Helpful Hints

Interviewing

Once you have selected the candidates you wish to interview, plan a day when (if possible) the children are at home so that they can meet the nanny and vice versa - the way in which they talk to and approach the children will give you an insight into how well they are going to interact with your children.

Please note that you should offer to pay a reasonable contribution to the Norlander's travelling expenses for attending interviews.

The following provides a guide as to how you may wish to approach the interview, based on our experience.

At the start of the interview it is important to introduce the children and outline what is expected from the nanny, including talking about their weekly routines and other interests (ballet, football etc).

Ask questions which are relevant both to the nanny’s experience and to your own expectations. Some example questions are below:

• Why did you want to be a nanny?
• What ages of children have you worked with?
• Tell me about your past experiences with children and the activities that you enjoy doing with children at home and outside of the home.
• What would you offer on a weekly menu for the children? (take into account here that the nanny will not have the benefit of your child’s likes and dislikes at this stage)
• Ask the Nanny to show you past testimonials and any other information they may have in their portfolio.
• Talk about your parenting style and ask for the nanny’s comments on this.
• Ask about any additional qualifications – First Aid etc.
• Find out if the nanny is familiar with the area.

Give the nanny an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview – this will help them in their decision if the post is offered to them and can also give you a useful insight into their priorities.

Give the nanny a tour of your home and the opportunity to spend some time with the children which you can observe.

Making your selection for a second interview

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Did the children get on well with the nanny? 
• Would you feel happy having this person in your home and possibly living with you? Remember that if the nanny is going to be residential you can’t expect that they will return home every weekend.
• Could you comfortably discuss any problems with the nanny?
• Did you feel that the nanny had enough relevant experience?
• Did the nanny seem well organised and enthusiastic?
• Did the nanny seem empathetic to your parenting style?

Contracts

Current legislation requires employers to provide the Norlander with a written contract including the terms and conditions of service. The agency can provide a template contract for you to use when employing a nanny through the Norland Agency. 

The contract needs to cover:

Sick leave

We recommend a minimum of 2 weeks paid sick leave before moving to Statutory Sick Pay.

Holiday Entitlement

The current minimum legal requirement for holidays is 28 days (including bank holidays). Some employers may choose to give 28 days holiday plus bank holidays.

Hours

We find that the most popular positions offer daily hours of work which do not exceed 50 hours per week for a daily nanny or 60 hours per week for a residential nanny. If you need a nanny to work for more hours, this should be reflected in the salary that is being offered.

Car

If you require the Norlander to undertake the duty of driving the children, you should satisfy yourself that the Norlander holds a full driving licence and is a competent driver. You are also responsible for ensuring that the car is roadworthy, taxed and that the Norlander is insured.
Occasionally you may wish the Norlander to use their own car for driving duties. In these circumstances you should make reasonable reimbursement to cover the cost of petrol used, wear and tear of the vehicle, servicing costs and business insurance.

Accommodation

For a permanent qualified residential nanny, expectations are that the nanny is provided with their own bedroom and own bathroom (i.e. not shared with the children). We find that positions offering self-contained accommodation, whether on or off site, tend to be the most popular.

References

Before a Norlander is put forward for any positions, the Agency will ensure that the employer has been provided with a full employment history and has seen at least 2 of the most recent references.

CRBs

In order to start in a position Norlanders must have a current Criminal Records Bureau check. Applicants for temporary positions update their CRBs on an annual basis. If you require the Norlander to apply for a new CRB when starting a position with you, please inform the Agency.

Ofsted Registration

Nannies do not have to be registered with Ofsted, however, they can elect for voluntary registration which entitles you to childcare Working Tax Credits and employer supported childcare vouchers. If you would like your nanny to be registered, please discuss this with the agency.