Nanny Agency vs. Advertising

If you are lucky enough, then you may find a nanny through recommendation from a friend or neighbour. Or you may come across childcarers in your local creche or toddler groups that may be interested in working for you.

If this is not an option then there are really 2 main ways to find a nanny:

• Nanny Agency
• Advertising

Using a Nanny Agency

There are hundreds of nanny agencies out there, and therefore you need to be sure that you are using a reputable one. Again, recommendation is a good way to find the best agency in your area. Otherwise here are a few things to look out for:

1. Is the agency registered with REC (the Recruitment and Employment Confederation)? REC sets down certain standards that its members have to follow, and also undertakes spot checks on its member to ensure that they are providing the best possible service to clients, as well as thoroughly checking their childcarers. You can obtain a list of REC registered nanny agencies by calling 020 7009 2100 or go to www.rec.uk.com/childcare and select the Membership Directory
2. Check with the agency that they interview all their nannies face to face. Many agencies will only interview over a telephone which does not give them enough insight into the nanny
3. Ask the agency what checks they carry out on their nannies. Do they verbally check references, and can you see evidence of that? Do their nannies apply for an Enhanced CRB check (effectively a police and social services check)? Does the agency see original copies of their qualifications?
4. Ask the agency what is the minimum standard that a nanny has to meet to be able to register with the agency.

Don't forget that with an agency, you will be subject to a fee, but this should only be charged once a nanny has accepted a position with you.

Nanny Share recommends the UK's largest childcare recruitment agency, Tinies Childcare. Tinies has been providing nannies to families since 1975 and has built up a reputation for providing the best quality nannies in the industry.

Tinies has over 30 local nanny agency branches around the UK. Tinies promises to provide an honest, efficient, pro-active and caring service to its parents. With over 50% of its clients coming from recommendation and referrals, it is a company that knows the importance of customer service.

Mention NannyShare.co.uk to receive a discount with most Tinies agencies.

Employment Screening and Legal Services
Tinies understands that parents often source childcarers through their own searches, but may struggle to carry out the checks necessary for pre-employment screening, and require help with employing childcarers.

Tinies has developed a screening service for childcarers (which includes amongst other things reference checking, an Enhanced CRB check and an employment contract), and can also offer both a payroll service and a legal helpline. For more information contact your local Tinies agency.


For more information on Tinies go to www.tinies.com
or call their Head Office on 020 7384 0322.

Advertising a Nanny Job

If you have the time and you want to avoid the cost of using an agency then you can advertise privately. There are many websites out there that let you do this – so it can be hard to know where to go, that's why Nanny Share lets you post a job for free after you sign up to find local families.

If you don't need to find a family, you can post a job without signing up. Nanny Share is visited by thousands of parents, childcarers and nanny agencies each month – so your advert will gain exposure.

If you do recruit your nanny privately it is important that you carry out a full background check on the nanny. You should:

• See any original documentation (qualifications and written references)
• See ID (passport, driving licence and ideally a utility bill with current address)
• Get them to complete an Enhanced CRB check
• Verbally check any references they have from previous employers.

If you want more information on hiring a nanny, including interviewing a nanny, check out our Process of Hiring a Nanny article.