The Nanny Nest

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Australia's First Nanny Magazine reads like a Who's Who of the nanny industry.Come along and discover the nanny world.

Transcript of The Nanny Nest

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Welcome to The Nanny Nest,

We’ve created a way to celebrate the best in the

Nanny world – as it just doesn’t happen enough.

For too long the Australia nanny community has worked

mainly behind closed doors in isolation.

The Australian Consortium Of Nannies (TACON) was originally

conceived in 2001 to support nannies, guide parents and

provided information to government bodies and the media.

In the past three years, it’s founder Marina McHutchison took

time out to focus on her own family.

Now it’s time to jump back into the sandpit and have some fun.

Thanks to the internet – there is so much more that TACON

can offer and create.

We’d love to extend a HUGE thankyou to all those who have

welcomed TACON back with open arms – to read emails from

nannies saying that TACON had helped them to be a great

nanny in the past has made us realise just how important

TACON is in our industry.

The first of our new ventures is The Nanny Nest.

If you’d like to contribute to the magazine in the future – please get in touch – there’s room for all

Marina and the team at The Australian Consortium Of Nannies.

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Contents of The Nanny Nest Theme – The Who’s Who of the Nanny World.

NEXT ISSUE ~ NANNY EMPLOYMENT SPECIAL

Nanny Notes

Welcome

Rain Rain

Get Creative

Nanny News

Nanny Interviews

Sharon ~ Ella

Lauren ~ Lara

Pip ~ Lisa

Parent Interviews

Rebecca

Penny ~ Working Mum’s

Masterclass

Agency Interviews

Dial an Angel

TwinEze

Gold Coast nannies

Mothercraft and Nannies

Nanny Share

Lullaby Nanny Share

Businesses *

Living Childcare

The Little Survival

Guide for Nannies

Meet a Sitter

My Manny

NannySure

Domestic Payroll

TACON

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This issue is going to blow your mind!

It certainly has ours.

The plan for The Nanny Nest was to invite some

fabulous people in the industry to be interviewed,

so you can all get to know each other, discover what

works for other nannies, families and to learn about

how the great agencies do things and what fabulous

new services are out there waiting for you.

It’s now become like the ultimate nanny street party.

And it seems everyone has come out for it –

all the invites said YES and you’re here now too!

Our very special thanks to all our nannies,

parent and business owners who agreed

to be interviewed for our launch magazine.

TACON has created The Nanny Nest to have a

place to share knowledge and contacts, and

a place where nannies can check in to be reminded

that what you do is one of THE most important jobs in

the world and that you truly ARE appreciated.

THANKYOU

ENJOY . . . .

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www.number1nanny.com.au

Australia’s first and free advice sharing website for Babysitters,

Nannies and Parents www.number1nanny.com.au

Online Courses

FREE advice for Nannies, Parents and

Babysitters

Supporting children’s charities and sponsoring

children

Giveaways and Discounts on all your favourite

baby brands

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Rain Rain . . . . . .

In honour of Mary poppins, we’ve found some terrific

umbrellas and wet weather gear for kids

All items are available through

www.playgroundprincess.com.au

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Let’s Get Creative

There are so many ideas around for getting

creative with kids.

One of my favourite places to store ideas is

PINTEREST.com

Now I can organise all the

ideas and things I plan

to do with kids and

it makes it easy to

access when I

need them quickly.

No more trying to

remember which book it was in!

Join us for our weekly Facebook Pinterest Challenge

Each Friday we’ll pick a challenge

or you can submit an idea to try.

FACEBOOK – Nannies Australia

(The Australian Consortium Of Nannies)

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NANNY NEWS

AUSTRALIAN NANNY ASSOCIATION

There is a new association for nannies in Oz.

Pop over to

www.australiannannyassociation.org

for details.

Newly formed in June 2012, the ANA seeks to be

the voice for the nanny community.

You can sign up to the newsletter on the website.

21 November 2012

It’s going to be a special date in nanny

history. TACON has a special

announcement to make.

With so much mystery surrounding the

nanny community, TACON will

‘open the gate’

on our sector of childcare.

Sign up to the TACON newsletter for

more details.

www.nanniesaustralia.com.au

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Meet

the

Nannies

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First up we speak to Sharon, this fabulous nanny has been working for the past 10 years, having wonderful opportunities to

work in the USA, Sydney, London and now her home town in Victoria. She’s

been working for her current family for some time now, she has her hands full

with two sets of twins and a school aged child to care for.

Like many nannies, Sharon always knew she wanted to work with children, but in

what way she wasn’t entirely sure.

How did you become a nanny? On graduating from High School I saw a brochure for ‘AuPair in America’ so I went along to the info night, loved what I heard and applied to the program. In

less than a month I was accepted and had families contacting me to work with them. I chose a family with 5 children and spent a year with them in Connecticut, and had the best time of my life! From this I decided to continue along this career path for quite a few years. What do you like most about nannying?

I love being able to be so involved in a child’s life (or children in my case), and becoming such an important part of the families lives. The rewards you get from the children, such as a simple smile, hug or when they learn to say your name is just amazing!

I would love to

see Nannies in

the future being

fully recognised

for ALL the hard

work and effort

we put into our

jobs, this would

mean fair pay

and working

conditions. We

work hard for

those lucky

families who

have us, and it

would be nice

for the wider

community to

understand what

we do, because

I can guarantee

we DO NOT sit

around and

simply play

games all day,

there is SO much

more involved than that.

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What do you like least about nannying? Sometimes being a Nanny is difficult when the parents undermine

what you say to the children. I am lucky with the family I currently work with that this doesn’t happen and I have been with this family for almost 5 years now!

TIPS FOR PARENTS Don’t take the Nanny for granted, tell her

how much you appreciate all her hard work by saying a simple thank you!

Be flexible just as the Nanny is for you, don’t

expect miracles, sometimes it is just impossible to get everything done

Respect your Nanny, after all she is often the

one helping to raise your children and running your home.

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THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE

THINGS . . . . What’s your favourite age group to work with? My first answer would be babies, I love babies. But then I think further, while babies are so cute to look at a toddler for example will start to sing songs with you, with such joy. A pre-schooler can do so much more, hold conversations with you and so on. I would then say I don’t have a favourite age as each age group has something wonderful to offer!

What’s one of you favourite things to do with children? We love going to the park and the Botanic Gardens, the children also love helping me take my dog for a walk. I love cooking with the children also, it’s a great learning experience and so fun that the children have no idea they are learning! Favourite craft activity?

We love making home-made playdough with different flavours, scents and textures.

Favourite recipe? Banana bread recipe would be a hit for sure, so easy to make and a nice healthy snack for school/kinder/creche

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TIPS FOR NANNIES

Be honest, be flexible and come prepared with a bag full of fun

educational activities for the children

TRAINING I hold a Bachelor Degree in Early Childhood Education, my Degree has helped me in planning more appropriate activities for the children. It has also helped me pick up on behaviour issues and special needs in the family (one child has mild Aspergers, that I picked up on) My Degree isn’t so important in my Nanny role at this point as I have been with the family for almost 5 years, however I am positive if I had to find a new Nanny role my Degree and experience would definitely be a positive for other families. I also teach Kindergarten p/t, so my Degree is more for that than the Nanny role. I undertake continuous Professional Development courses on topics

such as behaviour management, Early Years Learning Framework and First Aid related courses (CPR, Anaphylaxis, Emergency Asthma Management)

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Iddy Biddy Boo

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Ella

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Ella, a Victorian nanny, started casually about ten

years ago, but has been caring for children as a

professional nanny for 8 years now.

Like many other nannies, Ella fell into this line of

childcare by babysitting family, volunteering at

crèches and LOVED it.

What do you like most about nannying? I can’t imagine doing anything else!

There are so many things I love about my ‘job’

and it’s really difficult to put just one but I love the

trusting relationship I have with my employers to

organize the children’s day to accommodate

routine duties such as school pick-ups and have

the freedom to plan exciting ‘adventures’ with

the children that are age appropriate, relevant,

fun and educational.

What do you like least about nannying? Most days are great but I dislike working while

under the weather (not feeling well) ~ bosses are

very accommodating expecting very little on

these days or give me shorter hours ~ and a pet

hate is parents not following through. . .

Nanny Interview Ella

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What three tips could

you give parents

about keeping their

nanny long term? 1- Trust and respect your

nanny and keep the

communication open at

ALL times!

2- Pay your nanny

correctly as she is

entitled to the same as if

she worked in any other

field.

3- Voice your

appreciation, nannies

are socially isolated and

saying thanks can

sometimes make a

terrible day fabulous

TRAINING I hold a professional

nanny certificate& am

a post natal doula. I

found these covered

the basics but I have

learned much more

from professional

development, research

and hands on care.

Do you continue to train?

Constantly! I attend

seminars, professional

development, early

childhood study groups,

psychology groups,

read journals, parenting

books, early childhood

text books and network

with others in the field.

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Ella

TIPS FOR NANNIES • Be open, honest and

communicate with your

employers about any issues

and congratulate them on

doing a great job at raising

their children- parents aren’t

super hero’s and most need

a pat on the back!

• Cross the T’s and dot the I’s – have

a WWCC, first aid, get a contract,

write up permission slips and

medical release forms etc.

This will set you apart from

babysitters.

• Keep with the times, do

professional development,

read the latest journals,

attend seminars etc.

Child rearing has changed

in the last 20 years so don’t

get left behind.

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Ella

What’s one of you favourite things

to do with children? Anything outside from going to the children’s garden at

the royal botanical gardens, kicking a ball at the local

park, walking down the street showing the children

roses, agapanthus, birch trees and any other

plant we pass.

Favourite craft activity? I tend to do more science experiments but a favourite

would be collecting leaves, petals, and small flowers

then letting the children make pictures by sticking them

on contact paper.

Favourite recipe? Quinoa salad

Quinoa with anything fresh added in (avocado,

tomato, dried fruit, spinach, grated apple, mushrooms)

The future of nannying. . . What really bugs me is trying to let parents know you are

a professional nanny among many girls just doing it for

cash. I’ve also come across some amazing nannies who

just don’t know how to market themselves!

Maybe a good article to write is going in depth into

what parents expect to read and what parents really

don’t need to know ie. Studying business and looking for

extra cash, have 5 years experience. Why?!

