How do I begin a career as a Nanny?
Posted on 17th February 2022
I am often contacted by childcare practitioners keen to move into nannying. After some time working in a nursery environment, it can be a natural progression to work more closely with one family – with the added benefits of more money and less paperwork!
However, there are a lot of nursery nurses looking to make the move; so how do you stand out?
Most nanny agencies will have a minimum level of experience to be able to find you employment, often set by our business insurance. Rosebud Nanny Agency requires 2 years of employment in a childcare role (with a level 3 qualification) or 5 years employment in the industry if you don’t hold a qualification. So before you look to start a career in a home environment, its wise to build up your childcare experience itself.
As a Nanny Recruiter, there are some things that make it easier for me to find you a lovely family:
Childcare qualifications
You may already have an NVQ or similar from college, or from an apprenticeship in a nursery. If not, you can do some training to further your learning and understanding – I work with the wonderful Margaret at Project Action London who runs an excellent Nanny training course. As well as looking great on your CV, this basic childcare qualification would enable you to become Ofsted registered.
The right paperwork
This should be in place for ANY childcare role but can easily slip if you’ve been in your current nursery a while. If you’re actively looking for a nanny role, make sure you have an enhanced DBS check that’s registered with the online update service, and a valid paediatric first aid certificate.
Rosebud Nanny Agency would also strongly advise you take out a Nanny Insurance Policy.
More information on these can be found in my 'useful links' section.
Ofsted registration
Most families are eligible for a little help towards their childcare costs. To use this on a nanny’s salary, the nanny needs to be Ofsted registered – and Ofsted have their own requirements. You would need a DBS check, first aid training, a qualification (the minimum being the Professional Nanny Course run by Project Action London) and nanny insurance (essentially public liability and professional indemnity insurance, which is about £70 a year and easy to take out).
If all of this paperwork is in place, you can apply to be Ofsted registered which makes you more employable. It can take up to 12 weeks, and costs £105 a year – most employers do pay the yearly fee.
Experience
Easier said than done, if you are getting overlooked at application stage due to not having worked as a nanny before. If you have a little free time, doing some temporary nanny work outside of your nursery role can really help – a 1 day role, or ad hoc cover for a family who’s usual childcare isn’t available. Most agencies will get calls from families needing odd days, so if you can get some work like that to give you some hands-on in-home experience that can make a big difference. Alternatively, if your current nursery is term time only, some families will need temporary nanny help in the school holidays.
Make sure you ask for a reference from any families you do daytime work for, or a family you regularly babysit for.
It’s a big move – but by using a nanny agency to find your first nanny role, you can be sure you’ll have a fair contract, be properly employed with your tax, NI and pension covered, and well looked after – with back up and support if you do need it down the line.
Share this post: