Ten Things to Consider Before Employing a Nanny

Before employing a nanny, there are a few things to consider to ensure you are all set up to find, secure and keep the childcare resources your family needs.

These ten pointers will help you before embarking on your nanny-finding journey.  

Finding the right nanny for your family

From a practical point of view, be clear about the skills you need your nanny to have and the role on offer.  Take some time to consider your family’s childcare needs and translate that into the skills and experience you need your nanny to possess.

Remember, no two nannies are the same. Some nannies may focus on caring for specific age groups. Equally, some nannies are as happy to support a newborn as a teenager.

For example:
– Be explicit about whether you need a newborn specialist or, for older children, if the nanny needs to have experience in an educational setting.
– If you require your nanny to have SEN skills or awareness, clarify what skills the nanny will need.
– If your nanny needs significant in-role experience, make that clear and be prepared to increase your hourly rate accordingly. Equally, be open about whether it’s a short-hour after-school role or a role with short hours that may offer ad hoc opportunities and additional hours.  

Be sure to consider emotional factors when employing a nanny

Also, consider the more emotional aspects of the role, like your parenting style and how you want this to be reflected in the care a nanny provides to your little ones. If you follow a more child-led approach, a more rules-based nanny will likely not make for a happy match for you or your children.

When employing a nanny, these softer factors are essential to explore at the interview. After all, you must create a positive working relationship with your nanny that considers factors beyond childcare alone.

Regarding short-hour roles, Nanny Shares are an increasingly popular choice for families.  It’s where two families unite, and a nanny simultaneously cares for all the children in one of the homes. 

Focus your search

A nanny is a childcare professional, at various levels of training and experience, who devotes their career to the care and development of children.

There’s a temptation to add elements to your search, like housekeeping (be that full or light). But every additional demand will diminish the pool of potential nannies for your position.

So, consider your priorities: If securing a highly experienced childcare professional is your priority, keep your search focused to maximise your pool of potential nannies.

Another important point of focus for live-out roles is proximity. Typically, the more local the nanny, the longer the relationship lasts. This is especially true for short-hour roles.

Place of work and working environment

As a domestic employer, you invite someone to make your home their place of work. Like any other form of employment, it must be set up adequately.

A nanny needs to have a space to care for children effectively.   They need to be able to get on with what you are asking them to do.

Increased work-from-home and flexible working practices have created tensions between some families and nannies.  Where nannies were once left alone to get on with their role, they now have to manage parents who want to collaborate throughout the day.  This can be highly disruptive and demotivating for nannies. 

Employing a nanny for the schedule of care you need

We recommend defining the childcare schedule you need clearly by day and by start-finish time. This will help you identify the total weekly hours you are offering.

NB: 35 hours a week is generally accepted as the point when a role moves from a part-time to a full-time definition.

Tip:  If your role is part-time, roles that offer 25+ hours per week attract more interest.  Wrap-around (pre & post-school) and part-time roles typically provide a more premium hourly rate as the nanny’s opportunity to earn is diminished.

Qualifications and experience levels

The more qualified or experienced a nanny is, the greater the salary they can command. 

The two primary things we encourage families to request are:

1) Enhanced DBS (or PVG in Scotland)

A nanny should have an enhanced DBS (or PVG in Scotland) – preferably on the update service. 
NB: Scotland run a different checking process called a PVG that follows a similar approach.

This is a criminal record check to ensure they can work with children, and it’s central to safeguarding.  

If a nanny does not have this in place, you can ask your nanny to secure one – it takes no more than ten days to complete the check.

NB: It’s not uncommon for a family to pay for this if they ask for an update.

2) Paediatric first aid training

We think this is another no-brainer. Again, our partnership with Safe & Sound can help a nanny secure paediatric first-aid training. 

Other accreditations and qualifications to consider

Childcare qualifications/training
Many career nannies will have sector-specific childcare qualifications. More junior nannies may have an entry-level Level 2 qualification in childcare, while more experienced nannies may have Level 5 or degree-level qualifications.

