Help me find a nanny / housekeeper

[absolutelyknackeredcow]

First world problems and all that
I am about to start a big new job in September
For reasons that are very outing i do a full time role in three very long days

I have realised that as my kids have got a bit older what I need is a child friendly housekeeper rather than a nanny.

Only one child needs picking up from school now. The oldest walks to and from school and just need someone to check they are home and make their tea.

After school nannies who are students seem to turn their nose up at stacking the dishwasher and folding some clothes and so I come home to a really really messy house

I'm in London. I wondered whether a child friendly housekeeper might be the way forward rather than a nanny but have no idea where to find them for 12 hours a week

I've no idea either. Could you advertise in the Lady?

But of an off the wall idea but there is a Facebook group for teachers desperate to leave teaching. It's called life after the classroom. Could you advertise in there?

When someone struggles to recruit it’s always for one of two reasons, either the job isn’t attractive or the pay isn’t attractive enough to offset the job.
I think it’s relatively common for families to want to combine a nanny/house keeper role and it’s pretty frowned on amongst both nannies and house keepers because 9/10 times it’s an attempt to have an employee fulfil two roles for one wage so many will see adverts trying to combine both and just ignore them.

That being said a nanny should do the children's washing up and be happy to do the kids laundry/clothes folding, that’s generally part of the role.

I suspect your issues in hiring are due to the 12 hours a week rather than anything else. You will likely only attract students because most professional nannies and house keepers don’t want to work just 12 hours a week. It makes sense, I mean would you want to take a job for 12 hours per week? I wouldn’t. You might find one who does but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

In your situation I would embrace hiring a student as they’re the most likely to fit your hours. Ideally a mature student and offer a few pounds extra per hour making it clear from the outset that it includes loading the dishwasher and folding clothes. For the right pay you will find someone who will want it x

I think that Facebook group sounds good
Will take a look
The Lady tends to be very high end I think. But you know I am despairing

I am advertising on a well known childcare site and some of the responses have been a bit mad.
One person replied 'She was prepared to meet the children's needs but not mine and therefore wouldn't be stacking the dishwasher'.
This was for £17/ hour

• I just someone to do what I would do if I was there

Find a local college that offers childcare courses and put a note into the tutors. You would be looking at Level 3 or 4 students. Write the exact job and pay.

Otherwise consider retired people. I would do it but I am the other end of the country.

What happens in school holidays? You need to add that too.

The Lady offers professional employment but some nannies and housekeepers do more than one part time job. Someone in our village employs a housekeeper three days a week.
A nanny should load a dishwasher if it is crockery from the children, tidy the children’s bedrooms, put children’s washing on and iron it. Look for an NNEB as that was how we were trained.

Have you asked any TAs at your child’s school? Some are keen to have a second job.

I live in London and used an agency to find a nanny housekeeper (but with the emphasis on the housekeeper). There are a few agencies that specialise, I used Little Ones. All of them require you to offer min 20 hours a week though. I don’t regret doing this it’s been a lifesaver and allowed me to do my job to a high standard. The agency arranged payroll/pension/NI/tax.

@Winkydink Spoke to Little ones earlier in the week - they wanted £2k to find someone. Would rather give that money on an hourly rate tbh

@Redsquirrel5 - you are hired

It’s the hours. If those are the hours you want the hourly rate will probably have to be higher. I am a nanny and will pitch in with the dishwasher and do all the children’s laundry, that is completely normal and expected. What I resent is coming into a messy kitchen on a Monday morning with all the plates and bowls left from the night before, people can get pretty lazy pretty fast with things like that. It hasn’t happened again since I pulled my current family up on it.

in 15 years I’ve never, nor has anyone I know, used the Lady to find work.

Yes that sounds about right OP, that’s how much I paid as agency fee. It was a huge amount of money but worth it as they found the perfect person for me and did all the leg work. If it doesn’t work out, they find a replacement with no fee. After hobbling along for 10 years with a combination of nannies and cleaners, when the children were old enough it was worth it to finally have someone who could be me- unpacking grocery orders/laundry/ironing/cooking for the WHOLE family/cleaning/being there to let kids in after school. No more demarcation between children’s laundry and washing up only kids dishes. I pay top rate and it’s worth every penny.

