Do you know the different types of nannies, and how to find the best fit for your family? When faced with looking for a Nanny the choice can be overwhelming. With what feels like hundreds of ‘buzz’ words, one can start to get muddled about all the different types of Nannies that exist. Professional Agencies tend to use a widespread standard of terminology and regardless if you are working with an agency or not, it can help to understand the types of nannies that exist and thus help give you clarity on what you are actually looking for.
Au Pair
An Au Pair is a non-professional childcarer. They are young women (and men) who are looking to do a cultural exchange and spend a year abroad.
Au Pairs are young and will often be studying. They will always look to live in and the host family would provide accommodation, food and a mobile phone contribution. They will generally not become professional Nannies and should not have sole charge of children under the age of 2.
An Au Pair may help with the housework, but the standard of cleaning is generally rather low. The length of stay is usually about a year before they move on. In general, Aupairs tend to have a high turnaround due to the fact they are not professional childcarers.
Mother’s Help
A mother’s help is a candidate who is wanting to become a professional Nanny but has not had a great deal of child care experience to date. They are generally from European countries and are looking to move to the UK or the wealthy cities around the world.
Although they are not considered professional, they are aiming to be professional nannies and thus are on the specific career progression. A Mother’s help tends to look for live in roles as they may not have local accommodation or maybe looking to relocate and save money by living with the family themselves.
Bright and hard-working, these candidates can stay between 2-3 years with one family and use the time to develop their skills and learn the craft whilst on the job. They tend to be open to doing housework alongside childcare duties.
Nanny
If you are looking at all the different types of nannies, and to find the best fit for your family. A Nanny is the most straightforward option. Nannies are considered professional childcarers. He or she considers this their career and will work towards new positions and different families throughout their career until retirement.
A professional Nanny will generally have around five years of childcare experience most of which will be working as a Nanny. They may have started as a Mother’s Help, but their CV should read as their career has progressed.
There are a multitude of sub-types of Nannies and it is down to the families preference as to the type of Nanny they might wish to hire. Depending on the skill sets of a Nanny and depending on if the position is live in or live out will affect the type of salary that is offered.
Some of the more popular types of nannies are explained below. View the full list of nannies.
Live in Nanny
A live in Nanny is a Nanny who resides within the family home. This can be in a private room, floor of the house, basement flat of the house or annex apartment connected to the house. Some clients have outbuildings or apartments in the same block and by providing accommodation to the Nanny this can be considered as live in.
Live in Nannies are popular amongst families with younger children as it means you have greater flexibility with your childcarer and avoids delays from a commute perspective. It can also lower the salary offered. It does, however, mean you need to have the space in order to provide the Nanny with suitable dwellings.
Families will often provide additional perks of the package including food, wifi, Sky TV, a car, mobile phone, gym subscription and health care.
Live Out Nanny
A live out Nanny is a Nanny who commutes to the place of work. They may live close to the residence or they may live further afield.
Live out Nannies tend to be preferred by families with older children or families wanting part-time Nannies. They usually tend to have their own families (may be married and have their own children in some cases) and like the independence of being separate from the family they are working for.
Live out nannies are a popular choice in busy cities where space is often a concern and families do not want to give their spare room to a Nanny! Due to the fact that the Nanny is living out and thus must pay for accommodation and travel outside of their role, the salaries tend to be higher.
Norland Nanny
A Norland nanny is a formally trained nanny. You can recognise them by their uniforms.
The Norland College was founded in 1892 by Emily Ward who felt that the Nanny role was generally undertaken by untrained maids and felt that it needed more structure and formal training background. She developed the training and the college has gone from strength to strength.
It is generally a very specific choice if a family decides to hire a Norland nanny and due to the length (and cost) that it takes to train as a Nanny generally, the salaries are higher to reflect the level of qualification that the candidate has. They bring with them a wealth of knowledge and also a formality that some families find extremely helpful. They are particularly favourited by more formal households with a bigger staff.
Ofsted Registered Nanny
In the United Kingdom, the government has a process that childcarers can register with to be Ofsted recognised. They must have four (compulsory) aspects in order to qualify.
- The Common Core Skills and Knowledge in Childcare
- Paediatric First Aid Certificate
- An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
- Public Liability Insurance.
These four compulsory aspects have been determined by the government as being necessary should a candidate wish to register. Some families in the UK are able to redeem childcare vouchers if they employ Ofsted registered Nannies, so it can be financially beneficial for families. It also gives the Nanny a clear status to give parents peace of mind when hiring the Nanny.
Super Nanny
A super nanny is a term coined in the agency world as a candidate who is an outstanding Nanny. This candidate will be highly educated and qualified. They will have worked in long term positions and have perfect references.
Super nannies speak perfect English. Their attitude, discretion and professional approach is second to none and they will have the ability to blend and adjust to any task at hand.
Super Nannies tend to command a very high salary as per their level of excellence, but families who hire super nannies understand the quality of what they are getting and have complete peace of mind when they hire a super nanny.
British Nanny
A British Nanny does what it says on the tin. This candidate will have a British passport and be a British resident. It does not necessarily mean that the candidate has been born in the UK (as the country is a very multi-cultured place). But it does mean that they hold a British passport.
Families who travel regularly tend to have a preference for British passport holders. As it makes it easy for entry to countries around the world. Some families like to hire British Nannies to obtain a neutral accent around their children. So that there are no strong accents picked up by their children. And others find it easy to communicate and have a cultural connection with the candidate.
Due to the fact that these candidates have British passports, they tend to command a higher salary.
Maternity Nanny
A maternity Nanny is a nanny who specialises in babies and toddlers. They may not exclusively work with these families. But their CVs will normally demonstrate a wide range of experience with this age range. And they will also have additional qualifications. This can be things such as breastfeeding support or baby massage.
Families who have younger children will often prefer to hire a Maternity Nanny. As it gives them greater support. And also peace of mind that their children will be cared for by experts. Families with multiple babies such as twins or multiple children under a certain age. They also tend to opt for a Maternity Nanny. As these women are experienced. And are used to deal with hectic situations!
Holiday Nanny
A holiday Nanny or temporary nanny can be called upon for additional support during a busy period. Or a time when your regular nanny is away on holiday (or on sick leave). If you require additional temporary support, the holiday Nanny is the perfect option.
Be it for 1 day or 3 months, whatever the length of the short term role is. You can pick from a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds. To suit your specific family needs. Holiday Nannies vary considerably depending on the nature of the cover (travel involved etc).
How Can Polo & Tweed Help?
Do you know understand more about the different types of nannies so you can find the best fit for your family? Polo & Tweed can help! If you are still feeling unsure. Or just want to have a chat about what nanny would suit your family. Why not contact us today and talk to one of our lovely consultants. We are here and ready to help you, advise you. And find the nanny to fit in with your family!