It would also be great to get agencies to have a ‘sliding

pay rate’ for nannies and babysitters who have a

certain amount of experience.

Most professional nannies I know will not take a

babysitting job at $15.25 per hour as one agency quotes

and casual temp work pay is abysmal to say the least.

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Gorgeous Affordable

UPF 50+ Swimwear

for Nannies and Kids

www.BabesintheShade.com.au

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LAUREN.

When I finally made the decision to go

ahead with The Nanny Nest, there were a

few nannies that I wanted to highlight

because they were professional career

nannies.

One on the list was Lauren.

The reason she was extra special to me –

was that she founded a newsletter for

nannies a few years ago – JUST NANNIES.

It would arrive in the mail, a little folded

newsletter that was jam packed with

relevant information, some that I hadn’t

come across before and I eventually started

writing articles for.

Lauren’s approach is insightful,

relevant, honest and refreshing.

So here’s our chat with

Lauren, another very special

nanny.

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How long have you been

nannying? Wow !! Reading this question

and working back the years

. . . . . It's dawned on me that

I've been nannying for an

incredible 13 years !!!

And unbelievably I've helped

nanny over 25 wonderful children

on a full time / part time basis and

provided short term nannying/ babysitting

to many, many others in that time !!

What attracted you to the industry / what brought you

to the nanny sector?

What attracted me to nannying?

Well to be completely honest , I finished year 12 and knew

I wanted to work with children , but new centre based

care wasn't for me !!

Unbelievably , I opened the newspaper on this soul

searching day to see an add posted by a British/Aussie

family in the UK looking for an Aussie nanny ..... I didn't think

twice about applying ( thinking I don't stand a chance as I

have never nannied before and I have no training).

10 days later I was on my first ever long haul flight solo,

and as they say the rest is history !!

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What do you like most about nannying? The things I love about nannying are :

I guess I feel very humbled to know

that the parents of all the children

I have had in my care, have trusted

me implicitly to help raise and

nurture the apple/s of their eye,

and in turn obviously watching the

kids grow and l earn, being an integral part of all the "firsts" there's nothing more special !

What do you like least about nannying? The things that I don't like :

The hardest part of nannying for me is watching a little one

grow from baby to school age and then not being needed

anymore and having to say goodbye !!

That..... and parents who consistently can't get home from

work on time !!!

What’s your favourite age group to work with? My favourite age group to work with is without doubt

newborns !!

I have been very fortunate to maternity night nanny 2 sets of

twins and 3 single bubs .....

And I adored every moment of the sleep deprivation ......

( and I wonder why I have an addiction to coffee??!!) not to

mention all the bubs I’ve had under my nanny wing in the

normal daylight working hours !!!

Babies are incredibly fascinating..... They develop so quickly

in the first year of their life , it really is wonderful and very

special to be a part of allthat growth and development !

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Three tips for parents are : Communicate communicate

communicate !!!! Especially if you work

full time and are away from the family

unit 50 hours a week !!

Try at least once a week to come home

a tad early to have a proper catch up!!

The best thing my current employers do

for me is allow me to use my 13 years

knowledge to help dictate what our

routine is , and where possible,

they will also follow it in my absence ,

which means the kids have the same

consistent routine and discipline

methods 24/ 7 and it results in no one

trying to pull a fast one over who ever is

in charge !!

And lastly , treat your nanny like a part of

your family, yes they are an employee ,

but he/ she is nurturing your babies .....

And most likely washing your socks and

jocks ...... So be sure to relate with

them , not to them , include them in

family events like a birthday celebrations

whether required to work or not, and

support your nanny with any decisions

made in your absence.

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Is there anything

I'd love to add about nannying ? I can't believe how much

change has occurred in the

industry in such a short time!

Nannies getting paid "on

the books" is becoming

the norm with them

acquiring the rights to paid

superannuation !!! 13 years ago

when I first started nannying I was getting paid

by cash or cheque for $15 per hour and there

was absolutely not a thought about my tax

and super !! Now my employer pays me on a

salary , along with my super and tax, as well

as grants me my paid annual leave !!!

Yes there is still a long way to go in

systematically improving such conditions for

all nannies, having uniformity with the

standards from state to state etc but I feel

confident that with the fabulous advocates

we have, whom are working tirelessly on

amazing things for nannies, like this magazine

☺ we are defiantly on the right path to

encouraging and facilitating awareness that

will hopefully lead to some positive change for

all the career nannies out there ;)

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LARA I’ve known Lara for years and have admired

how she balances being a nanny and

running her own boutique nanny placement

agency.

I first met Lara years ago when we crossed

paths when TACON was a fledgling support

service.

We both have similar ideas about the nanny

industry.

So we put together a floating retreat for

nannies, a fabulous day out on the

Harbour, when half way through we

discovered that some of the nannies

suffered from seasickness (how’s that for

Dedication)!

We’ve lobbied and been called upon

by the media for expert opinions

over the years and Lara sat at

the Nanny Roundtable for the Inquiry

into Balancing Work and Family.

A sports nut – her charges are

always out and about enjoying

the Aussie sunshine.

Over the years I’ve seen her work

for some, interesting families.

You see Lara is one of those

nannies who can work for

families that some nannies run away from.

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She’s always open and honest which for some can be off

putting – but the families she works for appreciate her

frankness. She can handle those employers some find

intimidating in her stride.

Lara doesn’t suffer fools when it comes to agencies doing

the wrong thing either. There have been a few occasions

over the years where on learning that an agency owner is

avoiding following the Working With Children Check

protocols – Lara will front up with a friendly call and if they

insist the checks aren’t necessary – she’ll notify whatever

department that needs to know.

I love that she’s someone I can call and know that she’ll

have the regs for Working Visa’s or any other anomaly

rolling around in her head.

She does occasionally take time out for herself – as when I

requested a photo – this is what she sent.

She does have a sense of humour that her kids appreciate.

Having worked in the industry for well

over a decade, we are lucky to have

a dedicated nanny who believes that

the care and welfare of kids always

comes first.

Here’s a nanny who cares for kids

with passion, energy and where

nothing is a problem.

She definitely makes life

interesting and fun.

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Ad

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PIP – Australia’s Number 1 Nanny

Philippa Christian is one of those people who exudes

personality and enthusiasm. She’s one nanny who definitely

has a zest for life.

I had a long chat with Pip when looking for who was new in

the nanny world since I was in the sandpit 3 years ago.

I have to say, her plans for the future are exciting.

She had to be included in the launch issue – so here she is –

Australia’s Number 1 Nanny.

How long have you been nannying? It’s been well over twelve years since I started working with

children. I began babysitting in my first year of secondary

school and haven’t stopped since. While keeping up my

homework and assignments I still had time to get in quite a

few hours of babysitting during the week and at weekends.

It wasn’t a burden at all. When you love what you’re doing

the time just disappears.

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What brought you to the nanny sector? To tell you the truth, it found me! Like most kids I took

on an after school job and one afternoon my boss

asked me if I had done any babysitting? I am very

lucky to come from a large family and have three

younger siblings all of whom I helped to look after so I

said yes. Woops! His babysitter had cancelled for

that night and so that was it! I was thrown into the

deep end so to speak but after that one night, their

kids and I became such good friends that my boss

and his wife started going out a lot more often.

This is where it all began and after working for two

years and being recommended by the many new

friends I had made, my babysitting and nannying

address book boasted more than 100 families! Once I

left school I studied hotel management where I

thought I would find an exciting career path but even

though it was great fun and gave me the chance to

work in a really exciting industry, there was something

missing. With the advantage of a few more

years and some domestic experience,

I began nannying full time.

I’ve never looked back.

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What is the Number 1 Nanny all about? Number 1 Nanny is a service and a

charity that I started up over a year ago.

On the one hand, Number 1 Nanny

trains babysitters and nannies,

enabling them to learn new skills and

become qualified. I believe the education

of nannies is a vital and often overlooked area in our

industry. Many nannies have told me they find it difficult to

find formal training that is reliable, easy to understand and

practical. I hope to educate and mentor nannies in these

areas so that they feel safe, comfortable and ready to take

on any nanny role that comes their way.

My website www.number1nanny.com.au is a free parenting

and nannying advice website that is still in its early days. I

have plans to make it a comprehensive resource for all

parents and nannies.

On the other hand, parts of the proceeds from training

nannies go into sponsoring children from all of the countries

that I have visited.

Having been a nanny who has had to travel for work, I’ve

met so many children from different parts of the world that

are going through difficult times. Seeing all of these things

really changes your perspective on what is important in

life. I’ve always known that I would go back and help those

children one day, so I decided that through Number 1

Nanny I could start while I am still a nanny.

At the moment, Number 1 Nanny sponsors children and

supports children’s charities. I want to do a lot more than just

sponsoring children, I want to raise enough money for

children who are living in poverty to go to school and have a happier life that they deserve.

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What do you like most about nannying? The best question of all! Absolutely

everything! There are not many jobs in the

world today where you can wake up with a

smile because you know your day is going

to be filled with the fabulous fun of helping

children. I know it sounds crazy but there’s

nowhere on earth I would rather be than

helping a baby eat pureed pumpkin, giving

a lesson on tying shoelaces, pretending to

be a tiger hiding behind the couch or just

cuddling somebody who’s had a bad

dream. I just love working with children and

being there to help them.

There is nothing more

rewarding that being able

to show a little one how

to write their name, or

even give them the

confidence to do

something that

they thought they

couldn’t do.

Money can’t buy any of

those things. That’s how

a nanny can measure her

success. It’s a privileged

position because the children

you care for never forget you

and you remain friends for life.

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What do you like least about nannying? Well to be honest there are two

things I always have a problem

with but fortunately they don’t

come around that often. Saying

goodbye is definitely one of the

parts of the job I still find hard to

deal with. Children grow up

very quickly! There comes the

day where a nanny is not really

necessary anymore but

knowing that those children will

always have a place in my

heart and can contact me at

anytime makes the farewell a

little less sad.

The other part of the job I find

difficult is when you are caring

for a child or children who are

going through a hard time

either at school or at home –

bullying, parents divorcing,

etc. It’s never easy on you as a

nanny because some things are

really out of our reach. As a

nanny, to see any child crying

or feeling sad about something

they shouldn’t have to face is a

very difficult thing. Sometimes

you feel like crying yourself but

you need to be the strong one

and help them through it.

