<sigh> So when I say to the agency that I want someone NNEB or equivalent qualified with experience of working with babies, apparently that means the ideal candidate is ...

[flowerybeanbag]

A school leaver who's done a bit of babysitting.

WTF?!

Arrrrggghhhh!

Onwards and upwards!

Think you need a new agency!

You can probably get a trained peadiatric nurse as there are job freezes in the NHS. We only get paid 18-19k.

wannajob then avenanap?

I do indeed quint...

Which is exactly the reason why I never used agencies but found my au pairs myself. Anyone with half a brain can do what an agency does - it's not rocket science. If they can ask for references and police checks then so can you.

The couple of agencies I initially made enquiries with seemed to think that sending me a warm body was sufficient.

Lots of online contacts and resources for people looking to recruit nannies.

Good luck

It's a bit mad. Three years of training, no job. Can get paid more as a nanny. And no shifts. I'd love a job. I might set up an agency with TRAINED staff. Might be moving to London in September.

thanks nametaken. Fortunately I do have half a brain and am using all the links people have kindly given me here, with more useful leads than have come from the agency I must say.

But at one point I had no leads at all so in desperation registered with an agency as well, to cover all bases. Clearly I needn't have bothered!

I always thought that the idea of using an agency was to make the whole process smooth and easy - that you were paying through the nose for the convenience of having Mary Poppins x 6 troop up to your front door in a neatly ordered queue, brandishing their triple checked references. I can't tell you how disappointing it is to read what a bad time people have. There should be a mumsnet agency - no fees - it's run on love

An agency told me a story a few days ago. Agency A sent a parent ONE nanny CV. Agency B sent 8 CVs. Parent ended up meeting two nannies and hiring one of them. Parent called Agency A and asked why they only got sent 1 CV. Agency A owner said... well, who did you hire. Parent said, the nanny you sent. So Agency A said, that they don't send lots of CVs, they match nannies to families.

An agency which does not bother with pre-matching families with nannies, should be dumped very quickly.
Not all agencies are like that... alas some still are.

Nice to hear someone sticking up for agencies nannynick - they're not all bad, the trouble is the terrible ones give a bad reputation to them all.

I used to work at an agency and we had lots pf people complaining that we only sent them one or two CV's, they thought the other agencies who seemed to send them everyone on their books were much better - even though often they would then moan about how many CV's they had to look through!

If you want to or feel you have to use an agency go on recommendations, if you feel the agency isn;t right for you, call them and tell them you've found someone

Have you asked on here Flowery?

I can beat this one. Not only was I offered a nonqualified person with no sole charge experience. She had in fact trained and was currently working as a butcher...

Anyone like to speculate the skill set that translates from chopping up meat to looking after a newborn and 2yo?

change agency provider, ask them to email candidate CV to you prior to seeing them.it is of course your perogative to vet and set expectations- i would

avenanap - totally Right.NHS is in a right ole state at the mo. unemployed RN, OT, Physios

where are you based? I know some great agencies in Herts

Karen hi, yes have asked on here, I have a post on nanny shares topic which I bump from time to time in hope!

Agency lady has got back to me after I blasted her and said that sometimes 'these girls' can be 'better than a recently trained NVQ'. I highly doubt that and have gone back saying that I feel her claim that this candidate 'seems really good' was a bit premature to say the least! She hasn't even met her yet!

I was hoping for the Mary Poppins scenario as described by Northern Lurker, or at the very least candidates whose have more details matching my requirements than the fact that they live reasonably near...

Good grief!

phraedd I'm in Cambridgeshire, not sure Hertfordshire agencies would cover as far up as here...

The agency haden't even met the candidate they put forward? I'm sure there is a law that applies for that (probably The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003), though I expect it is with regard to checking identity.

While someone with experience can certainly be better than someone qualified... if you had specifically asked for someone qualified, then the agency could have called you to discuss the person, prior to sending a CV or the candidate to meet with you.

Oh, flowery, are you still looking? You aren't having much luck at the moment it seems. Are you sure you cannot tempt Nannynick your way?

no she'd not met her no. I am a bit more relaxed about the qualification thing, experience being more important as you say nick but before I went back to her I double checked to see what I'd said when I first briefed her, and sure enough it did say qualified and experienced. So I would certainly expect a candidate who 'sounded good' to be experienced and there to be a conversation with me about how important the qualification bit was, you're absolutely right.

Squiffy yep still looking I'm afraid, and don't think I am in nannynick's area either. I am not panicking yet, fortunately I don't have a date by which I must find this person, not 'due back' at work as such. But still, it is getting frustrating!

You should report the agency - they are not allowed to send anyone out for a job unless they have first interviewed them and checked their references