Welcome to Nannies, the agency that understands “you deserve a good night’s sleep”.
The Directors of Nannies have 15 years child care experience behind them, along with child care qualifications and an excellent understanding of Nanny placements and family needs. Children’s developmental, physical and emotional needs are of the utmost importance when it comes to quality childcare. We also understand that families need to feel confident and safe, knowing they have the right person looking after their precious child when they are unable to be there.
Nannies specialises in finding experienced and qualified Nannies for day and overnight care. We are one of the only agencies in Australia providing overnight specialised care to families at reasonable rates.
We believe the care of children in a home setting is a serious career and deserves to be recognised as a profession.
We offer ongoing support and advice to our Nannies and families throughout their placements. We also offer 24hour emergency phone contact for Nannies
Many families are choosing the convenience of one-on-one care that hiring a nanny provides due to rising costs and inadequacies of Centre based care. As you consider this child care option for your family, We hope that this introduction package will answer most of your questions about hiring a nanny.
Nannies who have been able to meet our eligibility criteria have all met the following standards prior to being sent out for interviews with any families. They include:
All our Nannies being experienced in working with children.
Hold a current first aid certificate
Are screened and interviewed by our Recruitment Director to make sure they are suitable to work with our families.
Have had their references fully checked.
Have had a criminal record check.
Have had their qualifications checked.
Are only registered with Nannies if they have met our strict criteria.
We believe it takes more than qualifications and experience to make a fantastic Nanny, which is why we have a strict recruitment process in place.
We hope that this introduction package will answer most of your questions about hiring a nanny.
We also would like to extend a warm welcome to you and hope that you will decide to register with our organisation.
AN INTRODUCTION
We believe the care of children in a home setting is a serious career and deserves to be recognised as a profession. We offer ongoing support and advice to our Nannies and families throughout their placements. We also offer 24hour emergency phone contact for Nannies.
FAQs
What is a nanny?
A nanny is a childcare specialist. A nanny's workplace is in a family's private home and his/her job is providing one-on- one attention and the best possible care for the family's children. The work may be full-time or part-time, and the nanny may or may not live with the family. The nanny's role is to provide support to the family by serving as a loving, nurturing and trustworthy companion to the children. A nanny tends to have special childcare skills and a deep love and understanding of children. A nanny offers the family convenient, high quality care to meet each child's physical, emotional, social and intellectual needs.
What does a nanny do?
A nanny is responsible for the complete care of their employer's children. Duties include tending to each child's basic physical needs, meal planning and preparation, laundry and clothing care, organisation of play activities and outings, providing behavioural guidelines and using appropriate discipline techniques, intellectual stimulation, language activities and provide transportation when required. Housekeeping responsibilities are primarily child related. A nanny must be able to communicate well with both children and parents. Depending on the individual family, the nanny may be treated as an employee, a cherished friend or as a member of the family.
Who are nannies?
Nannies has adopted strict standards for nannies, specifically:
A Nanny must be at least 18 years of age.
A Nanny must have completed High School Certificate or the equivalent.
A Nanny must be in good general health.
A Nanny must undertake a Criminal Record Check.
A Nanny must have at least 3 recent phone contactable work related referees.
A Nanny must have at least 1-year child related work experience.
A Nanny must hold a current First Aid Certificate.
Nannies are unique with varied characteristics and personalities.
A nanny can be as young as 18, or more than 70 years old. Most are female, but some are male.
Although training and experience may vary, all qualified nannies share a genuine love and respect for children. It is every nanny's hope to find a family to work for that is respectful and supportive.
Most nannies seem to fall into three categories:
Young, single persons with babysitting and/or day-care experience who are interested in working as a nanny for a year or two. These nannies may currently have a job that doesn't offer the same personal rewards that being a nanny and caring for children would offer or they may be taking a break from college or suspending a long-term commitment to another career. These nannies are usually active, energetic and open to sharing life with families different from their own.
Older, more mature persons who may have raised a family of their own and who are drawn to in-home child care because they enjoyed caring for their own children. Education, background and life experiences are varied.
Individuals who consider themselves child care professionals and specialists. Some nannies have degrees in early childhood education or Centre based care or may have a specialised nanny-training certificate. Many have worked several years as nannies. Persons in this group consider being a nanny a lifetime career.
A growing number of nannies are beginning to seek temporary assignments and emergency care situations because they want to specialise or maybe they like the freedom and diversity of caring for many children.
What kind of help do you need?
Every family has its own special needs and child care requirements. Does your family need a nanny who lives with you and shares your home? Would you prefer a nanny who lives out? Do you want full-time childcare help, or does your schedule or budget dictate the need for a part-time nanny? Do you expect the person who works in your home to take care of your child/children and also clean the house?
