How to Become a Nanny in the UK

Nurse and Child. Painting by Mary Cassatt.

Becoming a nanny in the UK is a great way to earn a living, particularly if you love working with children and want to provide a safe and healthy environment for someone else's kids. Nannying is more than a babysitting job. You often have to help with tutoring, teach a child good manners, and cook nutritious meals. You also must care for sick and injured children should an incident arise.

Things You'll Need

• First aid certification
• Clean driver's license
• Cooking ability
• Knowledge of nutrition for growing children
• Clean criminal record

Instructions

Working as a Nanny in the United Kingdom

1. Provide evidence of a clean UK driver's license, a car that's insured in the UK and a clean criminal record. A parent's primary concern is that their child will be safe with the nanny, and these are initial steps to achieve this.

2. Obtain certification in first aid, and present the certificate to a prospective employer. As the nanny is the primary caregiver at times, it is important to know how to resuscitate a child and perform basic first aid should an emergency occur while you're there. The British Red Cross offers first aid training on a regular basis.

3. Present the parent(s) with letters of reference from previous employers. This is particularly important if the reference letters can attest to your responsibility and capability as a nanny and if they're based in the UK.

4. Be prepared to cook nutritious meals for children of all ages. Describe meal plans to prospective employers that will provide their children with the vitamins and nutrients they need to grow. If necessary, take a class on children's nutrition or do some research: the British Nutrition Foundation (see References below) has plenty of resources on this topic.

5. Apply for a job as a nanny in the UK. The most popular job listing site is "Nanny Jobs: childcare resources for parents, nannies, au pairs, agencies" (see Resources below).

Resources

• British Red Cross First Aid Training
• Nanny Jobs in the UK
• British Nutrition Foundation Education Programme