Help me write a reference for our wonderful nanny

[HolidaysQueen]

We're moving out of the area soon so are reluctantly having to let our nanny go. I have promised to do a written reference for her, as well as being a verbal referee should any future employer want to talk to me. But now I'm a bit stuck with the written reference as really all I want to say is "She's totally fab and you'd be bonkers not to employ her" as she really is that great

I guess I need to go for something a bit more detailed and formal, but I'm not quite sure what to cover. So help me compose a great reference - what should I cover? How much detail?

As a nanny what would you want an employer to write in a reference about you?

As a potential employer what would you want to see in a reference about a nanny you were thinking of employing?

When she worked for you, how old your children are, her duties. Her strengths and things she's particularly good at. What her relationship with the children is like. Why you're letting her go, whether you'd employ her agin, whether you'd recommend her.

Following on from argento's structure:

I love seeing words like proactive, punctual, reliable, enthusiastic, energetic, respectful, trustworthy, cheerful etc in my referencs (but then those are qualities I tend to pride myself on). How confident you are in her, how well she fitted in, how much your DCs like her, how much you like her.

I would avoid things like flexible, unless she genuinely is bend-over-backwards flexible, because future employers might take the P!

Do you know how she sees herself as a nanny and what kind of job she's looking to move onto?

Give a bit of context about why she is great - also how long she has been with you, how she gets on with the kids, her duties and self starting skills, reason you're letting her go and the fact taht if you were staying in the area you would not let her go. Our lovely nanny (been with us 3 years now) had stunning references from her previous employers who were so lovely about her when we took the references up that we employed her virtually on the spot...

dinkystinkystein - I guess that's what I'm aiming for. I really want this reference to be so good that people are fighting over her!

Thanks for comments. All good advice. I've put a couple of specific examples in which I think show how good she is, e.g. when DS broke his arm (I made sure to mention it wasn't when she was in charge of him!), she was incredibly good at adjusting activities to make sure he didn't hurt his arm further and caring for the plaster cast etc. Do you think that is appropriate, or should it be a bit less personal than that?

I'm looking for a nanny for a 20 month old boy and new baby, would she be interested in giving out her C.V.? She sounds lovely. I'm in West Hampstead.

Are you looking for live-in? I think she wants to do live-in now, but I think she is interested in heading to north London (we are west) as she has friends aroiund there, so she might be interested.