Can someone give me the A-Z of hiring a Nanny please?

[jinglet]

Hi all, I'm writing this in desperation after having visited four different local Nurseries rated either 'Good' or 'Outstanding' by Ofsted. They weren't. They've been terrible- the adults are seen to be doing all the right things but they've looked bored and the children have frequently looked lost/vacant. It's not what I'd imagined these places to have been like. All four settings charge a little under £2000 per month for full-time care and there's a long waiting list for children to attend. Having thought long and hard about whether or not I should stay home for a while longer with DS or return back to work, I'm thinking I should return to work on a part-time basis (2 days a week) and hire a live-out Nanny for those days instead.

However, I don't know the first thing about Nannies and what I need to look out for or how I go about hiring one. Can you help please? Would I be paying their taxes? How much would they charge? Are they entitled to holidays, etc.? It's a minefield and in my stressed state (I think I may have PND), I can't think straight. Should I go through an agency? My biggest criteria is finding someone long-term, who DS can form an attachment with and who'll feel like a member of the family. Am I biting off more than I can chew? Should I stick to a Nursery no matter how bad it is? What are my options re: childcare?

Ps. I always thought hiring a Nanny is what posh and/or rich people did. We're neither.

I know how you feel. I went through exactly the same thing when going back to work after DD. Was extremely disappointed with the "outstanding" nursery we had locally. As you say staff looked bored and so did the kids - that's exactly what I though. Always go with your gut. We did approach a nanny agency who our friend used and they helpfully provided lots of fact sheets and all questions were answered swiftly. We didn't go with the nanny option in the end as it was just too expensive. My friend has used an agency quite successfully though and is very happy with her current nanny so I'd say use an agency where possible. We opted for a childminder in the end. She looked good on paper and made a good impression in the first couple of months but gradually standards began to slip and we had serious concerns about her care of DD so moved DD to another local nursery which was rated as "good" but we hadn't visited before as the "outstanding" one was our first choice. If I had to do it all over again I would have a nanny (if we could afford it) until DD reaches 2.5/ 3yrs then send her to nursery. At this age they need the socialisation that nursery or pre school brings. You can definitely see the difference between those children who have been in nursery/ childminder settings and those who haven't at this age (ability to share, play nicely with each other etc). Good luck!

What country are you in? For now I will assume you are in England. Your country can make a difference to taxes and to any funding eligibility.

Would I be paying their taxes?
No. You agree a gross wage just the same as your employer has agreed a gross salary with you. From that gross wage you deduct your nanny's Income Tax, National Insurance and Pension contribution and anything else like Student Loan.
The costs you have as an employer are:
Payroll Admin, Employers National Insurance, Employers pension contribution.
You will also have other non-payroll costs: activities, mileage (if nanny uses their car to transport your child) or public transport.

How much would they charge?
It varies depending on where you are. As a nanny in Surrey I am paid between £11.50 and £14 gross an hour.

Are they entitled to holidays, etc.?
Yes, it is the same as any other employee. GovUk, ACAS and Citizens advice has information about workers rights and the nanny payroll companies provide a lot of information on their websites.

A nanny working 2 days per week, assuming the days are the same length, would be entitled to a minimum of 11.2 days annual holiday. This is known as Statutory Holiday Entitlement. You can offer more holiday but not less.

Should I go through an agency?
You should certainly use a nanny payroll company, they will make it easier for you in terms of the payroll setup and management, plus can provide help with creating a contract of employment.

Nanny agencies for finding someone are a bit hit and miss. As a nanny 10 years ago I found a job via an agency. Last year agencies did not produce any jobs for me, I found two jobs via www.Childcare.co.uk

My biggest criteria is finding someone long-term, who DS can form an attachment with and who'll feel like a member of the family.
It is hard to say how long someone will stay in a job. I was in a job for over 9 years. In the past I was in for 3 years. Currently I have been in one of my part-time jobs for a year and the other for 10 months and I have no intention of leaving either of them.

I'm in a similar position to op. Thank you @nannynick. This has been incredibly helpful!

Glad I'm not the only one going through this @thedocisin and @ReaganSomerset- how some nurseries are allowed to get away with what they're doing and charging what they are is beyond me. I wish I had the resources to set up my own nursery.

Thanks @nannynick - I followed your recommendations and went onto childcare.co.uk and have been in touch with a few nannies. The problem is, I'm starting my search early and no one (understandably) wants to commit so soon. Also, what would happen (big) IF I found a nursery I liked but want the nanny to do pick-ups and drop-offs? Is that something that can be done? So, my son would attend 2 morning sessions a week and the nanny would drop him off in the morning, pick him up in the afternoon and stay with him until 7pm for when I got home? Is that possible? And what would the nanny do for the 3 hours baby was st nursery? Household chores or be "off" and not working? How does it all work?

Not many nannies will want to do before and after nursery especially especially with it being just a few hours gap.
So I would suggest you cost things based on nanny working all day. You could certainly ask them to do some household tasks during the couple of hours which remain after doing the nursery to/from. I used to spend that time putting a laundry load on, doing some cooking, hover around. It's amazing how fast that time goes.