Nanny
Nannies work in private homes caring for their employer's babies and young children.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As part of your day-to-day duties, you could:
- feed, bath and dress children, and change babies' nappies
- teach basic social skills and hygiene
- provide a safe setting for children
- help children to learn through play
- take children on outings to widen their experiences
- do nursery and school runs
- organise play opportunities to help children mix with others
- prepare healthy meals and snacks
- tidy up and clean rooms used by the children
- keep records for the family
Working environment
You could work at a client's home.
Career path and progression
With qualifications and experience, you could become a childminder, nursery officer or teaching assistant. You might also work as an au pair, living-in with a family in this country or overseas.
With further training, you could become a children's nurse or early years teacher.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- sensitivity and understanding
- the ability to work on your own
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- knowledge of English language
- to be flexible and open to change
- excellent verbal communication skills
- active listening skills
- the ability to understand people’s reactions
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
- be over 18 years of age
You could choose to register with Ofsted. This is voluntary for nannies but may help you to get more work.
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- volunteering
- applying directly
You may find it useful to do a college course before looking for work as a nanny. Courses include:
- Level 1 Award in Introduction to Health, Social Care and Children's and Young People's Settings
- Level 1 Award in Safeguarding
- Level 2 Certificate for the Children and Young People's Workforce
Many courses include a work placement.
Entry requirements
You may need:
- 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
More Information
You could do an early years practitioner intermediate apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
More Information
It will help if you have voluntary experience working with children, for example in an after school club or holiday play scheme. This can often lead into paid work.
You may be able to start work as a nanny without any qualifications, though many employers and employment agencies will prefer you to have some training in playwork or childcare.
Further information
You'll find more details on working in childcare from the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years and on the early years career progression map.
Related careers
Related videos
Suggested videos
Coffee With is in early release mode with a limited number of videos. New videos are being added every week, so please check back for updates.
External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.