What three tips could you give parents about keeping their nanny long term? 1. Take a real interest

in your nanny – they

love to feel welcomed

into the family!

2. Treat your nanny as

a friend. The bond is

just as important with

parents as it is with

children and little ones

pick up on that very

quickly!

3. Be considerate. It’s

easy to cancel the

nanny sometimes if

you’ve changed your

plans but if something

comes up with the

nanny, realise that they

too have a life and

once in a blue moon

may not be able to

work. A bit of

understanding goes a

long way.

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You have had experience working with celebrity and high profile families – are there any special concerns when working with ‘famous’ families? Not really. It’s surprising how similar most families

are. I’ve worked for over a dozen celebrity families and

really the differences are more to do what happens

outside the home rather than in it! There are definitely

more holidays and you sometimes have to deal with

paparazzi. Learning to walk quickly through airports

and keeping every child in arms reach is a good lesson

to learn but most importantly keeping young children

settled and calm in strange and unfamiliar situations

always makes the job easier. These children often have

to deal with unwanted attention because of who they

are related to and often it can hurt them. Most people

are curious about ‘famous’ people and there are

always questions you cannot answer – this is one of the

reasons why I sometimes prefer not to tell a lot of

people who I have worked for, just to save those

questions from being asked. Sometimes high profile

families can have much higher expectations than

normal families and I think this is the main reason why I

have loved working with these families - I am always up

for a challenge!

What three tips could you give nannies about being a professional nanny? 1. Make it clear from the start that you love what you do.

A confident nanny is a great nanny. 2. Be the best role model you can be. Children can be great imitators, so give them something great to imitate! 3. Be a friend. This is the tip of all tips! When you are seen as someone approachable, fun, friendly and caring, every child will

want to be your best friend.

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If you are trained – how has your training helped you (and what qualifications do you hold)? Yes, I’m trained as a nanny and my training has helped me in

so many ways. I have pediatric first aid training, a number of

specific nannying qualifications that I have gained over the

years, Certificate 3 in Children’s Services and other child

related qualifications that specialise in child psychology, baby

nurse training, sleep guidance for babies, safe babysitting

courses, caring for multiples, potty training courses and so

on. I am also six months away from completing a double

degree in Early Childhood and Primary School teaching which

I am very excited about.

Related experience has also helped enormously. Working in

many childcare centres and voluntary after school activity

organisations has helped me gain a lot of really worthwhile

knowledge that I can rely on. I also work as a consultant at

the Australian Nanny Co. and enjoy teaching others about

what I love to do best.

Do you continue to train? Oh yes, I definitely do continue to train and enjoy learning as

much as I can. Whether it is training through courses,

certificates, talking to professionals in the industry, reading

childcare books or even just researching on the internet -

when you are very passionate about something and you

need to train for it, it’s not hard work at all!

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What’s your favourite age group to work with? I don’t have a favourite age group to work with really,

originally it was babies of course and then later I loved 3 year

olds and other times I have loved 13 year olds. There are so

many great characteristics of all ages. It’s very hard to

choose.

What’s one of you favourite things to do with children? I love to make them laugh. Sometimes it can be difficult

especially when you’re a new face but after a while, most

children feel better about you if you can make them laugh. A

story or a play activity where Barbie might fall in the mud! Who

knows – even a game of good old Stare Bear can usually do

it!

Favourite craft activity? My favourite craft activity is actually something my Mum use

to make with me when I was a little girl. This has worked very

well for me over the years! You need two pieces of paper, or

two pieces of cardboard (whatever you have around the

house), a glue stick, some scissors and a black texta. On one

of the pages, you draw a big house divided with many rooms

– a bathroom, some bedrooms, a living room, etc and in each

room you draw what you would usually find in that

room. Using your scissors, you cut around each item leaving it

to be like a flap that opens. You can cut along 3 sides of the

fridge door, same with the freezer, the oven, the kitchen

cupboards, etc and then you stick the other sheet of paper or

cardboard behind it. The child can then open those flaps and

draw what should be inside. For example, in the fridge they

can draw milk, eggs, cheese, etc., in the oven they might like

to draw a chicken or a cake, in the kitchen cupboards they

could draw some plates and cups. It’s a simple idea but has

been proved to work well.

Page 37: The Nanny Nest

Favourite recipe? One recipe in particular that has been a major success for

me is Annabel Karmel’s ‘Cinderella’s Pumpkin Soup’. I like this

recipe because it manages to cater for children who love to

eat and also those occasional fussy eaters.

Annabel Karmel’s ‘Cinderella’s Pumpkin soup’

15g unsalted butter 6-7

months +

50g white part of a leek, washed and sliced

Makes 3-4 portions

225g pumpkin, peeled and cut into cubes

Cooking time: 32 minutes

150ml vegetable or chicken stock

Suitable for freezing

Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the leek until soft and lightly golden. Add the pumpkin and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil and then simmer, covered with a lid, for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Puree in a blender, or

mash with a fork for older babies.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about the nanny industry or yourself? The nannying profession is becoming

more and more popular every day in our country and while

we don’t have a payment award, we don’t have work

rights or even a recognition week like they do for nannies in

other countries, it would be wonderful to see more people

willing and wanting to enter the industry. As nannies, we do

what we do for children and that’s the way it needs to be. I

believe that having more education opportunities available

for people interested in becoming nannies will help produce

the best carers for our children – something we would all

benefit from.

Page 38: The Nanny Nest

Here’s a hearty dose of wacky

word play and mathematical

merriment for Australian children.

Introducing Mm is for me; a

collection of phonics based

clothing and accessories for kids.

www.mmisforme.com.au

Page 39: The Nanny Nest

LISA

Lisa is a nanny working in Sydney – just back from a

trip with her Mum – she gives us an idea about life

with Sydney families.

How long have you been nannying? I started babysitting for a family in 2001 with 3 young

children in Chatswood. There was a new born boy, a 2 year

old boy and a gorgeous 4 years old girl. I helped the

parents out babysitting during the day, during pre-school

drop off and pick ups.

I also did 2 overnight stays. I babysat for the family over the

years as the kids all grew up.

I still keep in contact with the family who moved to Macua

for the father’s work. They are now living in Perth, having

again moved for work. The eldest girl is now 15 years old

and is at boarding school in Sydney.

I still keep in contact with her and am planning to take her

out to the movies soon.

In 2008 I started nannying full time for a family with 3 young

girls in Balmain East. I was employed with this family for just

over 3 years.

Page 40: The Nanny Nest

What attracted you

to the industry? I started in 2001 just

as a babysitter for

the first family in

Chatswood over

the years I started

working as a casual

child care employee with Willoughby Council.

Working in before and after school car, long day

care and school holiday programs.

When I completed my Bachelor of Arts Degree in

2001 I continued to babysit for families on the

weekend and began working in a long day care

center.

In 2008 I started as a full time nanny. I guess you

could say it was a love of working with children.

Page 41: The Nanny Nest

What do you

like most about

nannying? Being able to help

out a busy family

buy caring for

their children. The

children give you

such warm and

fuzzy feelings as

you watch them

grow before your

eyes

What do you like least

about nannying?

The lack of respect in the

community and

from the parents.

Alot of parents do

appreciate your hard work

but do still view you as the

hired help and the

community thinks that

all we do all day is

play with kids!

Page 42: The Nanny Nest

TIPS FOR

PARENTS

Respect

Appreciation

and Open

Communication

TIP FOR

NANNIES

Try not to think

of yourself as

part of the

family.

You are just

the hired help

If you are trained – how has

your training helped you (and

what qualifications do you

hold)? I have no qualification yet only

experience I am currently

studying my Certificate 3

through OTEN

What’s one of you favourite things

to do with children? Getting them out of the house

for a walk to the park. Just being

outside in the fresh air is so

invigorating for both you

and the child

Favourite craft activity? Painting. You can do finger

painting or paint their feet or

simply paint pictures of

colouring in books. I often get

the child to put their hand prints

on the paper and then I write

the child’s name and date. It is

cool to do every 6 months and

see the growth of the child and

their hand and their hand

writing skills

Favourite recipe? Small spiral pasta, can of tuna,

can of corn cobs and small dab

of tomato pasta sauce and serve!.

Page 43: The Nanny Nest

Is there anything else you’d like to add

about the nanny industry? With the family that I was employed with for 3

years at the interview I was told there would

be light housework involved but that they had

a cleaner.

Over the years I was happy to iron the kids

clothes and do some light house work.

In 2011 their cleaner quit. As the girls were all

grown up and at school and pre-school I was

asked if I could come into work and just do

housework and ironing.

I was happy to do that but the amount of

ironing and housework was too much.

If a family wants a nanny to help out with the

housework and ironing please advertise for a

housekeeping role.

Page 44: The Nanny Nest

Ad

Page 45: The Nanny Nest

Meet

the

Parents

Page 46: The Nanny Nest

Let’s call her Rebecca. At first, this particular parent didn’t want to share her

story and be identified. When I explained the importance

of sharing our stories – she gave the OK.

You see – ‘Rebecca’s’ arrangement is common within

the nanny industry, it’s the side of the industry that many

don’t want to admit is out there.

Rebecca has two young children aged 9 months and 3

years. She has a nanny who lives in, originally had

planned on an aupair – but a nanny applied and is

perfect for them.

Rebecca’s nanny is 22 years old, has her Cert III and

LOVES her job and her family. She feels valued and

appreciated – has flexibility where it’s possible and has

an ensuite and separate entrance – sounds like a dream

arrangement?

The downside is that Rebecca pays her nanny cash –

and just $350 per week.

Her hours fluctuate as Rebecca and her husband work

on 3 week shifts, never knowing what will be happening –

her nanny holds the fort and fits in with their chaotic

routine.

Some weeks she works 20 hours – others she works 80.

My first reaction is “this is not right”.

But ~ the nanny is happy – so is the family.

I asked the nanny if she was really happy – or just happy

to have a job.

Page 47: The Nanny Nest

Financially, she says she’s better off.

By the time she had to pay rent, amenities and upkeep a

home – she’d have to live on the outskirts of Sydney and

probably not be near her friends – she says in her last job,

she’d have $70 to play with at the end of the week.

She’s saving for an overseas holiday and puts $100 away

on Superannuation because her Dad told her to.

(THANKYOU DAD).