Before you even begin to look for a nanny, make sure you have realistic expectations about in-home child care. A nanny is not going to come into your household, wave a magic wand and make everything perfect. The nanny will not be a substitute parent who not only takes care of the children, but also does all the housekeeping, cooking, shopping and chores. Keep in mind that a nanny's primary responsibility is childcare; the nanny may or may not be willing to do light housekeeping. As much as you would like to have someone clean your house and look after your children and your family, it will be the exception if you find one person who can and will do both jobs well. You must develop a list of priorities to help you choose the best nanny for your family. What qualities are important to you? Flexibility? Enthusiasm? Independence? A good sense of humour? Do you want someone young and energetic who actively plays with your children? Would you prefer someone older with more life experience?
How much experience and/or education is important to you in the nanny who will care for your children? Be clear about what specific skills your nanny must have. Does the nanny need to be able to swim, drive a car, cook, help with homework, care for a premature infant? One person may not fulfil all of your criteria, but by considering your priorities, you will have an idea of the nanny best suited for your unique situation. Be aware that your family's needs are likely to change as your children mature. The nanny you want now may be quite different from the one you'll want in a year.
What salary and benefits can a nanny expect?
We have found that pay and benefits for nannies vary widely according to geographic region and the nanny's qualifications and experience. A nanny's work week usually includes 30 to 60 hours, with two days off each week. Nannies who do not live with the family and work part-time may be paid an hourly rate of $15 to $25, or earn a weekly salary for full-time of $350 to $1,000. When a nanny works more than the hours specified in the work agreement arranged with the family, the nanny generally is paid more money or receives extra time off. Many live-in nannies enjoy the benefits of free room and board, which usually includes a private room and often a private ensuite, two weeks of paid holidays each year, paid public holidays, sometimes health insurance and the use of a car. Benefits for live-out nannies, other than room and board, are usually the same as for live-in nannies.
Just like any other employee, a nanny employer should expect to pay Federal income tax on earnings.
Are nannies trained?
Nannies strongly supports the need for specialised training for people who provide in-home childcare. The reality is, however, that the tremendous demand for nannies in Australia and other countries has promoted a situation in which many nannies with no formal training are currently working in this field.
Many training programs exist for nannies in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the States. They generally include classroom courses in child development, nutrition, family dynamics, safety, play activities, first aid and CPR, and may also involve interaction with young children under instructor supervision. They vary in length, type of training offered and cost. For example, in Great Britain, home of the "classic nanny," training consists of 2,200 classroom and practicum hours over a 2-year period. At the end of training, the British nanny takes a national examination to be certified as a nursery nurse.
In Australia, New Zealand and the U.S, nanny training ranges from 6-week training programs to two-year certification programs, to college programs that offer Diploma or bachelor's degrees. During your interview with your Nanny applicants, be sure to ask about the type and duration of the nanny's training.
As part of its screening process, Nannies verifies the nanny candidate's personal and employment references and previous child care experience. Nannies are also required to undertake a criminal record check nationwide. Night Nannies offers an excellent resources page on its website to assist families in preparing a job description that summarises your family's job duties, interview questions and tips and legal requirements.
Nanny Interview information pack.
How do you interview a nanny?
Interviewing a nanny is extremely important, and many potential problems in the employer/employee relationship can be avoided if the interview is properly conducted. If you only learn two things about interviewing let them be these:
Depend on your intuition; and
Interview twice before hiring.
Be prepared to ask the right questions to tune into your feelings, since feelings are usually a good indicator in choosing the right nanny for you. Although you need to know about experience, training, background, specialised knowledge, driving record, etc., the more personalised questions will reflect your own priorities and be key to a successful match. "What if" questions are often helpful.
When describing family expectations, be specific about duties, hours, alary, time off, etc. Seeing and hearing the candidate's reaction can provide valuable clues. Observing the nanny with your children is crucial. How do they interact? Is the nanny quiet or loud, shy or outgoing? Do the children like the nanny?
Carefully weigh up all information, double-check references and interview the candidate(s) you like a second time. Listen to your intuition and remember that this person will be a part of your private life. Is this the person you want in your home working with your children?
How do you maintain a good nanny/family relationship?
A good working relationship starts with fair terms of employment, benefits and incentives, and a work agreement that defines your and the nanny's expectations about duties, wages, hours and working conditions. Most agreements change over time; you should set a target date for reviewing your arrangement with the nanny.
Communication is key to fostering a good relationship with your nanny. Take a few minutes each day to talk with your nanny and ask the nanny to keep a daily log to track events. Listen to the nanny. Deal with any problems as they occur, before they get out of hand. Keep the lines of communication open, and, above all, express your appreciation often.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon. You can send an inquiry or make a booking by clicking on the Enquiries button on the website.
You deserve a good night’s sleep
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