1. Define the nanny role before you start searching
Write down what the family actually needs before comparing candidates. Include the children’s ages, normal working days and hours, school or nursery routines, meals, activities, travel, evening work and whether any household duties are part of the position.
If you need substantial housekeeping as well as childcare, consider whether the role should be described as a nanny-housekeeper. Use our nanny and housekeeper job description templates to define duties before recruitment starts.
2. Send the agency a complete household brief
Our client terms require families to specify the nature of the work and the period or arrangement required. The more precise the brief, the easier it is to compare candidates against the same criteria.
Useful information includes the role type, working arrangement, location, hours, start date, children’s ages, required experience and any duties that are essential rather than optional.
3. Review candidates against the brief
The agency uses reasonable endeavours to introduce candidates it considers suitable for the role. Our current terms state that this includes appropriate interviews and professional checks and that the agency obtains references.
Families should still make their own assessment of suitability. Compare each person on relevant experience, references, communication, availability, qualifications where applicable and fit with the duties being offered.
See our guide to choosing the right Filipino nanny for a candidate-comparison framework and our candidate screening process for the checks the agency performs and the checks that remain the family’s responsibility.
4. Interview the shortlisted candidates
Use the interview to test how the candidate thinks, not just whether they give reassuring answers. Ask about previous duties, routines with children of similar ages, communication with parents, handling changes, boundaries and any household responsibilities in the proposed job.
Ask the same core questions of every shortlisted candidate so the comparison is fair and useful. Our nanny interview questions and checklist provides a structured set of questions and scenario prompts.
5. Check references and the evidence relevant to the role
Our client terms state that the agency obtains references, but families remain responsible for satisfying themselves that a candidate is suitable, taking up references where appropriate, checking qualifications or driving credentials and obtaining any background, criminal-record or police checks required for the role.
Right-to-work checks are also an employer responsibility. Use the current GOV.UK right-to-work checking process before employment begins, or see our right-to-work guide for nanny employers.
6. Use a trial only after the role is clear
A trial can help both sides assess the practical fit before an offer is made. Under our current client terms, a trial may be arranged before an offer of employment or contract for services. The applicable trial fee and the candidate’s wages must be agreed and paid before the trial begins.
Set the trial length, hours, duties and pay in advance. The purpose is to observe the working relationship, not to test an undefined role. See how nanny trial days work.
7. Make the offer and confirm the agency terms
For permanent placements, the current agency fee in our Terms and Conditions is 15% of the agreed gross annual salary, with a minimum fee of £2,000. Payment timing, cancellation, replacement and refund provisions are set out in the current Terms and Conditions.
The nanny’s salary is separate from the agency fee and should be agreed in gross terms together with the working hours and duties. See our agency fees page.
8. Set up the employment correctly
For a permanent placement, the family is normally the employer. Our client terms place responsibility on the client for the employment contract, wages, tax and National Insurance deductions, pension contributions where relevant and any work permits or certificates required for the person to take the role.
GOV.UK explains the requirement for a written statement of employment particulars and the process for registering as an employer where required. Our employment contract guide and nanny payroll guide explain the main household-employer steps.
This page is general information, not individual legal or immigration advice. Use the current official guidance or a suitably qualified adviser for your circumstances.
9. Prepare for the first week
Before the nanny starts, prepare a written routine covering emergency contacts, school or nursery arrangements, meals, medication instructions where relevant, household rules, approved activities, transport arrangements, working hours and who to contact if plans change.
Clear expectations at the start are usually easier to manage than trying to correct an ambiguous role after several weeks.
How long does it take to hire a nanny?
We do not publish a fixed enquiry-to-start promise because the timeline depends on the role, working arrangement, location, start date and the availability of candidates who genuinely fit the brief. A narrower or more specialised brief can take longer than a flexible one.
If timing is important, include the required start date in the client enquiry so availability can be discussed from the outset.
How we approach the matching process
Our agency is specialist in Filipino nanny placements, but we do not use nationality as evidence that a person is caring, reliable, good at English or suitable for a household. We start with the family’s job requirements and compare individual candidates on the evidence relevant to that role.
We also keep a clear distinction between what the agency does and what remains the family’s responsibility. The agency obtains references and carries out the interviews and professional checks described in our terms. The family still needs to satisfy itself about suitability and complete the employer checks that apply to the role. We keep that division explicit because it gives families a more realistic picture of what “screened” means.
Ready to begin?
If you know the type of role you need, complete the client enquiry form with the children’s ages, duties, hours, location and preferred working arrangement. If you are still deciding between nanny and nanny-housekeeper support, compare our Filipino nanny services and nanny-housekeeper services first.