On the down side, she doesn’t pay tax, can’t go for a bank

loan but doesn’t see that as an issue as she owns her own

car. She sees the upside as being the extra money in her

pocket, being near her friends and living in a leafy North

Shore suburb.

The relationship she has with Rebecca and her husband is

good.

For the family, they have consistent care for the next 12

months (that will bring it to two years).

When pregnant with her second baby, being just on the

cusp of receiving a childcare subsidy – having their

children cared for at home makes more sense financially,

she knows her carer will be there when they need to leave

or work, there’s no disruption for their children when the

sniffles come and go, and this style of care gives them

peace of mind when it comes to their changing rountines.

The cost to the family is the risk of being caught out for

employing someone and not paying their entitlements,

paying an extra $30 a week for care (after looking at

subsidies and fees at $450 per week per child).

Page 48: The Nanny Nest

The only other area that impacts them is having

someone in their home.

For Rebecca and her husband – they are willing to give

up their ensuite and master bedroom, so the nanny can

have some privacy and the housework is shared by all

three adults.

This arrangement seems to work for them all.

But it’s not approved of by the industry or the

government.

When I asked Rebecca if she’d be willing to pay her

nanny properly if the Child Care Rebate was accessible

to nannies – she answered ‘YES’ without a thought.

It’s the difference between being able to be

comfortable financially. At the end of the day – most of

her wages go into paying her nanny – they have put off

major home renovations – but the quality of care and

knowing that their kids don’t have to have different forms

of care on different weeks (and paying extra for care

when both Mum and Dad are home) are the main

reasons they have chosen this option.

Let us know what you think on Facebook

Page 49: The Nanny Nest
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PENNY I first came across Penny when I attended a Working Mums

Masterclass morning in Brisbane.

She had 3 fabulous speakers – so I thought it would be

worth the one and a half hour drive to attend.

All I’ll say is this girl knows how to throw an event.

I noted once when reading her hilarious blog – ‘Shh,

mummy’s on the phone’ that she mentioned that she had

a nanny. Ah – she immediately went on the list, for parents

to interview. Penny’s family employs a private nanny once

a week.

She’s funny, honest, open and juggles a million things at

the same time. A typical nanny employer.

With great delight – here’s Penny’s story.

What is your area of work? I founded and now run the Working Mums MASTERCLASS –

live and online events for working mums.

Location? We have run events in Sydney and South East

Queensland. We are looking

to expand to Victoria and

South Australia in 2013.

How long have you employed

nannies? On and off since 2011.

Page 51: The Nanny Nest

How many nannies have you employed?

3 Nannies

What are the main duties your nanny undertakes? Our

current nanny just focuses on the children. I have been

really busy with work lately and I wanted to make sure the

kids felt comfortable and confident in our nanny’s care.

She focuses on engaging and entertaining them.

What is the best thing about having a nanny?

I can walk out the door confident in the knowledge

that the kids will have a fun, interactive day with

someone who enjoys hanging out with them.

It means I can focus on my work (I do a lot of

training and live events,

so if I’m not focused,

I don’t get rehired).

Sometimes it can be

‘too good’.

My kids ask me when

‘Lauren Day’ is, they

look forward to her

coming so much.

Page 52: The Nanny Nest

Have you had any negative experiences?

I initially paid a friend, who had experience

as a nanny, to help out with the kids.

The lines between friendship and employee

got blurred and it resulted in the friendship

being damaged a little.

I have also found it difficult

to find a nanny. One of the

agencies I used had a large

selection of nannies to

choose from online, but

when I got in contact with a

number of them there

was no response.

I rang one nanny who had

her resume on line and was

told not to bother her again

because now she’s

changed careers.

Okay, then take your

resume offline!

I also had a casual nanny

last year who asked

whether I could change my

work hours because she

had an interview to attend

for another nanny job.

Um no.

Page 53: The Nanny Nest

Is there anything you would you like to see change in the

nanny sector? Definitely more regulation around the sector in relation to

qualifications, skillsets etc. I believe there are some great

nanny agencies out there who could do this if they work

together.

It would mean that the excellent nannies are rewarded and

acknowledged for the career choice they make.

It could also mean that less skilled and experienced people

could not just say that they’re a nanny.

It would help potential clients benchmark the skills and

qualifications of the people who will be looking after their

children.

What would your perfect nanny look like? Engaged and switched on. Energetic and fun. Assertive and

serious when she needs to be.

Our gorgeous nanny brings games, makes things

with the kids and can run a

hot lap on

Gran Turismo!

Page 54: The Nanny Nest

Do you think it’s important for nannies to hold

qualifications? It’s peace of mind for parents and it means that we can

benchmark the skillsets of nannies against each other. It

helps us compare. I am happy to pay more if the nanny has

more qualifications.

First Aid is a must for us. We have it, so the nanny should too.

And completed or currently completing studies in Early

Childhood or a related / educational field says to me that

the nanny is serious about working with children.

Did you use an agency to find your current nanny? Yes, we did.

Have you been happy with your agency experiences?

Yes, this is the third agency I have worked with.

The first two I found did not provide me with a high calibre

of choices.

Our current agency is a smaller operation, so I spoke to the

owner directly and was able to give her a really good brief

on what I was after. She actually didn’t have anyone in our

area available, but still managed to provide us with a nanny

(who drives some way to spend Wednesdays with us).

We negotiated a higher pay rate to accommodate this,

which I am more than happy to pay because the agency provided such good service and the nanny is so good.

Page 55: The Nanny Nest

www.fourzero.com.au

your baby deserves the

best welcome in life

hand made ~ ethically made

australian made

specialist newborn clothes made

from quality organic bamboo and cotton.

Page 56: The Nanny Nest

Meet

the

Agencies

Page 57: The Nanny Nest

Danielle Robertson

We are most fortunate to have interviewed Danielle

Robertson CEO of Dial an Angel.

Does your agency have a specialty? Established in 1967, we have been providing specialised

recruitment and casual assistance to private clients in their

own homes, Our services cover neonatal care and

mothercraft nursing, day and evening childcare,

professional nannies and housekeepers, domestic

cleaning, aged and disability care right through to

palliative care in the home.

What locations are serviced ? are Brisbane, Toowoomba,

Gold and Sunshine Coasts in

QLD, Newcastle, Central Coast

and the entire Sydney

metropolitan areas (west to the

Blue Mountains and as far

South as Wollongong and

Southern Highlands), Canberra

/ Queanbeyan, Melbourne,

Adelaide and Perth

Metropolitan areas.

We can recruit specifically for

clients requirements for eg, we

recently placed two nannies in

Rockhampton for a client.

Page 58: The Nanny Nest

What is different about your agency? Established 45 years, we are the longest operating Home

Help Agency in Australia. We are still Australian owned and

family operated. We are a ‘one stop’ shop for families.

How long have you employed nannies? 45+ years

In your opinion, what sorts of people employ nannies?

People who may not have any family support; people who

work shift work; single parents returning to the work force,

families who have multiple births or several young children,

others who may employ a nanny on a part time basis and

use relatives or day care on the other days. It’s not just so

called ‘rich’ people who have professional childcare in

their homes but people who feel it is the best option.

What is the best thing about having a nanny? Educational benefits, one on one care ratio, great for

extended hours, when the child is sick or during holiday /

vacation time.

Do you think it’s important for

nannies to hold

qualifications? Experience is far more

important than qualifications

but more opportunities arise if

the person has qualifications in

addition to experience

(minimum three years required through DIAL-AN-ANGEL).

Page 59: The Nanny Nest

Have you had any negative

experiences? Some clients have attempted to

exploit professional childcarers

by enticing them in on high

hourly rates only to negotiate

down once the job has been

offered.

Also, Aupairs are often used as

“professional childcarers” when

they should only be used as a

‘mothers’ helper’, not being left

with sole charge of young

children. An Au Pair is for a

Cultural Exchange only and

they should only be working for

up to 20 hours per week.

Is there anything you would you like to see change in

the nanny sector? It would be good if the 50% rebate were extended to in

home care. The Professional Childcarer would need to

be registered, the Family would need to be registered,

more PAYG tax would be paid to the Government

instead of cash economy when no tax is paid. It would

professionalise the industry if Nannies were screened

through Accredited / Quality Agencies rather than on

line portals putting the childcarers and the clients at risk.

The home is now regarded as a work place and risk

assessments should be undertaken prior to placement.

Page 60: The Nanny Nest

What would your perfect nanny look like? Positive attitude (not just about the money!), more than three

years’ experience, qualifications would be good but not

essential, more than 19 years of age, flexible availability,

experience with children suffering from disorders such as

Autism, ADHD etc, experience in developing educational

care plan for the children, ability to swim, drive a vehicle in

addition to a current Senior First Aid certificate, Clear police

Clearance and Working with Children Check (where state

laws allow).

What sort of things should parent look for in a good

agency? Ensure they are reputable (look at how long they have been

established). Check their website as to who the owners are

and the history of the organisation. Check testimonials on the

website. Make sure it is operated from professional offices

and not from a mobile phone.

Ensure they cover the casual worker for all insurances (sight a

Certificate of Currency for Public Liability and Workers

Compensation Insurances) Superannution and tax (unless the

client becomes the employer and then becomes responsible

for all the employee entitlements). It doesn’t take long for

people to realise that an Agency is legitimate.

Dial an Angel’s Contact Details.

DIAL-AN-ANGEL Ptd Limited

Suite 21, Edgecliff Mews, 201 New South Head Road,

Edgecliff NSW 2027

www.dialanangel.com

Phone: 1300 721 111

Email; [email protected]

Page 61: The Nanny Nest

Ad

Page 62: The Nanny Nest

Hamey Hamey Glennon – Owner of TwinEze & NannEze I first met Hamey at a Brisbane baby expo. Sidling up

to have my usual chat about screening and

standards of applicants, I was immediately

impressed not only with her expectations, but also

her business ideas. Many nannies start agencies but

without a strong vision for

their business, not too many

are still operating after a

year or two.

TwinEze has a vision.

So a little bit about my story and how “TwinEze”

came to be……

I finished year 12 at the very young age of 16! I had

always been the ‘go to’ babysitter for family and

friends, all the way through my school years. Then,

when it came to making a decision about what I

wanted to do with the rest of my life? At the time, I

had absolutely NO idea!!

I started a degree part time, whilst I was working as a “Learn to Swim” teacher and part time Nanny.

