aupair + with bags of exp.............is she a nanny?

[CarlyP]

I have an aupair who is leaving soon (boyf trouble in cz) and we have found another one who sounds fab.

She has been an aupair + before in germany for 18mths to 2 girls aged 2 and 4, she was in sole charge. the family gave a good reference.

She has also looked after (for much shorter length of time) 2 boys aged 1 and 2. also sole charge.

she is going to go language classes whilst here, which means she is an au pair, however i think her expereince (also got first aid cert) is more that of a nanny.

what do you think?

CarlyP, doesn't really matter what you think, its what she thinks and on what basis you will be taking her on.
An Aupair lives with their host family and helps out with light housework and care of the children in return for her lodging and some pocket money. An aupair should not be left in sole charge of a child under the age of 3.
If you are employing her as a nanny then you are liable for her tax & national insurance. This is not the case for an aupair.

It's the job she does for you that counts. If she works around 25 hours per week for about £70, and does a combination of housework and childcare (without long hours of childcare), and lives with you, then she pretty well meets the definition of an au pair.

Lots of au pairs come with experience. Many need to get their English up to a high standard in order to secure a good job in their home country - this includes those who already have a lot of experience or educational qualifications.

I got a first aid cert when I was in the Guides, but this did not make me a nanny or anything else.

I have seen and interviewed ppl before who had less childcare experience, one was jsut newly qualified only 17yrs old and only her 'work exp' as experience. this girl seems alot more 'together' and i jsut dont know on what basisi to take her on.

hours would be 4days per week, 7.30-5.30 with 2 under 2. which is definitely more of a nanny job. she wants to stay long term 9so she states now?!) and says she is looknig for a 'child care' position. i think this is more of a career and her way of seeing a bit of the world and learning new languages (native czech, fluent german and some italian).

i would like the security (iyswim) of a nanny and am happy to pay for her to go on formal courses and a first aid refresher.

she will be living with us, but no housework other than general things with the boys all day, i.e. wash their bits up etc.

she is coming on an au-pair basis but i am hoping to change this to nanny after a short while. is there anywhere you can get contracts for this sort of thing?

thanks

Presumably you would also pay at the nanny rate too if you were to take her in this role.

absolutely. i really like the sounds of her and she seems so lovely when we speak. i hope she'll want to stick artound for a while!! and if she is as good as i think, ill do whaterver it takes to keep her! payrises, courses etc galore!

Best of luck

Unless she has nanny qualifications, i.e. went and studied for an NNEB or equivalent in Germany, and. A proper nanny will also have expereince in a range of childcare settings (hospital, nursery, private home, schools, and so on) - this is part of the training.

Echo what Ameriscott said - I speak good English, and I have first aid training and I have experience looking after my own child - but that does not make me a nanny, that just makes me someone who has some experience looking after kids. Otherwise, everyone on the mumsnet site could just call themselves a nanny...........

If you want to leave a small child for long periods of time, and you are prepared to pay - why don't you get a proper nanny.

goldenoldie, the reality is that very large numbers of people working as nannies do not have formal qualifications. I have ofetn found that the best people I interviewed did not have formal qualifications and I have been hugely underimpressed with some interviewees who did. The very experienced but unqualified nannies I have employed are "proper" nannies...

Think I would tend to agree with GoN on this one.

Alot of the nannies i interviewed did not have formal nneb qualifications. sometimes i think experience is better than a bit of paper.

Yes, but you can get someone with both the qualifications and the experience. The fact they have gone and got the qualification suggests a planned career, motivation, and some real interest, as well as a bit of theoretical/biological/sociological understanding about babies and children. Rather than someone just drifting into childcare................

As I say, anyone can get a job looking after children - and they may be very good, but that does not make them a nanny.

Another example might make more sense - would you call classroom assistants teachers? They are good with kids and can impart some learning - but they are not teachers, and I doubt many parents would want their children taught in an enviroment with only classroom assistants and no teachers............

At the end of the day - it is up to you what you call your childcare, and it does not matter as long as you and your children are happy, but for my money if I am paying a nanny salary, I want nanny qualifications and experience. If they don't have both then I'm looking at paying a lower - childminder salary and not a nanny premium........

Every nanny has a first nanny job. As this girl comes from Czech Republic, she is part of the EU and she would not need to enter the UK on an au pair visa. Why don't you just hire her with the job title of nanny. You can give her a probationary period if you are unsure of commotting yourself to long term.

I agree that exp. and personality count for more than a degree. I have a new nanny starting with me in Aug. to look after 2 young ones. She doesn't have a nanny degree.