NB: If you’re looking for a specialist (e.g., a doula, maternity nurse, or sleep consultant), you will likely look for specific skills, qualifications, and experience. These will command a premium in pay.

Continual Professional Development (CPD)
It’s a good idea to ask a potential nanny what courses they have completed within 18 months to see if they keep their childcare skills up-to-date. Some families may also build a training budget into the contract to support a nanny’s CPD.

Tip: When you get to the interview stage, ask to see the original certificates supporting their training and accreditation. An organised nanny will bring these to the interview as part of their portfolio.

Nanny Insurance
Like first aid training, this is all about planning for the unexpected. And it’s something that families can and should request.

Tip: If you come across a great nanny who doesn’t have insurance during the interview process, don’t worry. Nanny Insurance can be implemented with a simple phone call or online form before any appointment.

When it comes to experience, consider the demands of the role you offer. 

If it’s an after-school role caring for older children, you may feel comfortable with a junior nanny with an eDBS and first aid in place.  In this case, your salary offer will likely be below the average in your area.

However, if it’s a full-time sole-charge nanny caring for baby twins, you’ll likely request significant in-role experience and a childcare qualification. This would likely place the salary above the average in your area.

Employing a nanny and the rate of pay on offer

As for identifying the average salaries in your area, when you start to search on our site, we’ll advise you of the average salary for a full-time role that you can use as a starting point.

NB:  If you search Nanny Salary Index online, you’ll find a yearly guide that shares average salary data across the country. 

We suggest families offer a gross pay range that allows you to provide a pay rate dependent on the potential nanny’s skills, experience, and qualifications.

NB:  During the process, don’t get sucked into agreeing on a pay rate based on net pay.  You may be exposed to additional costs depending on the nanny’s tax code.  Keep the conversation in gross terms to avoid surprises.

How to pay your nanny

If a nanny earns more than £123* a week (this figure changes every tax year) from one or more positions, the family must declare the role to HMRC. Even if the Nanny position is temporary, part-time or a nanny share role, domestic employers are obliged to pay Income Tax and NIC if the role results in the nanny earning more than £123 per week.

The family is responsible for setting up and operating a PAYE scheme for their nanny. The employing family make all the Income Tax and NIC deductions from the nanny’s gross earnings and then pays them to HMRC on the nanny’s behalf.

Many families use Nanny PAYE specialists to make this as effortless as possible.

Setting minimum requirements and expectations when employing a nanny

Early in the process, list everything you’d like your nanny to help you with.  From the school or nursery pick-ups and drop-offs to the bedtime routine and everything else in between.

Start to list them out, as it will help you create your employment contract.

When you start talking to nannies, use this list as your initial advertisement and to guide conversations at the interview stage.

Tip: For a guide on presenting a role to nannies, head to the Army of Nannies Facebook page for ad inspiration. We cover all of the key points required for a strong role posting.

Contracting your nanny

The better the set-up from day one, the more likely the placement will succeed.

For both parties, it’s wise to have a clear and jointly-agreed contract between you and your nanny. It gives you a point of reference should there be a dispute, the position ends, or if the role changes over time.

Furthermore, many nannies will not work for a family unless a contract is in place, as it protects them (and you).

The contract should set out all the aspects of the employment, allow all parties to give feedback and negotiate, and—most importantly—be fair.

You can do this without support (there are many templates online), or if you’re using a PAYE partner or traditional agency, you can rely on their contract.  But be prepared to adapt the contract to your family’s and nanny’s needs.

Again, we recommend NannyPaye. They have an excellent contract available and can support you to its completion for a nominal fee.

How to find your nanny

You’ve worked out what childcare you need and when you need it, you’ve outlined the key responsibilities of the role, the desired experience and pay level.

And you’re ready to start your search and begin employing a nanny.

You have many options, from self-driven searches to employing a premium nanny agency that can offer you a full-service solution for a fee, typically a percentage of the first year of salary.

We sincerely hope you put us in the mix!

Other resources to help and support you when employing a nanny