I started to think about where I could

take Nannying in the future

Page 63: The Nanny Nest

Hamey Working with children was

really where I saw my life

taking me. I continued to

Nanny in Brisbane, until a

job opportunity came up in

Switzerland.

My Nannying experiences

overseas were amazing!!

I learned so much, made

wonderful friends as well

and really started to think

about where I could take

“Nannying” in the future.

After two years living

abroad and working with

some fantastic families, I

decided it was time to

come back to Australia and

really start working on my

future. Most of the positions

I held in Europe were with

Newborns and a few sets of

Twins; so coming back to

Australia, I knew I wanted

to continue to work with

Newborns and if I could get

work with Multiples, that

would be an added bonus!

Page 64: The Nanny Nest

Hamey

When back in Brisbane, the word spread that I was

back and I had been working with multiples

overseas – I was then fortunate enough to work

with two terrific families that were expecting

multiples. After accepting these positions, I

decided that this was really what I wanted to do,

and came up with a business name for myself –

“TwinEze”.

“TwinEze” was originally just a brand for myself, but

after no time at all, it appeared that I didn’t have

enough hours in the day, to keep up with all the

Brisbane families who needed help.

Since 2008 “TwinEze” has grown from a name for

myself, to an Agency that now helps families with

multiples, all around Australia. “TwinEze” has been

amazing to watch it grow and has also been

fantastic to meet all the wonderful Nannies who

have joined our Agency – and share the same

passion as I do. We have helped hundreds of

families around Australia with Night Nannies,

Babysitters, Sleep Routine and Guidance,

Maternity Nurses and much more.

“TwinEze” is definitely something I am very proud

of starting, it has been something I hope Nannies

have enjoyed being a part of and importantly,

something families have found to be a great

service!

I am very passionate about the industry and am

excited to see where “TwinEze” can grow in the

future.

Page 65: The Nanny Nest

Hamey Does your agency have a specialty? TwinEze is an Agency which specialises in the care

of multiples.

Locations Serviced

TwinEze originally started

off as a Brisbane based

Company, but over the

past 4 years we have

expanded our services

to also include Brisbane,

Gold Coast, Sunshine

Coast, Sydney, Melbourne

and Darwin.

We are expanding more

and more all the time.

We have extended our services to families that

really need the help, so we are constantly

expanding our areas and services to meet their

needs.

What is different about your agency? The big difference with our agency is that we strive

to be as flexible as possible.

We understand that multiples can be very

challenging and we want to be there as a support

to the parents, however it is needed.

We also specialise in Night Nannies, Routine and

Sleep Guidance as well as our babysitting services.

Page 66: The Nanny Nest

Hamey In your opinion, what sort of people employ nannies? With our agency we have found that the type of

people that call us for support are those that

are becoming parents for the first time or families

who already have young children and have

multiples on the way.

Also families where both parents are planning on

returning to work at some point, but our main

cliental are simply the families that need our

support.

Is there anything you would you like to see change in

the nanny sector? TwinEze would love to see more government

funding put into Night Nannies. We feel that this is

such an important factor when bringing multiples

home and trying to get them integrated into the

family routine and sleep patterns. We think that

more of a rebate should be given to families lucky

enough to experience the joy of their multiples, as

there is such a financial strain with any new

addition/s, and sleep is so important for everyone

in the household.

Stand at the

Brisbane PBC

Expo

Page 67: The Nanny Nest

Hamey Do you think it’s important for nannies to hold qualifications? First Aid, Child Development etc.

When recruiting for the TwinEze Nannies, we ensure

that ALL of our staff hold current First Aid, CPR, Blue

Cards and must have relevant experience (which is

tailored to our clients’ specific needs).

We feel that this is extremely important, as it shows a

commitment and passion to their work, whilst also

giving our clients an added peace of mind, for the

care of their precious children.

What sort of things should parent look for in a good

agency?

When looking for an agency, I believe that parents

should be trying to find one that fits most of their

needs. Ultimately, a preferred agency is one that is

reliable, flexible and understanding towards a family’s

situation. The agency needs to be affordable and

approachable to build a relationship with, so they

understand and meet your children’s needs and

address your concerns. The ability to rebook the same

Nanny is a plus, as children and babies build a bond

with their carers. I think this is why we have been so

successful with our clients, listening to their problems

and understanding their needs are KEY to any good

relationship.

TwinEze 07 38704416 [email protected] www.twineze.com.au www.nanneze.com.au

Page 68: The Nanny Nest

Inspiring learning is all about finding the right

balance between education and fun.

The Mm is for me collection engages children

with a selection of imagery, cleverly

incorporated into personalized clothing,

cushions and wall stickers.

www.mmisforme.com.au

Page 69: The Nanny Nest

Georgie Crane runs an agency in one of Australia’s

favourite holiday destinations - servicing the entire

Gold Coast from as north as Ormeau all the way

down to Kingscliff, Northern NSW.

Not only does Georgie run her agency – she also

has a busy family to look after.

We had a chat to get to know her a bit better

What is different about your agency? I represent the interests both the

families and the nannies.

It’s vital in this industry that

all parties are happy and

well represented so that

the nannies become an

extended part of the family.

As a boutique agency I am

able to provide a personalised

service.

How long have you employed nannies? I have owned Gold Coast Nannies since

October 2011, prior to this the previous owner

established the Agency in 2007.

GOLD COAST NANNIES –

Georgie Crane

Page 70: The Nanny Nest

In your opinion, what sort of people

employ nannies? There is no specific criteria of

people employing nannies. I have placed

nannies where the parents are on-call doctors,

pilots, single parents, full time students or even

just mothers just needing some time out once or

twice a week. A lot of the time it can be young

couple who have just relocated to the Gold

Coast and don’t have a strong family support group at hand. What is the best thing about having a nanny?

The flexibly for the parents and child. Each

child is different and therefore the nanny

can implement daily activities based on

the child’s emotional, physical and

intellectual needs.

Page 71: The Nanny Nest

Is there anything you would you like to see

change in the nanny sector?

Besides having uniformity in the industry with

national standards in place to be a

professional nanny I do believe the child care

rebate should be extended to include nannies.

What would your perfect nanny look like? I would like my ideal nanny to be a fun loving,

caring person and fill in as the ‘substitute mum’

when I am not around.

It’s important to choose

a nanny whom reflects

your beliefs and

personality traits and

always has an open line

of communication.

My family live a healthy,

active lifestyle and living

on the Gold Coast we

spend most of our time

outdoors, so the nanny

would need to be

active, creative and

nurturing!

www.goldcoastnannies.com.au

Mobile 0431 301 916

[email protected]

Page 72: The Nanny Nest

Do you think it’s important for nannies to hold qualifications? I think it is important to regulate the industry and set in place

national standards and guidelines for nannies and agencies

to help alleviate inexperienced nannies passing themselves of

to families as experienced child carers. With this in mind,

nannies with formal qualifications are better equipped to

handle any type of situation that may arise.

They should know what to look out for in terms of

development and growth and how to

handle personality differences and

physical limitations etc based on age.

A good nanny should have a mix of

qualifications and experience.

Each family is different, however

I would feel more comfortable

knowing my nanny has been

professionally trained and has

worked with children for a

minimum of two years.

What sort of things should parent look for in a good

agency? Parents need to have good, honest and open

communication with the Agency so they have a clear

understanding of what the family’s dynamics are and what

they are looking for from a nanny. They should call around

other agencies and compare each one based on their

policies and procedures they use to hire/ select each nanny

and what type of reference/background checks are

conducted. Ask the agency to provide you with a few

references from other families who have used their service

and well as look out for how their fees are structured, what

they offer clients and whether you receive ongoing support

once a nanny has been placed with the family.

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Centenary

Page 74: The Nanny Nest

Mothercraft &

Nannies

Mothercraft and Nannies has been an institution in

the Sydney nanny world for a few decades now.

Here’s your chance to learn a little more about the

fabulous team behind Mothercraft & Nannies

Does your agency have a specialty?- We provide experienced Babysitters, Casual and Permanent Nannies and Mothercraft Nurses Locations Serviced - Sydney Metropolitan. We also provide casual live-in Nannies and Mothercraft Nurses Nationally and Internationally. What is different about your agency (background/service etc)? We have been established for 24 years. All our Nannies/Babysitters/Mothercraft Nurses are interviewed face to face and are put through a thorough screening process. Along with our nannies, we have the largest pool of Mothercraft Nurses throughout Australia. The agency is run by a Mothercraft Nurse who is a mother to 5 children so understands the requirements a family would need.

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In your opinion, what sort of people employ nannies? A variety of clients ranging from busy career parents to

busy mums at home who need someone working

alongside them.

What is the best thing about having a nanny? The flexibility for parents not to have time constraints.

Have the household still running while parents are out of

the house (meals cooked, washing etc.). If the child was

ill and in day care the parents would need to make

alternate arrangements – having a nanny alleviates this.

Have you had any negative experiences? Sometimes there are personality conflicts between the

nanny and family. Sometimes the job description

changes to what the nanny initially thought it was and

this can cause distension.

Is there anything you would you like to see change in

the nanny sector? As there is a huge demand for childcare we would love

to see families get access to the childcare tax rebate so

it would be a more affordable option and shorten the

extensive waiting lists at daycare centres.

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What would your perfect nanny look like? The ideal nanny would be your regular “Mary

Poppins”. They would be happy and readily

available at all times.

Do you think it’s important for nannies to hold

qualifications? First Aid, Child Development etc. – It would certainly

give them a preference when putting them forward

to our clients. They should earn a higher rate for the

experience they have and the study they have

achieved.

What sort of things should parent look for in a good

agency? Good communication and listening skills.

Being able to build a rapport with the client as they

are looking for carers for the most precious people to

them. Understanding what the client is requiring.

Mothercraft and

Nannies

02 9663 4570 [email protected] www.mothercraft.com.au

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Meet

a

Nanny

Share

Service

Page 79: The Nanny Nest

Nanny Options – There are two cheaper alternatives in the nanny

realm that not many families are aware of – Nanny

Share and Nanny Mummies.

I have been both and they were some of the best

years in my nanny career.

A Nanny Share arrangement is where two or more

families ( in my case – three) share the care of a

nanny. Depending on the nanny’s experience will

dictate how many children and the location of the

care .

