Part-time nanny... Where to start??

[Maggie09]

I feel totally lost and could use help! I'm going back to work next November and hope to have my little one looked after by a nanny 3.5 days a week in Hertfordshire. My partner and I will pick up the remaining 1.5 day and can plan them around the nanny.

There will also be about 7-10 weeks a year during which we have time off or I go visit family overseas. Again I can be flexible there, for example plan partially around term time.

I WFH and so would be happy with someone more inexperienced as long as they're reliable and they've done a first aid course.

Where do I start with finding someone? Would I be paying a term time nanny for a set number of weeks only? Would a part-time, term-time(ish) nanny even exist?

Should I be going through (expensive) agencies or are there places to find people looking for this kind of role, eg students/pensioners/mum's with school going kids? Is there anything else I should be considering?

Any recommendations would be very welcome! This whole thing is really fueling my anxiety :)

Have a look on childcare.co.uk. You can set up a profile detailing what you are looking for. I found a nanny who was looking for part-time and happy to invoice us monthly rather than employing and sorting tax/NI. Good luck.

I work part time, 2 days per week, term time only. So yes, it is possible to find a nanny to do that but it may take a while to find someone.

In my contract of employment, I have a holiday clause. Part of which is:
"As the Employee is only actually working for 39 weeks per annum, he will be entitled to 4.7 weeks paid holiday during each year of service, including all public holidays which occur on normal working days, giving a total of 43.7 weeks to be paid each year."
A nanny payroll company can assist you in creating a contract of employment.

ChildcareCoUk, ArmyOfNannies, NannyJob listing sites like those are good for recruiting a nanny yourself.

WFH can be tricky depending on your child/children. Think about where you would work such that you are not disturbed by sound in other parts of the house. In my job I have a parent who works from home, and it works quite well most of the time but if toddler is being rather noisy I am conscious that their parent will hear, and their client on the phone may hear as well!
Also consider how your child/children may react to you appearing at random times of the day. Some will not be phased by that, others will create a fuss. Try to make your workspace as self sufficient as possible so you are not having to come down to the kitchen very often.

@nannynick thanks for the tips, that's very helpful. We have 3 floors in our home so I'm thinking to set up the space for the nanny downstairs and a space for my office in the master bedroom upstairs. Or perhaps just take the big calls there and spend the rest of the day in the (much nicer) office room.

I'll have to have a think about getting some coffee and snacks up there. I was thinking about structuring my pop ins based on little ones reaction. Eg. I join for lunch or I have a quick afternoon coffee downstairs with them. Do you have any experience with structured breaks like that?

Thanks for sharing what's in your contract as well, that's very helpful!

@Morag273 that's great to hear! Is she set up as self employed then? How does it work with when she passes the NI threshold and stuff?

Yes she set up as self-employed. I don’t know any further details - I think we just pay a higher hourly rate and she sorts her own tax & NI.

@Maggie09 In my one day per week nanny job, mum works from home and from when G2 was a baby we would have some lunchtimes together. It isn't structured as such, and G2 gets upset when mum goes anywhere, but that happens when mum goes out for any reason. So just a phase perhaps, as it was not as much of an issue when she was one.

It will depend on how old your child is and what works at one point, may not work a few months later.

Depending on where you are in Herts, I might be able to help

I’m a level 3 qualified nanny with excellent refs, enhanced DBS, public liability insurance, paediatric first aid and 30 years of experience