Hiring the right nanny

Choosing a nanny shouldn’t be a stressful process. However, choosing someone to look after your child can be a difficult one. Most nannies offer a complete childcare package offering the flexibility for parents and stability for your child with an added benefit of personalised care, provided in the environment of your own home.

It’s entirely up to you if you decide to have a phone conversation first before meeting with your few selected nannies. However, some parents prefer to meet face to face straight away as it’s usually the best way to make a final decision on whether or not the nanny is the right fit for your family and child.

It is best to arrange a meeting as soon as you can, as the nanny will more than likely have meetings with other families too. Arrangements tend to move quickly with meetings happening within 7 days and coming to a decision shortly afterward. It’s best to meet with the nanny in your own home, so they get an idea of where they will be placed.

It’s encouraged for the whole family to meet the nanny, including the children they’ll be looking after.

Good references should be recent, and at least one should have worked with the nanny within the past year. This is so you have an evaluation of the nanny’s performance that is fresh in the previous persons’ mind. You should contact the reference via phone call so you have the ability to follow-up questions and gather as much information as you need. The nanny should be able to provide more than one reference so you have a well-rounded view of their skills. They must not be immediate family members as this can cause a biased view.

If there is a bad reference, you should consider whether it’s a valid point or whether it’s something that could have been overlooked.

Asking a person who is eager to work with children how much the experience they have is vital.

You do not want to hire someone who has very limited experience with children, as this could cause a few issues personally. However, if you come to realise that the nanny has only had one previous client, it is up to you how you go about this situation. Everyone has to start somewhere, and if the reference of the previous client is positive, then you may not find an issue with hiring the nanny for yourself. A nanny should be expected to have a childcare qualification of some form, however, this isn’t a legal requirement. A good nanny should:

There are a few main recognised childcare qualifications. However, a nanny doesn’t need them to become a nanny.

A nanny will need to be qualified in first aid and CPR. It is also ideal if they have anaphylaxis training just in case your child has a life-threatening allergy.

Every nanny needs to have an Enhanced DBS check with Barred Lists from the Disclosure and Barring Service to look after any children for a living. There are four levels of check you can request:

You can DBS check your nanny by asking for a valid DBS certificate (within 3 months of applying for the position), or you can go through an approved organisation or Umbrella Body.

A DBS check costs:

You might be looking for someone who can walk through with your child until they’re at school age. This could be 4/5 years in the future. If a nanny that you’re interviewing is undecided where they want to be in a couple of years and doesn’t show much passion in what they’re doing, but instead see the job as a halfway point, you might want to consider other options. However, if you have a passionate and enthusiastic person that you’re interviewing and they decide that being a nanny is something they would love to make a career out of, then this is a great bonus.

It purely depends on how you parent your child. If you feel as if you’re a strict parent - for the right reasons, you might be looking for someone who can set strict boundaries and follow through with your parenting style. However, if you’re more laid back, you might want to find the same in a nanny. A child needs to have consistency and stability in their lives, so having someone who follows the instruction of the parent is important. It is important to discuss this with your nanny.

Asking your nanny how they would feel if you chose to have CCTV in the house is important to detect their reaction. If your nanny is more than happy for you to install CCTV, this is a clear positive and they have already shown a clear indication that they would be wonderful. However, if a nanny questions your idea of adding CCTV to your house, this should flag up and you should remain cautious.

If you have older children, it is important to let your nanny know your policy on them having phones. It could be a case of your child not having their phone until they’ve completed their homework and have had dinner. You might have a strict schedule in regards to their phones and might only let them on it for an hour in the evening. It is important to discuss this with your nanny so they are prepared and aware before they begin their job. This also means that you will be able to stick to a routine and regime without there being a conflict between child and nanny or child and parent.

However, it isn’t always just about the children. You may not want your nanny to be on their phone all of the time, as this takes away the attention from the child. Discuss your expectations in regards to phones when you first meet with your nanny.

If your nanny is off sick, it is your responsibility to administer Statutory Sick Pay. This will be paid in replacement of their usual salary and cannot be claimed back from the government. Nannies are entitled to receive sick pay as long as they:

However, a nanny may not be entitled to Sick Pay if:

It is worth discussing with your nanny how they feel about carrying out certain small tasks such as cleaning, shopping, and washing. A nanny’s responsibilities, depending on what the parent’s ask for, could include tasks such all bathing and dressing, children’s laundry, planning meals, preparing food, help with homework, driving the children to school, administering medicine with parents consent, maintaining logs for the parents, shopping and light housekeeping. If the nanny is prepared to help with these small tasks, that is a great thing. However, if they turn up their nose and don’t seem as keen, this could be a concern.

You should discuss with your nanny the schedule and tasks you expect from them. This is helpful so they are aware of what they will be doing during each day. Your nanny will need to know how she can tailor activities to each child’s interests, developmental abilities, and personality. They should also know how to communicate effectively with both the children and themselves.

A nanny doesn’t necessarily need a driving license to be able to take your child's place. However, you might choose for this to be a requirement, especially if you live a drivable distance from schools. If your nanny does drive, there are certain things you should consider before allowing them to take your children anywhere.

Accidents can happen under anyone’s watch. However, who do you speak to when an accident happens in your home under a nanny’s care? Before hiring a nanny, you should provide them with a written agreement regarding first aid, which medications your child can have, the paediatricians number, which hospital you’d prefer your child being taken to, along any emergency contact numbers. The nanny should have an immediate action plan just in case an emergency arises. Your nanny should take as much detail of the incident as possible. It is always best to keep a notepad available for the nanny to use in such cases. As a Nanny doesn’t have to register with OFSTED, it is the Nanny personally that you’d have to question about the incident and consider what steps you want to take next.