Advice on looking for nanny in East London

[NatalieNJ]

Hi I’m pregnant with our first baby and am looking at childcare options. I work part-time from home so instead of daycare we want to look for a nanny to come mind the baby while I work- we should need this from September (in about 8 months’ time). My pregnant friends are already booking nursery places for a year from now for their babies so I’m wondering if I need to be already looking for a nanny?

I’d love to hear from anyone who has also arranged nannying, especially in London:

-How did you find your nanny? Do you have any website or agency recommendations? We are based in East London so any recommendations specific to this area would be fab!
-What kind of checks did you do? How did you decide your nanny was the right fit?
-How far in advance should I be looking for someone? Can I start my search this summer for someone to start in September or do I need to start sooner?
-Any other comments/issues I should be thinking about?

Thanks very much!🙏🙏

Beauchamp has a good guide on this: When is the Right Time to Hire a Nanny? - Beauchamp for Nannies, but basically yes, start looking now. We also used them to find our nanny and they were great, and put our mind at ease because they screen all their applicants. They're also really helpful with pairing you with a nanny they feel will be the right fit, who you can then meet, see if you get along with them etc.

I really wouldn’t leave it to the summer if you want a September start!
Childcare options fill up in London, you need to start looking now.