Fab Twickenham Babysitter Recommendations pls

[poshdjc]

Looking for a local twickenham babysitter for a few times a month - weekday evenings (maybe occasional weekend evening). Would prefer local nanny/childminder with CRB check and first aid cert. but any recommendations gratefully received.

I know a few childminders, but don't know if they b-sit. I know a teenager who babysits, and would recommend her, but I doubt she is CRB checked and no idea about first aid.

Are your kids in school? If so, the school gate is usually a good place to find nannies or au pairs who are looking for some extra evening work.

Hi Posh

I am a nanny living and working in St Margarets. I can do weekends if you need someone then.

Oi! I thought you were going back home? Are you live out now? (I am very nosey!)

Feel free to CAT me - I am sure our nanny would be interested and is fab

Strix - I am in Australia as I type. Nothing keeps me from MN
I am live out now. Well I will be as soon as I get back and actully unpack. Still living in the same area though.

Oh that's great. So the live out thing was accepted. Congrats.

Hi Twickenham mums!

Have a look at www.twickenhambabysitters.co.uk

Interesting website. Although as it is your website, that post screams out "free ad" and I think you are supposed to give MN a bit of dosh.

Also, Sitters is cheaper and they do the checking/vetting for me. As a minimum I know the sitter has a current CRB check and I don't need to interview him/her first. And, I can get Sitters almost anywhere in the country.

I recently paid a £4 booking fee and £6 per hour on a Friday night, and the rate doesn't increase after midnight.

Thanks for your feedback.
I started the website after mentioning at a toddler group that I did babysitting, and being unindated with requests from the parents there. I have many friends (also childcarers) who are also looking for local babysitting, so the website allows us to share it out.

As for sitters, they charge a quarterly membership as well as a booking fee per booking. They also send you someone who has been checked but that you know nothing about. I know you can request the same babysitter again.

Using my website, you only pay for the babysitting. As I have met all the childcarers through work, I know that they are all qualified, but I have to cover myself, and tell parents to check this. You don't have to interview the childcarer first but I think most parents would like to meet them before leaving their children with them.

The website also has a guestbook which will be used by parents who use one of our childcarers to leave feedback.

Please let me know if theres anything people think we should add, would be grateful for more feedback!

"They also send you someone who has been checked but that you know nothing about. "

That's not true. Sitters tells me about their experience. For example, whether they work in a nursery or as a nanny. And, I am contacted directly by the sitter on the day of booking and could ask more there.

Sitters is £5 something per hour in Twickenham, which is actually quite a lot cheaper than your site.

I used sitters very recently (and incidentally I am in your neck of the woods) and the person they sent was fab. So no issue with the quality of carer I received.

So, basically, I think your website is a good idea in principal but Sitters does provide a better service and they are cheaper. Win-win for me.

I am a nanny and work for sitters and I was really well checked out, much more than some of the nanny agencies I am with. It took 3 months from when i applied to sitters before they gave me a job they were really good at checking references and i needed lots of I.D