Where to start re finding/employing a nanny?!

[Maisiesaves]

Hello all!

So, looking for a nanny/housekeeper for September start. Where did you find your nannies?

I'm not having much luck on the various childcare websites that charge £30 a month but then the candidates haven't got the premium service so can't message back etc... Spoke to a nanny agency today that want about 2k to help find a nanny. Their service sounds brill but I don't have that kind of money!!

Do we become the nanny's employer? Or can they be self-employed?

Please shed some light on this process!

You are their employer and liable for tax, NI, pension, sick pay, maternity pay etc and most people pay a fee to a payroll company.

It is excruciatingly expensive round here (SE London) and well out of my price range - 10+ yrs as a hospital medical consultant.

I found I hated doing all the HR/employee management bit really hard eg discussing with our nanny that perhaps booking an overnight flight due to land 1hr before she was due to work with us was ‘brave’ and what did she think she would do when it was delayed? Why are you off sick all the time?

To search for a nanny you can use the paid for websites - I haven't done this for a few years but when I did as long as you had paid the nanny could message you / send their cv and email address etc. Or local area forums / Facebook pages or gum tree. As well as agencies of course. Yes you will be an employer and liable for employers ni and pension costs. A payroll service (some specialise in nannies) can to that for a fee or you can do it yourself. It's often hard to find a nanny house keeper as lots of nannies don't like to do cleaning work and vice versa.

Urgh! Thanks for your replies but just urgh!

I'm trying out one of the paid for websites now. Also looking at babysitters as some specify they are available for afternoon, morning, and/or evening babysitting. But then, if they are babysitting regularly, I'm guessing it all has to come under the same rules as my being their employer etc?!

It's not even that I need a lot of help! If my son's school had an after-school club, that would pretty much sort it! Perhaps I could hire a personal assistant to take him to an after-school club? Is that ridiculous?? It sucks when you don't have a family/support network to rely on when it comes to childcare, doesn't it!! Especially when your child has additional needs. At least if I did the above option, I'd just need someone to come for an hour during the day to walk the dog! My idea of hiring a nanny/house keeper was to just consolidate light housekeeping, dog walking and some childcare into one position/person!! Gahhh. Maybe I'm expecting too much of people. I daren't put an ad in the local newsagents for this sort of thing!!

Seriously, though. Thanks for responding!

You need an au pair, I think.

I did consider that. My understanding is that the Au Pair lives in though, right? And our spare room is pretty tiny.

Quite a few people advise on the local Facebook parent sites in my area.

An au pair does live- in so you would need space for that.

If you sign up and pay for childcare.co.uk and other websites of that kind then all nannies can contact you without being premium/gold members themselves. If you're not getting any messages it may be because the job is not appealing/you haven't given enough info.

How much care does your DC need? If it's just someone being in the house you could look at a cleaner who would take a bit extra for collecting/supervising DC.

What about a childminder? A lot easier on the employment front and cheaper for one child.

I've been reading up on an Au Pair programme and actually, with some reshuffling of the rooms, it could be accommodated for them to have a sizeable room downstairs. Just need to get DH on board, so if anyone has any firsthand experiences of using an Au Pair - please share! Are you then still considered an employer, or not as you're giving them pocket money? Would costs associated with hiring and paying an Au Pair be eligible for the Childcare Grant of Student Finance?

There are only 2 childminders where I live who collect from DS's school. One is forever full, the other didn't feel she could meet DS's needs as she has other children she childminds. Hence, the nanny route. He doesn't need much care at all, really. He is mostly toilet trained and can feed and dress himself. It is mainly supervision, making a light snack, that kind of thing.

Do cleaners do things like that, then, @NuffSaidSam? That's something to think about and consider.

@Scrumptiousbears Thanks, I've recently returned to Facebook, so I shall have a gander at any local parenting pages.

I think if the level of childcare is very low/easy then many would, although obviously you'd have to ask each individual cleaner.

But, if a childminder doesn't feel she can meet his needs then I don't know if a cleaner would be able to.

I think you're right, NuffSaidSam. Thanks for all of the replies. I shall keep looking! It's difficult when you have a child with additional needs.

Try OFsTED OP, I think they have links to Childcare pages which may help. It also be worth contacting your local College to see if their Childcare Courses could recommend or even send students out to you to learn.

That's a brill idea, @FireflyEden - I shall give that a go! I'll also look at the Ofsted pages, too.

I'm in talks about getting a 1:1 support worker for my son who can take care of the childcare aspect, then hiring a cleaner who doesn't mind taking the dog for a walk or letting him out in the garden.

I've contacted the council's families information service which is supposed to help with these things, and they have advised I post an advert on Indeed - well, I tried and my account was blocked! I think because I'm not an actual business?! lol

My student finance has been approved; including the childcare grant, but I don't want to accept my course choice until i know I have childcare sorted!!

Where did you find your 1:1 support worker? I have a son with similar issues.

Hi @JADS, does your son have a diagnosis of anything? It is through having a diagnosis that so much I have received in the past has happened. Most of the services we use are local to us, and mainly specifically for Autism, or children with special needs. So, Derbyshire has Derbyshire Autism Services, Umbrella, Funabili8y, STePS, SENDIASS, Parent Carers Together, all of which can signpost to other services and organisation etc. If you want to PM me, I'm happy to help find stuff specific for your sons needs/location :)