An invaluable addition to your family, live-in nannies are your reliable partners when it comes to childcare support within your home. They can create bonds and assure you that whatever it is you need assistance with are well taken care of.
A live-in nanny is a nanny who will live with the family. If the family needs it, the nanny will provide a 24-hour service. The hours that a live-in nanny works are between 10 to 12 hours per day, 5 days per week, with two babysitting sessions, which are included in the salary. If you are looking for someone to help you for 24 hours a day or for a 6-day shift, the salary of the nanny will be higher, since you are requesting a long service.
Their duties include, but are not limited to, educational activities (such as teaching a second language), arranging play-dates and social schedules, ensuring children’s bedrooms are clean and tidy, homework assistance, washing and ironing the children’s clothes, preparation of meals for the children, driving the children, planning children’s extracurricular activities, and keeping the parents informed of developmental progress. They can travel with the family and offer 24-hour cover if parents need to travel.
Getting a live-in nanny may be a brand-new idea for a family. Families with babies and toddlers will be the first families to consider this option, as their children will spend most of the time at home until they start nursery or school.
A live-in nanny does not pay rent, the main reason being that the wage of a live-in nanny in comparison with the wage of a live-out nanny is more affordable. Besides this, many families choose to have a live-in nanny for the flexibility they gain; the parents don’t need to worry if the nanny might arrive late, since she won’t need to commute.
Communication is key when it comes to working with live-in nanny, so talking about tasks ahead of time will ensure that both of you will be happy with the work arrangement.
Certainly, employing a live-in nanny is a family decision. To help you make the best choice, we at Little Ones collected necessary information you need to know before acquiring a live-in nanny, from how to prepare your household to where to outsource one.
What to do before welcoming a live-in nanny to your home
Much like a newborn child, there are a lot of things to do and consider before bringing a live-in nanny to your home. Here's a rundown of things you need to do.
Whether live-in nannies are employed under a full-time or temporary service, they require to have a separate room to settle in. A desk and a table are useful for their productivity as they need space to spend time in their hobbies after they have accomplished their daily tasks. Speaking of houseworks, it would be better if they have their own organising equipment such as an alarm clock and calendar so they could manage their work accordingly.
Providing them a list of the essential hotlines and contact information of the family member will make them perform their duties better. Remember, they are there to help you, and them managing on their own is needed. If there are emergencies in the house, they could easily give you a call or ring someone for help. If you need them to hail you a cab or check on your relatives and even the children at school, they could do so with ease.
Live-in nannies can be tasked to drive your children around places. So it is best to prepare your vehicle and other formalities such as your car insurance and add them to your policy. You can drive them around first so they would know how to adapt to your car. These will provide some peace of mind for both you and your live-in nanny.
Much like your preparation on your car, it is best to check your home insurance as well. As a newly added member to your household, you should add your live-in nanny to your home insurance policy so they are covered.
As a dependable partner when it comes to your household management, it is important for the live-in nanny to have their own set of keys to your place. It is also best to give them clear written instructions on the things they should accomplish, especially for appliances around the house such as burglar alarms, washing and coffee machines, among others.
Agreeing on a work schedule will keep you and your live-in nanny time in proper order. You both get to work on things and know when to call it a day. Jotting down the timetable of your family and live-in nanny duties will help make things clear and simple. This step avoids confusion and ensures that your live-in nanny won't forget something.
Being a live-in nanny will prepare them for various flexible roles. Raising a child is not an easy job, and flexibility is crucial for the parents. They might need a live-in nanny who can follow their schedule or someone who can adapt to sudden changes. The good thing about a live-in nanny is that they will be flexible to adjust according to the family’s needs. This includes last-minute changes and emergencies, unexpected meetings and overtime. A live-in nanny is willing to work around your schedule and help you out in moments that you most need them.
Having a new person in the house will definitely have a big change in your home. That is why having your family sit down and talk about the what's and why's of having a live-in nanny is important, especially for the young ones. It is important to teach the children to give respect to their live-in nanny. After all, the live-in nanny will be taking care of them and ensure that they are well and safe. Telling them that they shouldn’t go into the nanny’s room unless they have permission is essential as it is their private space.
Apart from the working schedule, it is best to lay down the rules implemented in your household to your live-in nanny. Things like curfew, number of chores to be accomplished per day, and the do's and don'ts inside your house. This way, both your family and live-in nanny will have a better understanding on how to work and live together under your roof. Plus, it will clear out future misunderstandings.
How much does a live-in nanny service cost?
In London, a live-in nanny with more than three years of professional experience earns between £300 and £450 net per week. However, this is dependent on family requirements and the nanny’s experience. 24-hour live-in nannies usually receive salaries of over £500 net per week. Live-in nannies working abroad command higher salaries of £550 to £950 net per week - again, this depends on the requirements of your family.
Where to outsource a Live-in Nanny
The process of finding a live-in nanny suitable to your family’s needs and preferences is not only difficult, but will also add stress and worry if you were to do this on your own. While directly recruiting candidates gives you flexibility and control, it can be a daunting task, as sifting through the candidate applications will take up a lot of your time, and most of these applicants do not even have the necessary qualifications and experience that you are looking for. Whereas, if you use a childcare agency, you will have the reassurance that the live-in nannies that will be presented to you have undergone a strict and very thorough screening and vetting process, something that an online job site will not be able to offer you.
Our live-in nannies have years of childcare experience. We have live-in nannies that can take care of children of any age group, from young babies to children attending school. Our trustworthy and reliable live-in nannies make the perfect addition to any family who are looking for help in the afternoon. A Live-in nanny will become an integral part of your family’s and children’s lives, and Little Ones can help you find the perfect person to fill this role.
Little Ones childcare agency receives thousands of applications a month; from these, we only select the very best with whom to schedule a face-to-face interview. These interviews include an in-depth discussion of the candidate’s personal experience and work history. Our expert consultants will also take verbal references from the candidate’s previous clients as well as identity and work visa checks, following a rigorous process. We also require all our live-in nanny and childcare candidates to undertake a Paediatric First Aid qualification. We offer this course at a very affordable price to make sure that the nannies from Little Ones agency are able to fund a course.
Furthermore, all Little Ones Live-in Nannies will have a DBS check or police check.
View Live-in Nanny candidates.
To discuss your specific requirements, or to apply for an Live-in nanny position, please contact Little Ones Nanny services on 0207 183 0309 or register online.
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