Pay the fee. There are plenty of nanny/housekeepers out there but you need to find the right person. Loads of housekeeping agencies in London will place your ad and find you someone. Alternatively post it on the local Facebook mums group. I think you'll need to come up to 20 hours though.

Thanks for all the hints everyone
@Winkydink how much do you pay/ hour out of interest? Was happy to go up to £17-18 ph if necessary

For info
Absolutely not looking to abuse anyone or have a slave but the kids are nine and nearly 12 so really not at the age that they need playing with.
I just want someone to muck in on family life not cook the kids tea and then leave me to tidy up

People looking for only 12 hours work a week will generally be mums who want to work around their own kids so want school hours.

I'd have a think about what kind of person you are looking for. Is it a student with a part time schedule?
Or a retired person wanting to just do a few hours?

If you are looking for a housekeeper who is doing this as their main job, 12 hours is not going to be enough to live on.

What are you planning to do in school holidays?

£17 an hour sounds about right for part time in London. Remember you have payroll, emplyer's NI, sick pay, holiday, pension, maternity leave etc to factor in too.

It's the other way round with both of our last students
Immaculate kitchen destroyed and me expected to tidy up

You’ve been unlucky on that front them because I’d never heave the kitchen anything less than as I found it, they must have been fairly inexperienced.

Why only 12 hours? Is that just from 3 - 7 pm? If it was a proper "housekeeper/nanny" role than you would have then start earlier and do jobs in the house before the DC come home. Maybe think about getting them from 11.30 and have a few hours of proper housekeeping before the DC get home. You are far more likely to find someone for 3 "full time" days. And you can have the shopping unpacked, laundry done, etc.

Otherwise stick with a student nanny and put up with a bit of a mess I'm afraid.

I’ve had a couple of house keepers (and nannies) over the years. Unless you want FT hours it is tricky and the best bet is an agency.

I’d also focus on the housekeeping element and not the childcare element. In my experience nannies can be very sniffy about anything that isn’t directly childcare related.

Your DCs ages are also tricky I’m afraid, when mine were similarly aged I had to have a nanny and a housekeeper. I couldn’t transition to a housekeeper only until the youngest was 10 and at that point my oldest was 17 and helped with school pick up.

Yes
@ClaryFairchild - you might be right. Perhaps offering longer days might be the way forward.
Will think on it

Thanks to everyone who has been really helpful. I'm massively stressed out by the current arrangements and know that I won't be at my best self unless I get it sorted
I do have a DH and he is helpful but he also works long hours and is also responsible for mornings with kids on days I work

I fear you may well be right
My youngest will be walking home soon enough but that doesn't help this year

We had this arrangement for a while when I was growing up. Do you have a cleaner? Our cleaner transitioned into this kind of role full time for us and gave up some of her other cleaning work. It worked really well for our family.

Haven't read all but I am a Nanny/Housekeeper. Children are very young at the moment and will turn to more housekeeping as they get older BUT, I do all washing, dishwasher, make beds, cook supper etc. I earn £15 ph. Out of London. I cannot believe you are struggling to find someone, that is an attractive hourly rate and without having to 'look after' the children too, it's not particularly taxing work. Fingers crossed someone turns up soon 🤞🏼

We do and she is brilliant and we would be happy for her to do this BUT her children are younger and she needs to be around for them after school

I'd look for a housekeeper who is child friendly, and up the hours to 16 so that they can come in, get a wash load on/ peg out or put onto dry a load/ do the dishwasher/ sort a snack out or whatever then go and get your youngest. A better amount of hours and more housekeepery than nanny when they are just popping to get them somehow.
In my area I'd put an advert on our local FB group as its how we got our current cleaner/housekeeper/pet sitter and before that our cleaner/housekeeper/babysitter, and we got loads of applicants

@absolutelyknackeredcow with the contribution to pension and tax it works out to about £18/hr cost to me. I also make an off payroll contribution to travel costs every month and give two weeks salary as a Christmas bonus

Agree with suggestions about child friendly housekeeper - that has worked for other friends once their DC 10+. Especially if you are working from home part of the week. Other friends have cleaner plus someone else who comes in and does batch cooking