The location of care may swap between houses .

The best thing about nanny care is the flexibility –

the parents set the boundaries and the nanny

takes it from there.

A Nanny Mummy is usually an experienced nanny

who wants to continue in her career after having

her own children. You can read my personal

journey at the end of the magazine – but for most

nannies, they just continue on with the family that

they were caring for when they fell pregnant. It

means that there is consistency in care for the

family and also consistency in work for the nanny –

the kids usually get along well and it’s a mutually

rewarding relationship. Only children have the

opportunity to build up social relationships – but

have mum and dad all to themselves when they

are home. In this issue – we meet the girls from

Lullaby Nanny Share.

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Lullaby Nanny Share offers families a service with a

difference. They take care of the whole process

and employ the nannies.

We caught up with Nikita Cosgrave & Rachel

Russell to learn about this unique service for Sydney

families.

What brought you to having a share nanny agency?

We have both worked as professional nannies and met

many wonderful families along the way. We built up great

relationships with many families, that families would call us

every week asking if we could work or if we knew of any

nanny friends seeking work. This led us to opening our own

small business. Rachel and I have both many years of

experience working in a nanny share arrangement.

Through this we understand what families need, what

nannies need and what’s best for children. Being a nanny

is our passion as we love children and have been very

lucky to have been accepted into so many wonderful

families. This is why we felt there was a gap in the Sydney

Nanny Agency market for a Nanny Share Arrangement

agency that devotes itself to matching families and

finding a suitable nanny.

Page 81: The Nanny Nest

Does your agency have a specialty?

We specialise in Nanny Share arrangement.

This is when 2 families come together and share the cost

of a nanny saving on childcare costs.

As we are not a referral agency we employ the nannies,

offering them a professional service that allows them to

be paid superannuation, tax and insurance.

Our rates are affordable allowing families to still have the

benefit of a qualified nanny that’s not too expensive.

Childcare is very expensive on families and we want to

make it easier by offering an affordable solution.

What is different about your agency ?

Our Agency offers affordable childcare solutions.

We are not a referral agency which means we do not

ask families to pay any upfront payments or ongoing

membership payments.

They just pay for the services of the nanny which is a small

hourly rate of $15.40 per hour for nanny share

arrangement/per family per hour.

We keep in constant communication with all our families

and nannies and build the best relationships we can.

Locations Serviced

Lullaby Nanny Share services to

all areas of Sydney.

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How long have you employed

nannies?

Lullaby Nanny Share have

been open nearly 1 year

now. We have been

employing nannies with our

agency everyday through

the year. As Nanny Share

arrangement is becoming

very popular throughout

Sydney, our business has

had to employ over 100

nannies to date both full

and part time, casual and

temporary positions. We

have built up great

relationships with nannies

and have continued to

employ the same nannies as

they are very dedicated to

our services.

In your opinion, what

sort of people employ

share nannies?

In my opinion there is

no ‘sort’ of person that

employs share nannies.

Our families that

require a share

arrangement look to

employ share nannies

for all sorts of reasons.

They choose share

nannies or to share

their nanny to save on

childcare costs, for

their child to socialise

with other children that

have simular age and

interests and also to

meet new people and

make new friends. We

have many ‘sorts’ of

families form all areas

of Sydney that we

cater to.

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What is the best thing about having a nanny? From our experience and from the feedback we

receive from our families, the best thing about

having a nanny is the reassurance that your child is

getting that one on one attention that he or she

needs. It takes a special person to look after your

children and ask any nanny that their job is very

personal to them. The nanny will love your children

and the children will love their nanny.

Have you had any negative experiences? We haven’t had any negative experiences which

comes down to proper planning and organisation in

finding the right nanny for any particular position.

Most of all listening to what exactly the family wants

and making sure they have it. We have received a

lot of great feedback from our families in both nanny

share arrangements and sole charge arrangements

which have been very positive.

Niki Cosgrave &

Rachel Russell

Ph 02 9388 9097

www.lullabynannyshare.com.au

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Meet

the

Businesses

Page 86: The Nanny Nest

LIVING Childcare

I have a very special friend. Lisa Marie Cheal.

We first met years ago when Lisa had had enough of

nannying. Her conditions were becoming quite extreme

and Lisa, the softly spoken nanny – was considering

leaving.

Once she learnt to speak up for herself by using some

practical strategies to approach her employers – there

was no holding her back.

Lisa has travelled all over the world with her nanny families

– she’s had me in hysterics regaling tales of portable

cardboard cots and her efforts to ease long haul flights

with children.

Her amazing feats have inspired me – but the one person I

turn to first when I have a child development question is

Lisa, her knowledge is extraordinary, as she is just like a

curious 4 year old and always learning.

I had heard of Steiner, Montessori and a few other

childcare philosophers – but when Lisa shared with me the

thoughts and concepts behind Magda Gerber’s beliefs –

which align with the way I have seen kids develop over

the years – I was one happy nanny.

Page 87: The Nanny Nest

Lisa Marie Cheal That’s one of the special things about Lisa Marie –

she’s always sharing and researching the field of

childcare.

She’s one amazing expert.

Now Lisa is caring for groups of children in a centre

environment as she finishes yet another course in child

development – with a view to supporting the carers in

the industry and ensuring that not only the kids have a

great environment to grow in – but that the carers

need a similar nurturing source to turn to – which is

where her website www.livingchildcare.com comes

in.

Lisa has been sharing her ideas with carers for some

years through a blog site – but now with the

advancing technology of the internet – she has come

up with something pretty amazing.

So if you are after info on child

development –

head on over

and

have

a look.

More about

What Lisa

Is up to in the

Next issue.

Lisa in the Northern Star

Page 88: The Nanny Nest

The Little Survival Guide for Nannies

There is a fabulous little book for nannies to help them

through the daily ups and downs.

We caught up with the authors to learn more.

How long have you been nannying? Fiona:I have been nannying for more than 20 years and

am lucky enough to still be in this wonderful profession.

Narelle: I am no longer working as a nanny but I did so on

and off for 10 years. Between Fiona and I, we have more

than 30 years nannying experience.

What prompted you to create a book for nannies? We have both been in nanny jobs that were challenging

on a variety of levels. We agreed that there should be a

handbook or a ‘survival guide’. When we looked into it –

we realised there was no such book written by aussie

nannies for aussie nannies. So, we thought who better to

write one than us? We really wrote this book to help other

nannies through their daily endeavour to care for and

support the development of other people’s children.

www.survivalguidefornannies.com

Page 89: The Nanny Nest

What attracted you to the industry? Fiona: I have always been involved with children for as long as I can remember.

I have always gravitated towards children

and them to me. Children are so easy

to be with.

Narelle: I kind of fell into the nanny role. What started out as babysitting jobs

turned into part-time or temporary

nanny work.

What do you like most about nannying? Fiona: I love how honest children are, you know exactly where you stand. There are no office

politics and at the end of the day you know that

you have been a great influence and for me

children just make me happy.

Narelle: The energy of the children. I love how honest and fun they are – how they live in the

present moment.

What do you like least about nannying? Fiona: To be honest there is not alot I don`t like about nannying. Every age has their ups and

downs but you don`t have one without the other.

Nannying can be a little hard as you spend alot of

time by yourself.

Narelle: Saying goodbye to families and children. It’s impossible not to get attached to the children.

Sometimes when the job ends, you know you

won’t see the children again – for example when

they move overseas. It’s very hard to say goodbye sometimes.

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What three tips could you give parents about keeping

their nanny long term? Create a position description so your nannies knows

exactly what you expect from her. Update the position

description when things change (ie: a new baby comes

along or one of the children starts school).

Treat your nanny with the same respect you would treat

anyone. For example, don't be late home all the time,

give your nanny plenty of warning if you will not be

needing her during a vacation and don't expect her to

achieve things you can't like getting a fussy eater to eat

vegetables or keeping a spotless house.

Have regular meetings with your nanny to check in on

how things are going - no matter how long (s)he was

worked for you

What three tips could you give nannies about being a

professional nanny? Fulfil your role as per the position description and if you

don't have a position description, work with your

employer to create one.

Remember your number one priority is the

safety, welfare and wellbeing of the children.

Always be on time & dress appropriately

Page 91: The Nanny Nest

TRAINING Fiona:.I have a Certificate lll in Children`s Services and have attended The Australian Nanny School. I think these

certifications have helped in keeping me up to date with

any changing laws ,introducing me in the beginning to all

different age groups of children and making me aware of

their changing needs.

Narelle: I have a Certificate III in Children’s Services and a Bachelor of Education (Primary). These qualifications

have helped me understand child development and

learning theories as well as more practical things like

safety and developmental play activities.

Do you continue to train/ learn? How?

Narelle: I’m always learning and trying to keep up to date with the new theories around child development and

changes to the sector. I mainly get my information

through the internet and through subscriptions to online

magazines and newsletters.

Fiona: I would have to answer the same as Narelle in that you are always learning everyday as every child has

different needs and so with more years on the job comes

more experience. I am always updating my quilifications

espacially with my First Aid, CPR, Asthma and Anaphylaxis

training these are so important when working with

children.

What’s your favourite age group to work with? Narelle: Babies – for sure. They are completely gorgeous and develop and grow right before your eyes.

Fiona: I agree I love the babies watching this beautiful life

grow and smile right before your eyes, their soft skin and

little hands. I think what is wonderful is if you are lucky

enough to work with your families well into their teenage

years, like me, I am still in touch with the children I looked

after and they are into their 20`s now.

Page 92: The Nanny Nest

What’s one of your favourite things to do with

children? Narelle: I love children’s books so I enjoy reading to kids and when they’re old enough, help them with their reading

homework. Learning to read is life changing and watching

that learning take place is exciting.

Fiona: I love exploring with the children I look after like a bush walk ,train or bus ride a trip to the city on the ferry. These are

always new experiences for them and the excitement in the

eyes and body language is unforgettable.

Favourite craft activity? Fiona: Finger painting is a good one, yes it can be very messy but with children you often find the more mess

involved the better it is. Hands on all about touching, feeling,

looking using all the senses.

Narelle: Pretty much anything that will work out but I find kids really enjoy craft that involves using uncooked pasta.

Favourite recipe? Narelle: Tuna pie for sure

Fiona: Spagetti Bolognaise, great for hiding grated vegetables for fussy eaters always a winner.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about

the nanny industry? Narelle: I have never understood why nanny work is treated with such little respect by some members of the community.

