Advice on nanny position please

[koalabear]

We have a 14 month old very active little boy, who to date has been looked after by his dad. However, his dad, hopefully, will be going back to work soon. So, we are looking for a nanny. The only problem is, we've never had a nanny before, so I don't know if what I am looking for is reasonable. Therefore, I am asking collective mumsnet people, thoughts on the following job description and any suggesetions. Also, what pay would be reasonable for this position?

1. hours of work 7 am to 7 pm (12 hours), 5 days a week until November (3 month contract)

2. need to have own car (we only have one, which my husband will use to get to work)

3. need to walk very lovely 2 yr old dog twice a day for one hour each (DS loves going in the buggy or in the backpack) - we live near open fields and safe footpaths

4. DS has swimming lessons and goes to tumbletots, which he loves

5. cooking for DS, healthy meals

6. vacuum/sweep floor inside where DS plays (not whole house, just play area)

7. we live west of london, in semi-rural area

Thanks for thoughts - oh, and where do you find a live out nanny with own car prepared to look after a toddler and dog in semi-rural england, who doesn't mind swimming?

bump

That's longer hours than I have ever required but imagine it is do-able. In London net rates are £7 - £8 per hour but tax and NI are about half again! Duties sound reasonable to me but have never required dogwalking and never had a nanny with a car. I reckon there will be nanny agencies which cover your area but fees can be steep - can advertise in Lady or Simply Childcare...

thanks - yes, i thought i might have to pay premium for the longer day - it was the dog aspect i was really worried about, and whether people would think it was inappropriate to ask for that

Have you spoken to any agencies, even if you're planning to do your own recruiting? They can be very helpful about job scope and pay guidelines. Bestbear.co.uk will tell you which agencies specialise in your area.

Off top of head:

• 12 hours/day is unusual for live out - long hours are more usual with a live in position. But I do know some live out nannies who work those sorts of hours, so not impossible;

• short contract: that could be tricky, esp. live out. Again, if you could manage a live-in it could be ideal for eg an Aussie just finishing off her visa - though I realise car might be an issue. Is renting one an option?

• walking dog: shouldn't be a problem for someone outdoorsy & fond of animals. But I'd be upfront about it as part of the job;

• 4/5/6, all fine.

I think, unless you are lucky and find someone who's looking for exactly what you're offering, the hours and the short contract will mean a bit of a premium on pay.

ah, failed to notice short contract bit - the end of Visa Aussie sounds like a good idea...

oh, i hadn't considered live-in - i guess live in would be cheaper and then we could afford to hire a car for her - thanks

short contract because having baby in november, and therefore, no need to nanny!

Having baby in November is big incentive - nannies LOVE prospect of new baby, even if they're not being hired for that job too. And if you allow a bit of flex - eg don't pick someone whose visa expires on 30th Nov - you might find she's a godsend to keep on in the early weeks.

Sorry, guess I should have known! Never visit the antenatal bits of MN any more.

don't visit the antenatal bits myself very much either - working full time at present

Anyway, now I know a bit more, I think your job is a natural for the gumtree - here - or as gofnattpiratecake says, Simply Childcare.

My nanny works those same hours. She is live in. I think the dog walking requirement might be a bit out of nanny scope. But if discussed early on (i.e. in interview) you may find some willing applicants.

Yes, I also think a live-in will be easier to find, more accommodating on the hours, and able/willing to take a 3-month job. It also costs a bit less.

If cost is an issue, I'd steer clear of agencies. Try www.nannyjob.co.uk or gumtree.com. Also, I recommend The Good Nanny Guide, which you can find at Waterstones. A good online resource is nannytax.co.uk.

so, for live in, what's an appropriate rate? do i still need to pay NI and tax?

i was thinking if it was liveout, i would need to pay between 80 and 90 GBP a day to the nanny and then also NI and tax - is this right?

I'm going to go get my hard hat now before my next post.....

??

ok, I'm back.

You don't have to "pay" the nanny's taxes. Though some will expect it, there is no law requiring this practice. You have to extract the money from the nanny's paycheque and send off to IR, but you are not responsible for taking it out of your own bank account.

I got the hard hat in advance of the controvesial post I was about to make.

thanks
what about the amount though (not including tax and NI of course)?

[thread divert], don't metion pirate cake,binkie, sore topic...[bitter, three in morning icing round cake to look like a pirate ship emoticon]

Where do you live?

little village between Reading and Henley-on-Thames

uwila, I think that's a bit confusing (not controversial).

koala, a nanny doing the job you describe would be your employee, no doubt about it. So you must register with the Inland Revenue as an employer, and taxes and NI must be paid (note the passive voice) on your nanny's wages. The issue uwila's raising is (I think) whether

(i) you agree a gross wage with her - ie the way our wages all get quoted to us at work, and then we are responsible for paying our own taxes, via PAYE and tax returns - so she would sort out all of that; or

(ii) as is traditional but not required, you agree a net wage with your nanny so that then you, separately, make the tax and NI payments yourself.

But whether (i) or (ii) makes no difference to the amount of money coming out of your bank account - it's just whose name is on the cheques to the Inland Revenue.

oh gofn I am sorry.

If it helps at all I recall some racking sobs at 1.45 am over a Barbie stuck in the middle of a piled up cone of sponge bits that looked LIKE A SODDING SACK OF COAL

(the coalsack was meant to be a ball dress)

apologies koala - normal service is now resumed

This is just a guess, but depending on experience, age, qualifications, that you could get someone for anywhere from £200 - £350 per week.

I hired my first "nanny" who was really more of an au pair when my DD was 14 months old, and I would recommend that you only consider applicants who have live-in experience as au pair or nanny (and of course childcare experience of toddlers). And by experience , I do not mean that they lived with their baby cousin. I mean proper child care employment, whether that be a childminder, a day nursery, or a nanny.

My personal (and sinical) view of agency quoted rates is that they have a vested interest in inflating them.

oh biunkie that sounds worse than fat pirate ship - see original thread for detail, sorry koalabear...