How much to pay nanny?

[Np1988]

Hi guys looking for some advice. How much is a reasonable amount to pay a nanny/au pair that will be live in and has recently come to the UK? We recently became parents and sadly have no help from family and have busy jobs but want the best care for our son while we are working from home too. I’ve found someone from the Philippines who is a young girl that I’d have to train but is looking for a job. She wants to live in Monday - Saturday so wondering how I should approach the salary conversation? Any help or advice is much appreciated!

I have no idea 🤣

Thanks so much! I didn’t know it’s called mothers help I’ll look into that! You are so right. We don’t mind paying a bit more for someone to have a dual role. These are things that are important to me. I feel like I’ve spent the first months of my babies life just running around so would like help with the mundane chores so I can focus on him then also have someone to help with him too when I need it

No-one is lecturing you.

But as you don't even know if this Filipino "girl" even has the right to live and work in the UK, maybe you need a lecture.

Start with the basics. Ask to see her documents.

Also, if you have to train her, then she isn't a qualified nanny, Au pair or even a childminder.
Would you really want that for your new born baby? I wouldn't. I'd want someone with experience. And with the right to work and live here.

Also, is she wants to live with you Monday to Saturday, where will she be going on Sunday?

I am not totally clear if you are going to be working or not. You suggest you will in your op but you then suggest in later posts you will be around and just want assistance.that decision will help you ascertain what you need.

I go back to work in September or November.

Yes you are right re would I want that for my baby. Equally I mentor people in my job so would be willing to give her a chance/job if she is willing to learn if it helps her in later life. I know that she has a 3 year visa but it’s good advice to ask for her documents. This is the type of advice I am looking for as I don’t know where to begin.

@Np1988 no lecture from me, I’m also an ethnic minority. And people of a minority background can still be party to modern day slavery, often exploiting people from their own countries.

Completely agree and sorry if I came across rude. I am just navigating a lot at the moment and get frustrated when people jump to conclusions when you are asking for advice 🙏🏼😅

this is great advice and yes I am confused and very new. I unexpectedly fell pregnant last year and don’t know anything as wasn’t expecting to be in this position this year so never looked into it. A mother’s help or nanny housekeeper is def what I need. I have a cleaner already but having someone here more often almost daily would be a game changer.

You want the best care for your new baby, you don't want qualified care, you're inexperienced yourself but going to 'train' this "girl" what to do alongside housework......not all those statements fit.
Basically you want it on the cheap.

no not really. No one knows how to look after my baby better than me which I would train anyone to do. Wow I feel like I’m being bashed for asking for advice when I’ve already admitted I’m a novice, new to this, confused as a first time mum. Hope you wake up on a better side of bed tomorroe and hope you feel better. I won’t be replying to anymore posts. Thanks to those that took the time to be kind, compassionate and helpful.

Hiya I am wondering if the Monday to Saturday thing might be the potential nanny's way of making sure that you understand that she would not be available on Sundays?

it’s fine but honestly stop kidding yourself…

you want her to be a FT nanny, clean your house and cook dinner for everyone and prob do some laundry too.

She isn’t an au pair or mothers help she’ll be a live in servant of sorts. You’ll push boundaries over time and she’ll let you…

On that basis I think a fair minimum would be:
minimum wage £11.44 on her actual hours (assuming 8-6 mon to Fri that’s £572 per week)
plus food and accommodation and annual leave 25 days per year.

This equates to £27k pa

As context
I pay a total of £32.2k for FT childcare plus part time cleaning (although that is only 6 hours per week) and we have to do our own laundry and buy and cook our own food…

If she's going to be "live in", what are her actual working hours going to be?

I hope you won't have her on doing more than the legal maximum, which I believe is 48 hours in one week.

