Finding Ananny

Finding aNanny

Nannies are not inspected or registered by Social Services and are therefore not listed on the FSNI website That means it is down to you to interview them and check their references.

There are no laws to cover childcare that takes place in your own home. It is down to you to find a nanny, to check their suitability and to arrange contracts and wages. No financial help is available for hiring a nanny.

A nanny is paid by you to look after your child in your home. They can live in or come to your home for set days and hours. Many have nursery nurse training or childcare qualifications, but they not not have to.

There is no help for costs of nannies through the Working Tax Credit.

Nannies can be convenient and flexible for your family and will allow you more say in your child's routine. They are especially useful if you have more than one child.

However, you are responsible for employing them and sorting out contracts. It can be hard to build a lasting relationship as there is a chance that the nanny will move on. The checking and vetting procedures are often not done or reliable.

Advertising for a nanny

There are ways to find a trustworthy nanny.

You can place an advert in:

a magazine
your local newspaper
notice boards at places like primary schools, your newsagents or drop-in centres

Your advert needs to spell out the hours, duties, ages of children and the area where you live. For safety reasons, don't give the children's names or your actual address in the ad.

It should also ask those who apply to give their age, experience, qualifications, work history and a letter saying why they would like to apply for the post.

You may prefer to ask them to write to a box number at your local post office rather than giving out your telephone number. However, this may reduce the number of people who apply.

Contact colleges that offer courses in childcare

If you are want to take on someone straight from college, training usually ends in June. Newly-trained nannies won't have much experience and may not be suited to looking after very young babies.

Child safety

Making sure your child is safe, well-cared for and happy, is vital concerns for any parent. Employing a nanny is an important responsibility. There are no legal requirements on a person applying to work as a nanny.

It is up to you, as parent and employer, to make sure that you are hiring a nanny who will look after your children well.