Information For Families
Getting The Right Childcare Advice Can Make All The Difference.
Answers to some of the most common questions from parents
We hope you find the following information useful.
- Name of the employer and employee
- Job title
- Start date of the employment
- Remuneration and intervals when paid
- Hours of work (if flexible: maximum hours to be worked in any one week)
- Overtime requirement and method of payment (additional pay or time off in lieu)
- Holiday entitlement
- Sickness entitlement
- Pension arrangements
- Place of work
- Duration of any temporary contract or the end date of a fixed-term contract
- Length of notice on both sides to terminate the contract
- Details of discipline and grievance procedures
- Register as an employer with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
- Deduct Income Tax & National Insurance contributions
- Deduct employee pension contributions and pay employer contributions
- Pay HMRC any other deductions such as student loan repayments or child maintenance
- Contribute to your nanny's Pension (Employer Contribution)
- Set up and operate a Real time information (RTI) compliant Pay As You Earn (PAYE) payroll system
- Provide your nanny with regular payslips
- Keep payroll records on your nanny's behalf
- File an employer's annual tax return
Please read the information available in our step-by-step right to work in the UK guide on how to perform manual and digital right to work checks.
We also have a Frequently Asked Questions page where we answer all you need to know about how to get started employing a nanny. Plus, if you'd like to speak to someone why not get in touch today? We'd love to talk about how we can help you.
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What does a nanny do all day?
In the UK, nannies work in the family home caring for the children in their charge, offering them a safe, encouraging, and nurturing atmosphere while attending to all their everyday needs. A nanny is a professional who organises and plans the days to be stimulating and educational, including fun activities and outings.
A good nanny should:
- Be able to plan and arrange safe, fun learning opportunities;
- Know how to plan and prepare healthy meals and snacks;
- Have up-to-date Paediatric First Aid Training;
- Show good organisational skills;
- Have an interest in children as individuals, and a confident and positive personality;
- Have experience of working with children of various ages, as a sole charge nanny;
- Be warm, caring and patient;
I’m A Nanny, Not A Housekeeper
Nanny duties normally include:
- To advise and guide on child development, age appropriate activities, behavioural issues, and health and safety
- Washing, ironing, sewing of children's clothes and bed linens
- Changing nappies, bathing, and feeding of younger children
- Cleaning children's bedrooms, bathroom and playroom and keeping tidy
- Cleaning maintenance of all toys and play equipment
- Attending playgroups, play-dates, park trips and children classes.
- Reading stories to younger children and encouraging older children to read, including help with their homework
- School runs
- Babysitting by agreement
Parents become an employer
If you decide to take on a nanny you must remember you will be an employer and instantly have a set of responsibilities to your employee.
The main consideration when hiring a nanny is to find the best person for the job, but please keep in mind that as an employer there are certain things you should know.
You need to:
- Register as an employer with the Inland Revenue
- Set up and operate a PAYE (Pay As You Earn) scheme on your nanny's behalf
- Keep tax records on your nanny's behalf
- Provide your nanny with regular payslips
- Pay regular income tax and National Insurance Contributions
- Pay employer's National Insurance Contributions
- File an employer's annual tax return
Pensions #Dontignoreit
Automatic enrolment into workplace pension has been rolling out across the UK for nearly a decade, requiring small and micro employers to take action to help their staff to save for later life, and should be factored into weighing up the total costs when considering a nanny.
Your questions answered
Can't find the information you're after? Head over to our FAQs
Sample Contract
Nanny Contract Of Employment
Once an offer of employment has been accepted we will assist you to organise contracts if requested, or you can simply customise our standard contract of employment.
If you'd like to be sent our sample employment contract please let us know - you can send us a message by following the link below:
Contact UsWritten statement of employment particulars
Now that you're employing someone you need to provide a contract of employment between you and your nanny, and issue a written statement of employment particulars within the first eight weeks of commencement of employment if their employment contract lasts at least a month or more.
The written statement of employment particulars must include:
- Start date of the employment
- Remuneration and intervals when paid
- Hours of work (if flexible: maximum hours to be worked in any one week)
- Overtime requirement and method of payment (additional pay or time off in lieu)
- Holiday entitlement
- Sickness entitlement
- Pension arrangements
- Length of notice on both sides to terminate the contract
- Title of the job
- Place of work
- Details of discipline and grievance procedures
Nanny interview questions for parents to ask
Here are some ideas for interview questions you can ask your candidates once you’ve gotten to this stage.
Remember by asking open-ended questions beginning with how, what or why, it will encourage the candidate to reveal more about themselves and make it easier for you to figure out their suitability for your job.
Personal background:
- How long have you been a nanny?;
- What's your experience with children the same age as mine?
- How did you become interested in this type of work?;
- Which childcare qualifications and training do you have?;
- What are your goals for the future? Are you pursuing a career as a professional nanny?;
- How would you describe your approach to childcare?;
- What do you find to be the most challenging (or interesting) part of working with children?;
- What did you like most about your last position? What did you like least?
- What were your responsibilities in your last position? Why did that position end? Describe a typical day in your last position;
- How many days have you had off sick in the last 12 months?;
- What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? What do you like to do in your free time?;
- Do you have any special talents or interests to share with us?;
Behaviour, discipline, situations:
- How would you cope with difficult behaviour - for example if one of the children said they hated you?;
- Which methods of boundary setting or discipline do you find effective. How do you set limits?
- How do you handle a crying baby?;
- How would you handle a temper tantrum in a grocery store? In our home?;
- How would you approach a parent if you were worried about anything?;
- What would you do if my child fell and bumped his head really hard?
- What difficulties have you experienced as a nanny with parents or children, and how were they resolved?;
- What do you think are the greatest safety risks for children (infants)?;
Technical:
- What role should outdoor play and interaction with other toddlers have in a child's day?;
- What indoor activities (age-appropriate) would you engage a child in?
- What are the most important aspects to being a good nanny?;
- How do you feel toilet training should be approached?
- What are your views on play, food and mealtimes, social and educational activities, discipline and control, rest, sleep and so on?
Concerned Your Child Is Angry And Aggressive?
If the situation arises and you are looking for help, Brave The Rage offer parents support, advice, counselling and consultancy with personalised action plans, bespoke resource packs and solution focused tools and techniques they need.
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- Sat: 9AM - 7PM
- Sun: 10AM - 6PM