Have you got what it takes to be a great nanny? A 'genuine love of children', 'mature and responsible', are among the words bandied around in job descriptions, but is that all it takes? I asked three experts to reveal their recipe for great nannying.
THE AGENCY DIRECTOR
Samantha Kelly of Kids Matter, in London and Leicestershire, has more than ten years experience teaching children in the UK and overseas and has spent 13 years developing specialist childcare agencies. She says, 'I don't think that length of experience or even the training is key to what makes a truly great nanny, although both those things are vital. I think really great nannies have a gift. I also feel that people who would make great nannies can be overlooked at times.
'In the course of my own career I've interviewed graduates, non-graduates and people from all areas of society and from around the world. While you need to have people who can tick all the obvious boxes vis-a-vis requirements, you also need to be able to spot the special people who have a genuine interest in child development and a real affection and curiosity about children and childhood.
'In my opinion there has been some disintegration over the past 15 years in the levels of expertise in this field. I've observed on many of my visits to colleges that students are not being actively encouraged to seek nannying as a serious profession. The feedback I've had from hundreds of nannies is that there needs to be more training, more support and more money aimed at this vital job.
'Many childcare and child development tutors seem to automatically steer their students towards work within a nursery setting. Yet there is a genuine shortage of quality nannies, and an experienced one in London could be earning up to 29,000 with possibly a car and accommodation included, whereas nursery nurses in many parts of the UK earn on average around 11,500 a year. I am not suggesting that everyone should rush to London in search of higher wages, but I do believe that this highly responsible job can provide one of the most individual and creative careers.
'I am not suggesting nursery nursing is not worthwhile, but sole-charge nannying often provides a unique opportunity to use your initiative and make decisions, and also use skills that you would not get a chance to enjoy in most other jobs, whether it be a love of playing a musical instrument or competence in a particular sport or hobby. Taking advantage of these opportunities will make you a great nanny.'
THE NANNY
Joanne Smith has been a professional nanny, in every sense of the word, for the past five years, having first completed a course in social care.
'I got quite a lot of experience from placements in nurseries, and I would say that you need a completely different character to enjoy and be good at nannying,' says Joanne, who lives in Leicester. 'As a nanny you're not part of a team on an hour-to-hour basis and your timetable is not worked out by someone else. The two qualities that come to mind as being most important for a great nanny are highly developed organisational skills, and self-sufficiency. If you work in a nursery setting there's a framework in place, but a good nanny needs to be able to build her own structure for the working day.
'Although it may sound strange, another attribute that a great nanny needs is the ability to remain slightly detached. It's important to remember that nannying is a continuing, flowing job; you can't remain with one family forever, and it's right to stay professional in each position. Having said that, your first family always has a special place in your heart.
'Another ingredient that goes into the mix is the awareness that great nannying is a two-way thing. Showing yourself to be confident that you know what needs doing and how to do it will result in your family being happy, and vice versa. Remember that your family is lucky to have you. Don't be afraid to gently steer them towards your way of thinking with regard to childcare - people management is another large part of the job. If you have a family that dictates your every action, your skills will become undermined, and why would they need a qualified childcarer like yourself? It's important to show that you can get on with it and be ready, if you have to, to make life-and-death decisions.
'If you want to be a great nanny you have to be as happy and energetic as possible. The children will feed off you and what you are like. It's vital to be outgoing to avoid being lonely. Great nannies are not normally quiet, retiring types, and it's definitely a career where you get out according to how much you put into it.'
THE LECTURER
Judith Mutter is the NVQ co-ordinator for Children's Care, Learning and Development and tutor for the Diploma in Childcare and Education at Cambridge Regional College.
'The over-riding attribute I want to mention is professionalism,' says Judith. 'If you are a professional in everything you do, you will become a great nanny. As far as attitude goes, it is vital to ensure that the child in your care is central to everything you do. This may sound obvious, but sensitivity to the child's particular, individual needs is something to constantly bear in mind and reappraise while you are working.
'I also think that the ability to be flexible in your approach is an underrated, often overlooked skill. Fun is something else that isn't talked about enough, but the nanny who can really empathise with a child's view of life, and sometimes be child-like herself, is bound to be in the running for the "great nanny" title.
'We should never forget the all-important continuity of care that a great nanny provides while in the place of the parent. The nanny should value the child entrusted to her and value her role in the child's life.'