No one is trying to bash you. But you’ve got to understand it all sounds exploitative. I know that’s not your intention. But perhaps you wouldn’t be thinking twice about how to pay this young woman, if she was a white English person who lived in this country and was aware of her rights (experienced or not).

https://www.nannytax.co.uk/

I think she’s confused. There are no 3 year visas which allow someone from the Philippines to come and work as a nanny or au pair. Only Canadians, New Zealanders, Irish citizens, Australians and Japanese people can currently do it on a two year visa.
Those on a study visa can work up to 20 hours a week, but only if they are doing a degree course.

OP - I’d just wait and see. You may have an easy baby, you may find you don’t want to leave them with someone when they’re little. You may find that you just want a couple of hours twice a week.
when you do, there is a website called childcare.co.uk which is worth a try.

@Np1988

You need to look into the visa thing very carefully. As an employer you are responsible for ensuring that your Nanny has the right to live and work in the UK and pay the correct taxes and National Insurance (although companies like Nannytax/Nanny PAYE will do this for you). Otherwise there is a risk that you can be prosecuted.

Does she have an existing visa? If so you will need to look into how it can be transferred to you as her legal employer.Are they expecting you to be their visa sponsor? If so, you will need to apply for a Domestic Worker visa and need to look into the costs and legal requirements. It is likely that your nanny would also have to pay to use the NHS.https://www.gov.uk/overseas-domestic-worker-visa
So you need to examine her 3 year visa very carefully. Is it a 3 year work permit? Although I don't think they are given for nanny jobs. Is it a student visa? - but usually a student is restricted in the number of hours they are allowed to work is restricted a maximum of 20 hours per week.

You would also need to be clear what the working hours and duties are each day - and prepare a proper job description for her hours and hourly pay. If she is coming on a work visa you will need to pay at least the national minimum wage for all hours worked. If she is a live-in employee the maximum you can deduct from her salary for her living costs is £9.10 per day (rises to £9.99 from April 2024).

Just one added point - it is usually recommended in the UK that untrained childcarers such as au-pairs/mothers' helps are not left in sole charge of children aged 0-2 so are not used by working parents as sole carer for a baby. They work alongside parents who are at home full time or they work with older children - for example - collecting fro school/nursery and do a light housework. Those that look after very young babies and children are usually expected to have childcare qualifications, first aid certificates and insurance etc)

You are right and thank you for the info re visas!

Thank you so much. It sounds like I shouldn’t entertain this option with the lady that enquired with me it’s too risky. Someone else mentioned childcare.co.uk so I will look into that as a 100% legitimate option that ensures everyone is covered, thanks for the info re au pairs and 0-2 years too. Probably sounds really silly but I hadn’t thought of that so she is definitely out of the question.

Hi @Np1988 it’s more a safety issue. You really want to know they’ve had sufficient paediatric training and are working for you happily. Plus they’re DBS checked etc.

childcare.co.uk is a very good website.

@Lunde you can only apply for the overseas domestic worker visa if you have ALREADY worked for your employer for a year outside the UK. It doesn't apply in this case.

Yes . I was pretty sure that was the case but couldn't remember

It crossed my mind that this was some sort of fraud if she claims to have a 3 year visa - either the nanny has been scammed on some student visa scam or she is trying to run from her current employer or has been sacked and hoping to persuade a first time employer that she can use the same visa.

That’s a good point.

OP / you didn’t contact her on aupair.com did you? It’s a bit like Facebook marketplace in terms of fraud!

@Np1988 uou need to work out what you can afford for childcare and go from there

If you get a nanny you need to be an employer and pay extra for employers ni and pension

If you use a cm or nursery it's much cheaper than a nanny

The girl you mentioned wouldn't be a nanny and au pairs usually look after school age children and not under 3 and work 7/9 and 3/6 and do school work /learning English daytime

A nanny will look after your baby

If you want cleaning done as well get a cleaner

Nanny /housekeeper don't work well for babies and young children

Better for school age children

Ballpark for an experienced nanny anything from 14/18/20gross an hour so for a 10hr day average £140/200per day plus employers ni and pension

Hence why I said see what you can afford to pay for childcare as it's costly