North London nanny agencies

[lisac]

Our nanny is pregnant, and I need to start looking for her replacement. I found her through North London Nannies (who were OK) a couple of years ago. Does anyone have any current recommendations or horror stories for any of the nanny agencies in North London (I'm in N6)?

Thanks very much

[collision]

Nannies Plus in Edgware are brilliant. It is in Yellow Pages and run by a woman called Denise. I was with her for years working as a Nanny. Let me know if you contact her because it would be nice to pass on my regards!

[percy]

we have just found an au pair from the london aupair and nanny agency based in childs hill (nw3) and found them to be very good.

[lisac]

Thanks very much for your replies - I did use the London Aupair and Nanny Agency last time too, and although they didn't come up with anyone they seemed very nice.
I'll give Nannie Plus a go, although they may be out of my area?

Thanks again.

[sinclair]

Might be out of your area, but Park Nannies, based in Queen's Park were fab - run by working mums for working mums. I had around 5 agencies supposedly looking for me, and they were the only ones who were both efficent plus found lovely girls you wanted to hire. But I ended up hiring via a personal recommendation, so recommend checking noticeboards in park/asking around if you aren't already. good luck!

[lisac]

Thank you! Will try Park Nannies too.

Lisa

[Issymum]

When we were looking for our current nanny, we registered with agencies but ended up recruiting her through a magazine advert - even though she was registered with the same agencies that we were, they didn't manage to put us together!

Good internet sites are nannyjob.co.uk and thegumtree.com. In either of them you can look at registered candidates (go to 'work wanted' section of thegumtree) or post your own ad (you have to pay for thegumtree). We also put an advert in the 'TNT Magazine', which is the free mag aimed at Antipodeans and South Africans. Whatever you have to pay, it it will be much cheaper than a nanny agency.

We asked all potential candidates to email us a message and a CV and to email or fax references. You can learn as much from that, if not more, than looking through agency CVs. When we chose our nanny we personally checked (through phone calls) her employment history for the last five years.

I would do this even if I had hired a nanny through an agency as I know for a fact that most agencies don't follow up references. (I've acted as a referee for our last nanny and I've been phoned by parents, but never by agencies.)

We saved on agency fees and our nanny is a complete star.

[anto]

I'd also recommend Park Nannies. They seem to have a really sensible approach and to understand what parents are looking for, rather than trying to palm off any old nanny on you so they can charge a big fat commission (there are plenty of agencies like that around!). Park Nannies have good relationships with nanny colleges in New Zealand so they seem to have a steady supply of new arrivals in this country.

I also think the Gumtree is great. I found a temporary nanny there earlier this year. No nanny agencies were particularly interested in finding me someone for 5 weeks so I had a look on there and ended up with a lovely Australian girl who both my kids absolutely adored.

I have also advertised in TNT and it was a bit of a nightmare...we had literally 100s of responses from all sorts of totally unsuitable people including one man who hardly spoke any English and asked how much I'd pay as soon as I picked the phone up!

I would second Issymum's comments on taking up as many references as you can - every single one, if possible. Don't take a written reference at face value - people often feel pressured into handing a nanny a good reference but will tell you a very different story one-to-one on the telephone. This is the only way you can be sure you are getting someone good who you can trust. Phone abroad if necessary - you need to know that your nanny is a sensible, loving, reliable human being who you can trust with your kids.

[Issymum]

Oh yes, I'd forgotten about that with TNT. We didn't put in our phone number, only our email address and we got a huge and mixed response. Some fantastic applicants, others not so including the one who memorably wrote only: 'Iam a exelent girls and nanny call me please'.

[lisac]

TBH I think I'd rather pay an agency to pick out (hopefully) some suitable candidates!

I completely agree about taking up references. Last time I was about to offer the job to a very nice girl. I rang all her former employers, one of whom told me, notwithstanding the glowing written reference she'd given her, that she thought she was totally unsuitable for the job! Like you say, Anto, it really needs to be a one-to-one conversation on the phone. And obviously the agency will not have bothered.

[kaz33]

If you do use an agency always negotiate the agency fee. Both times I've used them I state the outset that there fee is to steep and ask them if they can come down. They do, all you have to do is ask. Do it when you first speak to them, not when they have found the perfect candidate.

Also,always check the visa position if you are employing an Ozzie etc... A 2 year holiday visa gives you the right to work for a certain period of time, not 2 years. The agencies seem to ignore this fact and happily send you these girls. First time round we got sent someone who only had the right to work for 3 months. Obviously all the girls work illegally, cash in hand. Then the agency turns round and asks you for 5 weeks net + VAT for sourcing an illegal worker for you. Must admit that winds me up a bit.

For employing someone illegally ( cash in hand ) you can be fined £5000. AAAAArgh, imagine that doesn't happen very often - but it is a bit of a concern.

[lisac]

Thanks Kaz33 - it hadn't even crossed my mind to negotiate the fee (durr).
I definitely couldn't employ someone cash in hand, as a solicitor I'd lose a lot more than the fine!