join an agency or keep looking my self ?

[jo85]

I am looking for a nanny job in Edinburgh but so far no luck am i better going thru an agency? and what are the advantages of agency's for parents if any?

why wouldnt you go through an agency?

it doesnt cost the nanny anything to join, so the way i see it, join the best.local ones to you as well as look on internet and place ads on netmums,NJ and gumtree

I think you'll have more luck through an agency because you are in Scotland. I think I read something about parents using childcare vouchers - it's not the nanny that is registered but the agency, so to use them they have to recruit through an agency?? Or something along those lines.

As you are in Scotland, use an agency. That way parents who want to use Childcare Vouchers can use them - as in Scotland as I understand it, it is the agency that has to register, not the nanny. Scottish Childcare: Childcare Vouchers Factsheet

x-post with nbee84

Care Services List - select Child Care Agency, then location details.
All agencies have to be registered - thus the list above is useful to find an agency.

Agencies in Scotland include:

Glasgow Childcare Solutions
A and H Childcare Consultancy
West of Scotland Nanny Agency
Tinies

BHMF, in Scotland the cost of joining a nanny agency is usually around £20.00 or whatever the current fee for a Disclosure Scotland Certificate is. The prospective nanny covers this.

yes i had forgotten that

then pick one good agency near you

thanks everyone you have been very helpful.
can i just check one more thing would you join a lot or just one at a time.

A reson for not joining an agency is that there are parents (like me) who will not use an agency so you could be missing some of the market.

Where have you advertised yourself? Do you have experience and a few good references? Are you looking for live-out or live-in?

Athene - did you read the bit about using childcare vouchers in Scotland? If you want to use them in Scotland you have to go through an agency. If rates up there are similar to down South it pretty much cancels out any tax savings in the first year.

You should advertise yourself. Put yourself about a tad.

Edinburgh Herald and Post
Evening News
Ad Trader

and umm... whats that bloody site I am thinking of....[thinks]

Gumtree.

Nanny Jobs in Scotland - this search at NannyJob reveals today that there are NO parents listing jobs privately. All are from agencies.

However over at Gumtree Edinburgh there is a family advertising privately for a live-out nanny.
So there are some parents who will advertise privately.

Register with say 2 agencies, one Local and one that covers a bigger area. Keep checking NannyJob and Gumtree.

If that's true (not doubting you just don't know much about scottish nanny employment), then surely the extra fees of an agency more than cancel out the financial benefits of the vouchers, hence rendering the vouchers useless.

Yes, the agency fees could well render the vouchers useless... though The West Of Scotland Nanny Agency only charge £360 for a permanent nanny. There is however a £320 charge for Childcare Vouchers... not clear if that is Extra or not.

I'm pretty sure it isn't extra, that's the fee.