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Nanny
Hours
Variable
Starting salary
£12,000 + per year
If you are interested in helping children develop, and you can create trusting relationships with parents and children, this job could be ideal for you.
Nannies work in private homes caring for their employers’ children. They are responsible for all aspects of childcare. However, their duties will vary depending on the number and ages of the children in their care.
In this job you will need to be creative, to organise interesting activities for the children. You will also need patience, tolerance and a sense of humour.
You may be able to start work as a nanny without any qualifications. However, many employers and employment agencies will prefer you to have a childcare qualification.
WorkDesc
The work
As a nanny, you would often look after babies and very young children, and your duties would include:
- dressing
- feeding
- bathing
- changing nappies.
When working with older children, you would be involved in teaching basic social, reading and writing skills. You would also take children on outings and keep them entertained through play.
You could work as a maternity nanny, helping families care for newborn babies. This would usually be for a short period, during the first few weeks of a baby's life.
HoursDesc
Hours
You would work in a private household and your hours could be longer than a standard working week.
You might live with your employer and their family. However, there are opportunities for day only positions.
IncomeDesc
Income
Full-time nannies can earn between around £12,000 and £18,500 a year. With experience, this could reach £28,000, depending on the factors mentioned below.
Salaries will vary depending on geographical location, qualifications, and whether or not the nanny is employed directly by a family or through an agency.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
You may be able to start work as a nanny without any qualifications. However, many employers and employment agencies will prefer you to have a childcare qualification.
There is a Children and Young People's Workforce Certificate and Diploma, at levels 2 and 3. Many courses include a placement, but where this is not the case it will be helpful for you to gain some experience, for example as a volunteer working with children.
Course entry requirements will vary, so you need to check with individual colleges for details.
You could increase your chances of getting paid work as a nanny if you have a Certificate in First Aid For Those Caring For Children, or Paediatric First Aid.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
The Early Years and Playwork Qualifications Database website gives you further details of courses recognised by Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education) as meeting the national occupational standards for under-eight day care.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Training and development
To be a nanny you should have:
- an interest in the social and personal development of children
- the ability to establish close and trusting relationships with parents, carers and children
- a creative approach with a good imagination
- the ability to plan and organise stimulating activities
- a responsible attitude to work
- the ability to cope with unexpected situations
- an awareness of health and safety and food hygiene
- patience, tolerance and a sense of humour
- the ability to stay calm under pressure
- energy and stamina.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
National Childminding Association 
Royal Court
81 Tweedy Road
Bromley
Kent
BR1 1TG
Tel: 0845 880 0044
www.ncma.org.uk
Voice
www.voicetheunion.org.uk
Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education (CACHE)
Apex House
81 Camp Road
St. Albans
Hertfordshire
AL1 5GB
Tel: 0845 347 2123
www.cache.org.uk
Early Years and Playwork Qualifications Database
http://eypquals.cwdcouncil.org.uk
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You can find job opportunities throughout the UK and overseas. Vacancies are advertised through agencies, as well as in the national and local press.
As a qualified and experienced nanny, you may be able to move into childminding or nursery nursing. With additional training, you could go on to become a children's nurse.
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
LMIData
Related industry information
Industry summary
Early years, children and young people’s services are represented by the Skills for Care and Development Sector Skills Council. This includes those working in early years, children and young people’s services, and those working in social work and social care for children and adults in the UK. The social care sector comprises two sub-sectors:
- Adult social care – with a workforce of nearly 1.5 million, accounting for 5% of England’s workforce, and 38,000 employers
- Children and young people – with an estimated workforce of 2.7 million
Early years, children and young people’s services provide publicly funded services accessed by between 1.5 and 2.5 million families per year, including early years education, childcare, children’s social care, family support, child protection, fostering and adoption services. There are more than 500,000 workers delivering these services in England.
[N.B. Following the change of Government on 11th May, all statutory guidance and legislation referred to here continues to reflect the current legal position unless indicated otherwise, but this document may not reflect Government policy.]
Key facts:
- The children and young people’s social care workforce includes:
- Over a quarter of a million people working within early years and childcare settings, with 165,200 employed in full day care and 58,300 workers in sessional day care
- An estimated 111,484 nannies
- An estimated 1,152 portage workers in England (who provide a home-visiting service for pre-school children who have developmental or learning difficulties, physical disabilities or other special needs)
- About 1,985 in the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS)
- An estimated 7,500 residential childcare workers in children’s homes and 2,100 in care homes for disabled children
- 25,460 full-time equivalent social workers
- Approximately 37,000 foster families in England
- Approximately 14,000 learning mentors
- 2,247 educational psychologists
- Between 3,000 and 5,000 education welfare officers in England
- 65% of full day care provision is privately run, with 22% of settings run by a voluntary organisation.
- The majority of sessional care settings are run by voluntary organisations or are privately run.
The children and young people’s workforce includes a wide range of workers, jobs and professional occupations, including:
- Early years and childcare – Early years/nursery teachers; Nursery nurses/workers; Portage workers; Nannies; Home Child carers; Heads of children’s centres; Volunteers in childcare settings
- Children and young people’s social care – children and family court advisory and support service officers, foster carers, residential childcare workers, children and family social workers
- Learning, development and support services (LDSS) – learning mentors, educational psychologists, education welfare officers, behaviour and education support teams, family support workers
National and regional data
[N.B. National and regional data are currently unavailable.]
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