For example, to this day some parents want nannies to work

for cash and hence forego superannuation or other

employee entitlements. I find that baffling. Forget about

mutual respect for a moment – these are basic employee rights we are talking about. This needs to change.

Page 93: The Nanny Nest

A NOVEL WAY TO MEET NANNIES

Mei Koon has created a novel way for parents to meet

nannies – all in one location in one night!

Read on to discover more. . . .

How did Meet a Sitter come into being? Through my own personal struggle in finding quality,

affordable childcare when I was returning to work after

my first child was born. Childcare vacancies were

literally non-existent after 18 months on the waitlist of

various centres, agency fees were too exorbitant and

took too much time, online directories didn’t provide the

consistency nor availability of options as many of the

profiles were outdated.

For a busy parent with no family support nearby, it was

just too difficult. I knew there had to be a better way

and the idea of combining the speed-dating concept

with matching parents with nannies and babysitters

seemed like a great idea…and it is! Part of our process is

getting feedback directly from the parents and

candidates at each event before it ends –it’s a really

good way to gauge how we’re doing and what needs

to be improved. When you hear about the wonderful

experience they have, it reaffirms that the business

works…which is a dream come true!

Page 94: The Nanny Nest

Locations Serviced Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, North Shore, Northern

Beaches, Hills/North West – SYDNEY.

Inner Suburbs – MELBOURNE.

How does Meet a Sitter work? Meet A Sitter is Australia’s first and only boutique service

organising events for busy parents to meet & speed-

interview pre-screened babysitters & nannies in Greater

Sydney and Inner Melbourne.

In just over an hour, time-strapped parents will meet and

personally interview a group of pre-screened candidates

close to home, and walk away with their very own

network of carers for direct contact thereafter.

It is the most cost-effective and time-efficient method of

meeting quality carers out there. With a 98-99% success

rate, we know it works!

Have you employed nannies? Yes, I have.

I am my target market with a young child and a baby on

the way. I have the privilege of an endless network of

great nannies and sitters to draw from, and believe in the

face-to-face ability to meet my own candidates at the

events and make my choices from there too – just like my

clients!

Page 95: The Nanny Nest

In your opinion, what sort of people employ nannies? Loving people who are doing their utmost to be the best

parents they can be – but struggling to make all the jigsaw

pieces fit together in their family, work and personal life.

They are normally parents who believe in the one-on-one

care and attention a nanny can provide for their families,

or people who simply cannot find a vacancy at their

preferred daycare centre – forcing them to look at in-home

alternatives, even at a higher cost.

What is the best thing about having a nanny? The assurance you get from knowing you have someone to

be there, caring, educating, playing with your most

precious children as the next best thing to you being there

yourself. A parent who has to hand over the care of their

child to someone else is often making a really hard decision

when they do it for the very first or tenth time. But once you

find someone who will love your child nearly as much as

you do – it’s the best feeling in the world that allows you to

do what you need to do without worrying about how your

children are doing when you’re not there.

Do you think it’s important for nannies to hold

qualifications? Not necessarily – first and foremost, I feel that a love for

working with children is the most important qualification.

First Aid, Child Development courses etc. can be learnt

along the way. But unless you have an innate ability to

bond with children, empathise with them, the willingness to

learn and be patient through the tough times – no amount

of qualification will help you build that characteristic. And

as a parent and business owner – I’ve seen myself how

these soft qualities form the foundation that really makes a

true nanny a loving carer.

Page 96: The Nanny Nest

What sort of things should parent look for in a good

agency? An agency that’s quick to respond, one who empathises

with a client’s situation, one that isn’t afraid to admit

errors and who does what it can to rectify it as soon as

possible, one who actively seeks to help its clients solve

problems. The parents hiring any agency should make

sure that their agency also supports and has high touch

points with its own candidates. That way, you know the

agency has a stake in both their clients’ and candidates’

success.

We treat our clients like a large family – we often have

our clients come back to us with questions and requests

for advice on how to handle challenging situations, and

we feel like it’s a natural step to help where we can,

because we are our clients and we understand how it

was in the beginning when we struggled ourselves. Our

candidates are also part of this family and the help and

support extends back to them.

Meet a Sitter Contact details.

Mei Koon – Meet A Sitter, Founder

[email protected]

0432038269

www.meetasitter.com.au

Page 97: The Nanny Nest

MY MANNY You’ve heard about them –

blokes that hang out with kids.

They are in the suburban homes

of many families, making a

difference – they are Mannies!!

There is a whole website dedicated

to the employment of nannies – we speak to Ross,

it’s founder to find out more.

How did My Manny get it’s start?

My Manny first began in Melbourne, Australia in 2009. Ross

Dullard, Director of My Manny and a primary school

teacher of 10 years, has worked in a diverse range of

schools and education centres within Australia and the

United Kingdom. It was from his experiences in these roles

that led to him developing a respected service that

recognises that hard working parents can’t always be

available to their children as often as they wish.

Since the year 2000, the percentage of full time male

primary school teachers in Australia has dropped from 30%

to under 20% today. These decreasing numbers result in

children that lack regular contact with adult males in the

most important stage of their development. My Manny

offers an alternative solution to regular child minders and

aims to provide children with positive male role models.

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Is there a demand of male nannies in Australia? There is an ever increasing demand for mannies across

Australia. My Manny began with just a handful of mannies

in 2009, whereas today we have over 100 mannies to offer

prospective families across Australia. And the great thing

is that it's not just families who love mannies - males in

education love being mannies!

What is your definition of a manny? A manny is essentially a male nanny.

A Manny is a positive male role

model that can be a friend, a

mentor, a carer and a teacher.

Quite simply, a manny endeavours

to care for children of all ages in a

personalised way that bests suits the

child's development.

Who has been the biggest

influence on you professionally? The inspiration for My Manny has

come from working with children

and from a desire to guide each

individual child to reach his or her

full potential.

From our experience in education,

we've been inspired by the passion

that males in education have for

their profession and My Manny was

established to build on this passion

and to provide children with more

positive role models in the most

important time in their lives.

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What are some of the different perspectives a male

nanny can bring to the job, that maybe a female

can’t? While it's not fair to say that a manny is preferable to a

nanny, there are certain key attributes that My Manny

seeks in its mannies that puts them ahead of regular

carers. We're looking for pro-active, multi-skilled,

young, energetic and responsible male role models to

enthusiastically support and encourage s child’s

interests and meet their individual requirements. Our

mannies aim to lead by example in a variety of roles -

from helping with science homework, teaching the

basics of guitar, giving tips on cake baking, or kicking

the footy in the park.

What age group are male

nannies best suited to? There is no specific range to

which a Manny is best suited,

however we find they are

most popular with active

boys and girls ranging from

3-14yrs old.

Are there any changes you’d like to see in the nanny

childcare sector? My Manny's mission is for male carers to one day be as

popular as female carers. A stigma has existed in the

past around men in education and we see our place

as being part of the breaking down of this gender bias.

Page 100: The Nanny Nest

If you could give nannies two pieces of advice –

what would they be? To be as enthusiastic as possible and to understand

the high responsibility involved in being part of a

child's development

If you could give parents two pieces of advice – what

would they be?

To cherish their children and their childhood, as the

pride they will feel for their development is unlikely to

match any other life achievement. They should also

learn to pat themselves on the back now and then -

for the same reasons.

What does a dream nanny look like?

The perfect manny is pro-active, multi-skilled, young,

energetic and responsible. We're happy when we

know that a manny has had a positive influence on a

child's development.

What does a dream employer look like?

Any family or parent that wants the best for their

child.

Ross Dullard Director

My Manny

Email: [email protected] Web: www.mymanny.com.au

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T he Nanny Manifesto

I am a professional nanny.

I have an innate ability to connect with

children.

My days are filled with meaning and

are satisfying.

I am a teacher, an explorer, a friend.

I am highly skilled and continue to learn

more about children every week.

My work contributes to a happy and

healthy community.

I charge money, because I’m worth it.

I value myself so I can value my clients,

and they value me too!

I have work/life balance and enough

time and money to do the things that

keep me inspired and happy.

I love my job, and my job is changing

the world, one family at a time…

Page 102: The Nanny Nest

Do Nannies REALLY need

insurance? I got through most of a 25 year career without it – so many other nannies don’t have it either – Insurance.

So do we REALLY need to take out a policy?

In short YES. Now my answer is not based on me receiving any affiliate payments from any insurers, but I have done my research. After discussions with insurance providers, there have been a handful of cases over the years – the one standing out in my mind is a dog bite to a child’s face – a story I was told about 20 years ago and it’s haunted me ever since. A few seconds of time and a life of injury – imagine what a difference having a policy would do

to help the child access specialised care and some peace of mind for the carer – not to mention the financial protection too. When I started my nanny agency, the Sunflower Nanny Co 16 years ago, one of the first things I wanted to do was have insurance for my nannies. Problem was, we couldn’t access one that held the account here in Australia. I didn’t feel comfortable asking nannies to invest in a company that held it’s account in the Cayman Islands.

So the search went on – brokers, companies, actuaries were all consulted – noone could come up with an option and at the time – even good old reliable Lloyds of London passed us up. I share this information so you understand just how important it is and how lucky you are to have a fabulous policy now available – thanks to a Sydney agency owner and her insurance broker.

Page 103: The Nanny Nest

The company we now have access to is Nanny

Sure. They have been around for some time and

their service is impeccable.

The key thing that I love about their policy is they

really understand the aspects of a nanny position

and what we get up to with kids – the kind of

understanding that comes from ‘insider’ information

– special thanks to the Sydney nanny agency.

So when it came to explaining why nannies need

insurance – I went straight to Nanny Sure.

I was delighted to learn Leanna Driscoll would be in

touch – as she was the consultant I originally dealt

with years ago.

I put forward some basic questions to her. Why do you need Liability Insurance whilst working

as a Nanny or Carer?

Due to the intrinsic emotional bond between a

parent and a child, a Nanny/Carer’s working

environment has the potential to be highly volatile;

caring for children is a high-risk occupation.

You are responsible for the care and safety of a

parent’s most precious treasure. Even the most

amenable and reasonable of parents may quickly

become hostile if their child sustains an injury or

death whilst in your care or you cause accidental

loss or damage to their property.

