How Much Should You Pay Your Nanny?

Nannies? Babysitters? What does it all mean and how much does it cost?

A quick google search will tell you that childcare is not quite as straightforward as one might think. Options are endless and at varying price points and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed! We thought we’d save you the headache and summarise it all for you.

Let’s quickly touch on nurseries and childminders. These are settings where carers look after multiple children at once. There are differences between settings with differing services, but all nursery and childminder settings offer professional, registered childcare for children under 5. 

The nanny industry

At CocoRio, we were surprised to see just how unregulated the nanny industry is in the UK. Neither nannies or babysitters are required by law to hold any police checks nor First Aid or Safeguarding training like childminders and nursery school practitioners. This may sound alarming, and it should be! But worry not, many nannies and agencies take it upon themselves to ensure they have all the necessary checks, you just need to know what to look out for.

What checks should my nanny have?

Individuals working with vulnerable adults and children in regulated settings must hold an Enhanced DBS check, which organisations can apply for on behalf of individual workers. It is possible for individuals to apply for Basic DBS checks, (better than nothing!) though it is important to note that regulated settings deem those unsuitable and require them to be Enhanced. If you are using an agency/app, we highly encourage you to use one whereby every nanny is interviewed properly and the entire recruiting process is thorough. This adds a layer of security and ensures the person coming to your home has ‘passed’ multiple stages before being approved. Make sure you do your research though, as some may appear to have a thorough application process whilst they may just be approving anyone onto their platform. We would also highly recommend that the person looking after your children knows first aid and has safeguarding training. It goes without saying that an agency that ensures all its nannies and babysitters hold an Enhanced DBS check, goes on our ‘thumbs up’ list!

Price point

There are many types of individuals working as nannies, from students who want to make some extra cash to career nannies who work on a full time basis as nannies for the duration of their career. Normally, nannies are paid per hour and their salary depends on experience. For live-out nannies in the UK, families pay between National Minimum Wage and £15 per hour net for nanny services. Nannies generally don’t charge a higher price for siblings, however they can negotiate a higher price, were they to be in charge of household chores as well for example. Nannies who live with the children they care for are called live-in nannies and aren’t normally paid hourly but on a weekly or monthly basis. They negotiate working hours with the family and these can be as high as 12 hours a day for 6 days a week. Normally, live-in nannies have one or two days off every week and can work one or two evenings per week in addition to their usual hours. Rates range between £300-600+ net per week depending on experience and duties. If a family is looking to take their nanny abroad, the cost will be between £450 and £950+ weekly depending on experience. The difference in price is due to the relocation, as well as the extra work in settling the children into new routines at the new place, usually a holiday residence.

But what is the difference between a nanny and a babysitter?

A nanny is more involved with the children’s daily routine, while a babysitter normally stands-in for the family for short periods of time - e.g. during an evening when the parents are out. Babysitters should be paid at least minimum wage, but unfortunately that’s not always the case. Average cost of a babysitter is £10 per hour, usually between £8 and £15. By law, babysitters do not need any qualifications or checks either.

So is this it then? Are these our only options? You guessed it, we have some more examples for you!

Where CocoRio fits in in all this

At CocoRio, we’ve decided to take it upon ourselves to ensure everyone in our books is not only a fantastic individual, an expert in their creative field and highly experienced in working with children, but also fully vetted. This means that all our creative sitters hold an Enhanced DBS check, are first aid trained and attend regular career development opportunities and training to keep up to date in the latest in child development. We’re putting the safety of our families first, always. 

Creative child care, CocoRio’s specialism, allows for a combination of your child’s favourite extracurricular activities and/or language learning with second to none child care.

So we’re scrapping the cost of the private music tuition and the commute and putting it all into one. Your child’s favourite creative activity, but in your home and entirely tailored to them with all child care duties also checked off the list.

Despite the premium quality and the creative specialism of each creative sitter, this service only costs £25 per hour. This is a flexible alternative for families as well as an ideal flexible part-time job opportunity for incredibly talented and ambitious creative professionals who love working with children.

And if your child loves their creative sitter and you need some help with evening babysitting too, we won’t charge you the standard fee for evenings. If your creative sitter is available and happy with a night shift fee, this will cost you £15 per hour. 

We hope this was informative and you’re feeling less apprehensive. Good luck in your child care hunt and don’t hesitate to give us a shout if you have questions or want to book a creative sitter! 

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