Finding a nanny can be a long, arduous and sometimes unsuccessful
process. Using a nanny
agency in London to assist in this process may relieve some of the
stress. It is, however, important to make sure you find a reputable
agency to ensure you are hiring the right person.
If you were to type 'nanny
agency in London' into a search engine you will find hundreds of
agencies so how do you know which ones are the most reputable and suited
to your needs. Here are a few tips:
REC registered The Recruitment and Employment Confederation
regulates and monitors the recruitment sector and all members are
required to adhere to certain standards to ensure they have thorough
safeguarding processes in place.
Word of mouth Talk to your friends, colleagues, and children's
school/play centre to see if they have any recommendations.
Alternatively, ask an ex-nanny who might have registered with a few
nanny agencies.
Local can be beneficial A nanny agency doesn't have to be in
London if that's where you live but it can certainly help. Even more so,
if it's in your area. These agencies are likely to have nannies on
their books who live locally and know the area well. If required to
plan and organise days out with your children, these nannies should
already have excellent knowledge about the parks, playgrounds, daily
events and directions etc.
Safeguarding Proper safeguarding procedures are critical for a
reputable nanny agency in
London. The agency should perform face-to-face interviews, check
eligibility to work, proof of identification and references. They should
also have the ability to organise a Criminal Record Check (CRB) if
their nannies don't already have one in place.
Customer service If you contact a few nanny agencies, keep note
of which agency responded with the most efficiency. This will give you a
good indication of their efficiency throughout your dealings with them.
Also, make sure you are happy with any questions or concerns and that
these are dealt with in a professional manner. Ensure they send you
Terms of Business so you can be clear on these. All reputable agencies
should not charge you anything until a nanny accepts your job offer.
Trust your instinct Even if you feel the agencies are meeting
all the necessary requirements, be guided by your instincts as to which
agency feels like it's going to be trustworthy, reliable, helpful and
efficient throughout the process. Any reputable nanny agency will want
to help you as best they can and this should come across in your
dealings with them.
South African born Keith has lived in the south of England for most of his life. After graduating from University with a degree in Business Information Systems Management he decided to start Strawberrysoup, a website design company based in West Sussex and Dorset.
