Childcare help! I would like a part time nanny I think??

[h4hollis]

Hi,
I am in a dilema and not sure what to do.
I work and my mum has been looking after my five year old doing school drop off and after school club. She is finding it too much and i rely on her solely.
I would really like someone to do the school pick up and bring her home, tea homework until I get back around six.
What am I asking for a nanny? au pair? or is this something that people just dont provide.
Please can you give me some advice.

Honestly, they are like hens teeth and in my past experience the nannies that nobody else wants.
We have had to employ a lady full time 7.5 hours a day and keep her busy with clothes shopping, meal planning etc.
The difference between a career nanny and an ex nursery nurse who'll work part time i found was beyond belief.

You might be able to get a nanny who wants part time who'll want to bring her own child. But beware of a nanny who is desperate for any job and really wants full time because they might leave you when a full time job comes along.

agree with others

i did this in my old job for a while... because i was paid 8am - 6pm as usual but didnt start until 3.30 pick up...

and my bosses didnt mind what i did with my day, ie i often didnt even be at their house!

Thank you for your advice, Im not sure the budget will stretch to pay for the whole day, that will cost a small fortune!
I will have a hunt around but Im have done the childminder thing and all the collection and then settling them back at home seems a long day for a little un. Its bad enough now.

If you have the space for an au pair, and would trust a younger, less experienced/qualified person with your DCs (which, if you find the right person, I don't see why not - I'm not knocking APs because I'm a Nanny) then that might be a good option. 5 hours a day is usual for APs I think, and you could spread it over 1 1/2 in the morning and 3 1/2 in the afternoons. Cheaper, too... but you have to allow for extra food bills / phone calls and other little extras (shampoo or shower gels, some other threads covered this recently - often buy basics own brands and let them get nicer ones if they like)

If they're doing all that as childcare though, it's not really fitting the split most au pairs expect, a bit of housework, or you might have to find a compromise such as - you get the kids laundry ready and she takes it out and neatens up the kitchen while DC is relaxing after dinner or something.

Unfortunatly my house is not big enough to accomodate a live in person, Also could I claim for a nanny as I recieve tax credits, would that still be eligable childcare....Im such a novice lol.

maybe you want a childminder? Though they might want to look after your dd in their own home rather than yours... but I know a few parents who use childminders to do the afternoon school run and watch the children / give them some food / supervise homework until mum gets back from work... cheaper than a nanny too. how would you feel about your dd being in a childminder's house rather than at home? There might be other kids as well, maybe different ages.

Otherwise, you could look for students - maybe put up an advertisement in a nearby college that does childcare / teaching courses or something - though they would have to have finished their studies by 3.30 I guess which is unlikely - but a foreign student learning English and looking for some extra cash could be an option. Not sure how you find one - I guess you'd have to advertise.

You can find childminders at www.childcarelink.gov.uk

Forgot to say, childminders tend to charge by the hour which would suit you. (In my experience nannies are full-time, and au pairs are live-in.) HTH

To be honest a childminder would be fine, but most of them here have full places and again its down to me to collect and settle after a long day.
I suppose I could advertise for a childminder who is willing to come to my home but highly unlikely I would think, thats why I thought of a nanny......what about these home helpers?? are they qualified to look after children or just housework people?

where are you h4hollis i was talking to a nanny with her own child,whom is looking for a school pick up.

Don't know... Not sure really. Not sure I would leave my 5-year old with a home help person after school - she might have things on her mind she wants to talk about (dd I mean) and you'd want someone who was good with children and used to them (would be different if dd was 10 or 11 and able to settle herself down), I suppose it's down to the individual, if you trust them and they get on with dd then it could be ok.

I'm sure there are childcare helplines who could talk you through the various options and where you could find people. Sorry I can't help more!

Thanks you are all being a great help....I am in Devon by the way to bigdonna.

sorry a bit too far she lives mitcham,surrey

You could try as couple of university students iuf you live near a uni - what you're looking for is something that I have done in the past, and there are plenty of qualified nursery nurse/nannies out there who are doing further study after their DCE/BTEC/

The downside is student teachers, nurses and early years people will all have to go on placement at some point.

Thats an option, I have placed an add on GUMTREE to see what comes out of there.
Thanks for all your help, its so helpful on here.

If you want to use Childcare Element of Working Tax Credit, then you need an Ofsted Registered Nanny. A part-time nanny, who is Ofsted Registered I expect is like gold-dust... very hard to find. I am an Ofsted Registered Nanny, but I work full-time, I can't afford my mortgage unless I work full-time.

Many parents are in your situation of only wanting after-school care, but 3 hours a day work for someone won't pay their bills.

You may be very lucky and find a part-time nanny who is Ofsted Registered, it can happen. Though your location isn't in the South East, so the number of nannies in your area may be quite limited. But really if you need to use Tax Credits, then it will be easier finding a Registered Childminder.

CV Search At NannyJob - There are some nannies with CV's listed at NannyJob who are in Devon. Can't search for those nannies who are Registered/Approved, but once you find a nanny, you could ask them to register (and offer to pay the £100 fee).

Worth putting an ad on the Nanny Shares Mumsnet board, as nannies looking for part-time jobs may look there.

If you are near Exeter, there is a nanny advertising for work who is NNEB qualified - thus could apply for Ofsted Registration so you can use Tax Credits / Childcare Vouchers.

Or you could find somebody who maybe has one baby and would like a nanny and you could share with her, try maybe the local NCT or clinic's notice boards or maybe even the local rag. Lots of people don't realise nannies can attract tax credits so never look into it as an option.

I use a local childcare student once a week to help me out from 4.00 till 8 when I go to college. She is studying at the local college and conveniently finishes early on the day i need her. she doesn't drive but I don't need the school run, but if you can walk then that wouldn't be a problem. try advertising at a local college.
BTW I met her as I registered as being interested in doing student placements she first eto me to do her training, I couldn't leave her alone with the children then as I wasn't paying her but it was really helpful. might be an idea, they are all pre-CRB checked too and you could get a reference from, the college.