Nannies

We can provide Nannies, Parents’ Help, Babysitters & Emergency Childcare to families in Windsor, Maidenhead, Ascot, Slough, Burnham, Stoke Poges, Gerrards Cross, Reading & surrounding areas

Nanny Job Description:-

Nannies will look after your child/ren in your home, offering individual care. A Nanny’s role is to create a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment in which the children can thrive and develop. Nannies may hold a childcare qualification, or have previous experience as a nanny. The salary of a nanny can vary depending on the type of job, the hours and the location. Live in positions are offered with a lower salary because you are providing them with accommodation for free. We have given an idea of what the nanny will earn below but this is a guide. We will be able to give you a more accurate cost once we have your requirements.

The duties of a nanny will vary depending on the family’s needs and these duties should be agreed in advance. These duties can include:

Preparing meals for the children, making sure they have a well balanced diet
Plan activities to stimulate, challenge and encourage skills in all areas of learning and development i.e. physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally
Nursery duties (this usually includes children’s washing and ironing, keeping the children’s rooms tidy and cleaning up after activities/meals during the day)
Providing a safe, fun, secure & loving environment for your children

Types of Nanny roles:

Daily/Live out Nanny – This would be a sole charge position, usually working between 8-10 hours a day, Monday – Friday. Sitting wouldn’t be including in their contact therefore this would be paid on top of their salary. A daily nanny will usually earn between £70 - £85 net per day or £300-£400 net per week depending on experience.

Live in Nanny – A live in nanny would usually work between 10-12 hours a day, Monday – Friday. Sitting would also be including in their contract, usually 1 or 2 nights a week. The main role of a nanny is providing care for the children and therefore should not include any household cleaning, if cleaning is going to be included in the role this will need to be discussed and agreed in advance (Nanny Housekeeper role). You will need to provide the nanny with appropriate accommodation within your home or separate to it. A nanny should be able to have free time whilst they aren’t working but still be allowed to stay in the accommodation provided. A live in nanny will usually earn £280 - £380 net per week depending on experience.

Special Needs Nanny – A special needs nanny will be responsible for all the duties of a nanny but may care for one or more children with special needs that will need additional care. This type of position will vary enormously depending on the special need. This may range from a mild learning difficultly to profound/multiple physical and mental disabilities. Each child will require different assistance to help them reach their maximum potential. These positions may require the nanny to take further training or have experience in specific conditions. Special needs nannies need to be sensitive to the whole families needs, supporting the parents and siblings will also be part of the position.

Nanny Share – There are two different types of nanny share. One is a nanny that works for two families. The families will then share the cost of the nanny and agreed the terms of her contact together. The other is an experienced or qualified nanny who has a child of her own that they will bring to work with them.

Night Nanny – A night nanny can be invaluable if you are feeling sleep deprived at anytime, especially after giving birth. This role will include caring for your baby and helping to encourage a better sleep pattern. Night nannies usually start their evenings between 9-10pm and finish between 6-7am. This role is very flexible and can be used as and when the night nanny is needed. Usually £11 - £15 per hour.

Nanny/Housekeeper – This position will include the normal nanny duties plus household management. This can include shopping, cooking, light housework, supervision of household staff, looking after family pets etc. This would be a daily or live in position. A nanny/housekeeper would usually earn £350-£450 net per week depending on experience.

After School Nanny – This position would mean collecting the child/ren from school and taking them home, preparing their tea, doing homework, bedtime routine etc. After school nannies may have their own child/ren with them whilst they are working. They will usually earn £8-£10 net per hour

Temporary/Emergency Nannies – A temporary nanny may be needed for one day to six months (anything longer is classed as permanent), full time or part time. We can provide a pay as you use service for this where the nanny is employed by us and you use them as and when you need them, the nanny will fill out a timesheet for the hours they work for you, then you will get invoiced for those hours. This will mean we are responsible for the nannies contract, employment law & payroll. Please call for more details on this.

Proxy Parents – This type of care is for parents that may need to leave their child/ren with a nanny 24hrs a day for as long as required, the nanny would live in whilst they are needed. Basically the nanny is stepping in as a parent whilst they are away for business or for a long weekend.

Interview Tips & Advice
Interviewing for your nanny position can be a new experience for some parents, we would advise that you prepare some questions to ask the nanny that will help you decide whether the candidates have the right experience, qualifications, training and that their outlook on childcare will suit your family’s needs and requirements.
Here are a sample of interview questions you could use:-

What attracted you to this position?
Why did you decide to become a nanny or why are you looking for your first nanny job?
What do you enjoy most about being a nanny or working with children?
Do you have any childcare qualifications?
Have you completed any training in First Aid, Safeguarding Children, Food Hygiene or anything else?
What age were the children you have cared for previously?
What activities have you planned in the past?
What activities do you think would be age appropriate for our children?
What qualities do you think make you a good nanny?
Have you had experience with potty training? (if appropriate)
Have you prepared food for children in the past? What sort of food could you prepare for our children to make sure they have a varied nutritious diet?
Do you know the area we live in? If so do you know of any activity groups or places to take the children?
How would you decide on what discipline our children should have?
How would you make sure our children are polite and well mannered?
What do you feel is most challenging when it comes to being a nanny?
What interests or hobbies do you have?
Can you tell me a bit about you and your family?
What is important to you when you are looking for a nanny job?
What would be your ideal family to work for?
What do you feel should be included in your nanny job with regards to nursery duties?
Have you had any difficulties or challenging situations with your previous positions? How did you handle these and would you handle this differently if it was to arise again?
Do you have a clean driving licence? How long have you been driving?
Do you have any allergies or medical conditions?
Do you smoke?
If you were offered this position when would you be available to start?

