work no problem. Its now later in life I think I maybe should have qualified as it would be easier to find work. Especially in a nursery etc.

If you want to work abroad, why not look at British forces families?

ScottishThistle · 16/04/2007 16:11

Piglit, I disagree as working in a Nursery is nothing like Nannying...Nursery Nurses work shorter hours in a different environment & always have support/back up therefore can take time out if they really require it!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page