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Under the Statute of Limitations, legal

action could be taken against you up

to a child’s 21st birthday, long after the child

has left your care.

You will be covered by our policy provided you are

covered at the time injury/accident occurred and

you are held legally liable for the injuries sustained to

the child.

Although you may not have many assets today your

financial situation will more than likely change in the

future and you could be jeopardising it by not

insuring against your legal liability.

You do not have to have a current policy at the time

you need to make a claim, you do however need to

be covered at the time the injury/accident

occurred.

Simple accidents happen. It could be:

A child is scalded by a hot cup of tea/coffee left

within reach causing permanent scarring

A baby falling from a change table causing serious

brain damage

A toddler choking on something they shouldn’t have

access to.

Page 105: The Nanny Nest

Property Damage: In addition to Personal Injury claims you are also

covered for property Damage.

Perhaps you are cooking in the kitchen, get

distracted by the Child and come back to find

the kitchen is on fire. Although this type of claim

would be covered under the families Home &

Contents Policy, their Insurance Company will

seek to recover the cost of the claim from you.

You may lose the families video camera whilst on

an outing with the Children (which wouldn’t be

covered under their Home & Contents Policy

unless they have chosen “Accidental Loss or

Damage” cover for an additional premium,

again their Insurance Company will seek to

recover the cost of the claim from you.

You cause damage to the house/furniture whilst

playing with the children, (which again wouldn’t

be covered under their Home & Contents Policy

unless they have chosen “Accidental Loss or

Damage” cover for an additional premium,

again their Insurance Company will seek to

recover the cost of the claim from you.

Page 106: The Nanny Nest

Lets face it, accidents happen, which could result in

you being held liable to pay compensation to the

child/parent.

We have all heard about accidents happening and

people being awarded tens of thousands/hundreds

of thousands/millions of dollars, by way of

compensation.

Liability Insurance offers you peace of mind, knowing

that the insurance company will protect and

indemnify you against your legal liability to pay

compensation in respect of personal injury or

property damage that occurs whilst working as a

Nanny or Carer. They will defend any claim or legal

action against you even if the action is groundless,

false or fraudulent.

They will also pay all expenses incurred and all costs

taxed against you in any such suit.

We encourage you to complete an Incident Report

form each and every time an incident occurs and

keep record for 21 years inline with the Statue of

Limitations mentioned above.

Insurers prefer Nannies/Carers with qualifications or

experience as this helps reduce the risk of injury,

claims and in turn keeps premiums affordable.

We invite you to visit our website for premiums and

to obtain cover.

Website: www.nannysure.com.au

Email: [email protected] Phone: 02 9899 2999 or 1800 252 712

Page 107: The Nanny Nest

NannySure is a product of

Finsura Insurance Broking (Australia) Pty. Ltd

.

ABN: 58 003 334 763 AFSL: 243264

an Austbroker Member

Underwritten by

QBE Insurance Australia Limited

Looking out for

Australian Nannies

Call NannySure

today to arrange

protection for the

families you care for

and for your future

too.

Website:

www.nannysure.com.au

Email:

[email protected]

Phone: 02 9899 2999 or 1800 252 712

Our NannySure policy

protects you from

accidental injury and

harm, food poisoning and

property damage.

Page 108: The Nanny Nest

DOMESTIC PAYROLL The complications that come with paying a nanny their

entitlements – organising tax, superannuation etc is one of

the reason that we have a cash economy element in our

industry. Some parents think it’s OK to pay cash at a higher

rate and let the nanny take care of it all – but there may be

some issues that arise from that arrangement too.

We spoke to Ainslie from Domestic Payroll – a service that

takes care of paying nannies – taking care of the confusion

and complications for you. Ainslie can also look after

nannies who work under a contract arrangement too!

Here’s what we asked her.

What is Domestic Payroll all about? (How can DP help

families, what is the advantage of using the service, what

are the options etc) Domestic Payroll was established in 2009 and provides a

nanny tax service for families with full and part time nannies.

The aim is to assist parents with tax, super and workers

compensation obligations and ensure nannies are receiving

their full wages and conditions.

The advantage for parents is that it’s a time saving service,

as the administration involved even if you’re familiar with

the processes can be time consuming and it also gives

peace of mind in knowing that everything is done correctly.

Another main advantage is that it can lead a better

working environment and relationship if a third party is

looking after the payments and administration and the

nanny is receiving their full legal entitlements.

Domestic Payroll is an Australian wide service covering all

states and cities with clients as far flung as Karratha in WA to

Townsville in North Queensland.

Page 109: The Nanny Nest

Is it expensive to use? There are different levels of service to fit in with

different budgets.

Gold Nanny Tax Service – is a comprehensive

service managing all forms, registrations, paperwork

and calculations including all end of year

obligations such as issuing group certificate and

reconciliation requirements.

Silver Nanny Tax Service – is a DIY service with all the

forms, starting calculations and background

information provided tailored towards your specific

situation. You process all the ongoing paperwork

and calculations. With the Silver Nanny Tax you also

receive a six month help desk, where you can call

on Domestic Payroll to assist or check your work.

Bronze Nanny Tax Service – offers the same

assistance as the Silver Service without the 6 month help desk support.

Page 110: The Nanny Nest

Why is it important to have the financial aspects of a

nanny arrangement formalised? Australian nannies traditionally have been paid in cash or

as an ABN contractor operating as a sole trader. The ATO

is really focusing on lost revenue through cash and sham

contracting work as it chases reduced levels of revenue

for the federal government. With the new media and

political focus on child care and the role of the nanny, it

has bought the industry to the attention of the ATO. With

the ATO announcing its crackdown on contractors

claiming to be business entities to gain a tax advantage

being extended to nannies and nanny agencies

operating in cash or contractor roles.

Now more than ever it’s important to ensure that you are

being paid correctly and on the books.

The term sham contracting refers to someone who is

operating as a contractor but really should be paid as an

employee. If you’re working for one or two families on an

ongoing weekly basis more than likely you’re an employee

not an ABN contractor. The real test of a contractor is not

the 80% test

(where 80% or more of your income comes from one

client) but the results test.

Page 111: The Nanny Nest

Apply these key result test questions against the work

performed for your clients:

• are you paid for results achieved

• do you provide all or most of the necessary materials

and equipment to complete the work

• can you send someone else along to perform the work

• do you have the freedom in the way the work is done

• can you accept or refuse the work

If you answered no to the majority of these questions,

more than likely you’re an employee.

If you are unsure if you should be paid as a contractor or

employee the ATO website, www.ato.gov.au has a great

online tool which gives you a determination at the end

based on your answers to a series of questions.

Parents especially and nannies to a degree can be

placing themselves at risk of fines and back payments

from the ATO, Fair Work Australia and Work Cover for hiring

an employee as a contractor.

As a nanny you can be fined for not paying the correct

amount of tax or none at all if you are working cash in

hand.

A great benefit of being paid as an employer instead of a

contractor, is being covered for workers compensation in

case of an injury or accident.

.

Page 112: The Nanny Nest

Another great benefit is financial; I worked as a

bookkeeper invoicing clients when I first started working at

$25 an hour. I had to manage my own tax but most

importantly I received no super or leave entitlements and

had to pay for my own insurance. Whilst the main reason I

did this was for experience, financially it felt like a

backward step. Working as a contractor instead of an

employee, is not beneficial for people of low to average

wages, the advantages of being able to claim a few

additional expenses did not cover the shortfall of missing

out on my entitlements.

What is your background

from a financial perspective

and a nanny perspective?

I studied accounting, business

administration and industrial

relations at university level

before working in senior

admin accounting roles

for small to medium size

businesses. My last main role

was as Operations Manager for the

national carer Dial-An-Angel.

It was while I was at Dial-An-Angel I came across the

frustration and the confusion faced by parents

once they hired a permanent nanny.

So when I read about similar services to Domestic

Payroll that exist overseas, I thought it was a perfect

opportunity for me to start my own business.

Page 113: The Nanny Nest

I started this business as a bit a part time source of income

only but as the business has developed my interest and

pride in what I am achieving has grown. I am really proud

of the fact that, through the payroll service I am making

sure that nannies are getting full access to their wages

and entitlements and I excited by the changes and

interest in the industry that is taking place.

How can people find you? I’m always happy to have a chat if anyone wants to

discuss their situation or ask a question regarding their

wages and conditions.

I can be contacted on 0438 422 169 or

[email protected]

Page 114: The Nanny Nest

We hope you have enjoyed your journey into the

Australian nanny world with The Nanny Nest.

There are so many fabulous wonderful people who care for

kids and care for the carers too.

This is just the start of an exciting time in the

nanny community.

If you’d like to stay in touch you can find us on

www.nanniesaustralia.com.au subscribe to our list so you don’t miss a thing

Facebook ~ Nannies Australia

Twitter ~ NanniesAus

Pinterest ~ Marina McHutchison

Phone ~ 0439 210 816

COMING SOON

The Nanny Nest Magazine –

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING

BIG NEWS ON 21 NOVEMBER 2012

Page 115: The Nanny Nest

In our next issue

EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING We’ll be running through all the different aspects of

nanny employment –

Working as an employee

Working as a contractor

The pros and cons of cash jobs

Taxation – what you can claim

Superannuation – why part time nannies are left out

and how to get the 2005/1 ruling changed

Insurance

Contracts

Communication

Training – what’s available and where . . . .

Page 116: The Nanny Nest

Hello Advertisers, Would you like to be in The Nanny Nest? TACON offers you the fabulous opportunity to

promote your business directly to the Australian nanny market. As you can see from the Launch issue – we offer you a generous space to promote your business. There has never been this type of publication available before and such a terrific rate too. Yes we know it’s worth more than this – but TACON doesn’t just look after nannies and parents – we also help support the

businesses that keep this industry moving too. So if you’d like your own page – please forward a Jpeg file 466 wide by 670 high pixels to Marina [email protected] and we’ll invoice you for $55. Alternatively, you can send us images and text and we can create the ad for you – contact Marina to discuss costs. Our bi-monthly magazines will be hosted on ISSUU.com and our website –

they will be available for years to come. Each of our issues have a theme they will often be looked back upon by those discovering the magazine for the first time in the future. So don’t delay – Deadlines are 10th December for the January Issue Employment and Training

10th February for the March Issue It’s all about the Kids