You need to discuss your nanny position in depth with the nanny for her to understand exactly what will be expected of him/her. A good nanny will ask lots of questions about you and your family, they will be interested to know what the family’s current routines, hobbies and interests are. This will show whether the nanny is looking for the perfect job that she will feel happy in or whether the candidate is looking for any nanny job. Second interviews Once you have decided on a nanny or a few nannies you think will be a perfect match for your family it would be worth inviting them to your home for a few hours to spend some time with your children. This will show how the nanny interacts with the children and how the children react to the nanny. Once the nanny has spent some time with the children it would be worth having another chat with them about what they think of the role, how they think the session with the children went and what their salary expectations are. Once you have found the nanny you wish to employ you can make a formal offer of employment which we can do for you once you have decided on the date you want the nanny to start, they days and hours you want the nanny to work and the salary you want to offer the nanny. Becoming an Employer When you become an ‘employer’ you have to meet certain obligations in terms of paying tax and National Insurance Contributions and meeting minimum standards of employment. We can help you guide you by recommending an Agency who can handle payments for you. We can provide you with a standard contract of employment which you can adapt to meet your needs. Tax Contributions Your nanny will be‘employed’ by you rather than self employed and so you will be responsible for paying your nanny’s tax contributions. Most nannies like to agree their salary based on a net figure. National Insurance Contributions (NICs) NICs are payable on employee’s salaries that are above the earnings threshold and are a contribution calculated on a percentage of earnings, payable by BOTH the employee and the employer.

Second interviews

Once you have decided on a nanny or a few nannies you think will be a perfect match for your family it would be worth inviting them to your home for a few hours to spend some time with your children. This will show how the nanny interacts with the children and how the children react to the nanny. Once the nannies has spent some time with the children it would be worth having another chat with them about what they think of the role, how they think the session with the children went and what their salary expectations are.
Once you have found the nanny you wish to employ you can make a formal offer of employment which we can do for you once you have decided on the date you want the nanny to start, they days and hours you want the nanny to work and the salary you want to offer the nanny.

Becoming an Employer

When you become an ‘employer’ you have to meet certain obligations in terms of paying tax and National Insurance Contributions and meeting minimum standards of employment.
We can help you guide you by recommending an Agency who can handle payments for you.
We can provide you with a standard contract of employment which you can adapt to meet your needs.

Tax Contributions

Your nanny will be ‘employed’ by you rather than self employed and so you will be responsible for paying your nanny’s tax contributions. Most nannies like to agree their salary based on a net figure.
National Insurance Contributions (NICs)
NICs are payable on employee’s salaries that are above the earnings threshold and are a contribution calculated on a percentage of earnings, payable by BOTH the employee and the employer.

Written Statement of Particulars

This is like a contract of employment and must be issued to employees within eight weeks of them starting work. We can help with this once you have made an offer.
It must include the following details:
Names of Employer and Nanny, Job Title, Start Date, Hours of Work, Salary details, Holiday entitlement, Sick Leave entitlement, Pension arrangements (if any), Notice Period, Details of disciplinary procedures and sackable offences. These are the basics.
You can include things such as duties in detail, overtime/time off in lieu arrangements, live in arrangements, ad hoc babysitting, house rules such as friends staying, smoking policy, use of telephone and other household appliances, use of car, salary review date, dress code, family holiday arrangements, length of probationary period, payment of fuel for the car, insurance arrangements etc. Two copies of the Contract should be made and signed by both parties.

Public and Employer’s Liability Insurance

As an employer we would advise that your nanny gets insurance to protect him/her against accidents that could happen to both the children and to the nanny. This will offer peace of mind to both the nanny and the parents as accidents do happen.

Payslip
Employers must supply their nanny with a payslip itemising their earnings and all the deductions that have been made.

National Minimum Wage
You must pay your nanny at least the minimum wage unless they are living as part of the household

Paid Annual Leave
Every employee, full or part time, is entitled to four weeks’ annual paid leave (pro rata if part time i.e. if working 4 hour days, 3 days a week, you have pay four weeks of 3 lots of 4 hours)

Notice of Termination of Employment
Your Nanny is entitled to one weeks’ notice for the first month to 2 years, after 2 years they are entitled to 2 weeks notice, and this continues for 1 week per year of service up to 12 weeks’ notice. This can be overridden by a longer period if you wish to write that into the contract.

Maximum Working Hours
You cannot insist on your employee working more than 48 hours average per week although you’re Nanny can work for longer if she signs an agreement to opt out of this which can be cancelled at any time with agreed notice. .

Statutory Maternity Rights
If your Nanny becomes pregnant whilst working for you, she would be entitled to maternity leave and pay.

Ofsted Register (OCR)
For you to be able to pay your nanny using the childcare vouchers that some employers offer you will need to get your nanny Ofsted registered. It can take up to 12 weeks for your nanny to become registered. The nanny will need to have at least a level 2 qualification in childcare & a valid paedatric first aid certificate to be able to apply. The annual fee is £103 which includes a CRB (criminal records bureau) check.
If you need more information on this please visit www.ofsted.gov.uk or us on 01628 664555.

Engagement Fees
Please download our engagement fees form. You will only pay the engagement fee once you have made an offer of employment.

Public and Employer’s Liability Insurance
As an employer we would advise that your nanny gets insurance to protect him/her against accidents that could happen to both the children and to the nanny. This will offer peace of mind to both the nanny and the parents as accidents do happen.