AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND NANNIES
"Antipodean nannies are wonderful. They are sunny-natured, cheerful, helpful, hardworking and on the whole a delight to work with. There is a willingness to 'muck' in which you often don't find with European girls."
This is a typical comment from a parent who has employed an Australian nanny and is popular belief amongst nanny agencies and employers alike.
Traditionally the UK childcare market has been flooded with French, Italian and other Western European girls. Now many parents are finding that Australasians are far more easy going, there are no language barriers and they have a great reputation for fitting in without a fuss. The result has been falling business for many agencies dealing in European girls, most agencies will now fall over themselves to get a good supply of qualified Australian and New Zealand girls. One agency owner commented 'If I could just have Aussie and Kiwi nannies on my books I would. They're sensible and reliable - everybody loves them!'
Charlotte May from Nannies Incorporated in London says:
"Many British nannies have quite fixed ideas about what they want before they meet an employer. They may want sole charge or their own flat. Often Australian girls are more flexible and very good at making friends and contacts. They tend to get up off their backsides and get on with it."
Lured by the UK's proximity to the continent a lot of girls come to earn enough money to spend the summer travelling round Europe. It is relatively easy for them to get work permits and we are seeing more and more of them.
Some parents remain anxious about employing Australian and New Zealand girls because they feel that it is uncertain whether they will stick around but it is reasonable to expect a six-month or a year long commitment.
Qualifications
To work as a nanny girls need a recognised certificate in childcare or to have worked as a nanny for 1-2 years. Employers will want to see references. Many need a nanny who drives and fortunately Australian driving licences are valid for one year in the UK..
The main qualification for Australian nannies is the TAFE (Technical Australian Federation of Education) certificate. It takes two years to study for and is the equivalent of a BTEC. New Zealanders gain a New Zealand National Nanny Certificate - again a two-year course.
Girls who have not worked as a nanny before can work as a Mother's Help. This involves looking after the children while the mother is at home and perhaps for short periods alone, plus helping with housework. Babysitting experience is an advantage and again references will be required.
Pay Per Week:
Live-in Nanny £180-250
Daily Nanny £250-350
Mothers' Helps £150-£200
Work permits & Visas
These are the first things that Australian and New Zealand girls should take care of before they even begin looking for a job. Most girls tend to apply for a two-year working holiday visa, which allows them to work for one year, then travel for the second year. To apply for a paid holiday visa you have to be aged between 17-27. If a girl is older she can still apply for a work permit but she would be extremely lucky to get one. Alternatively, if a girl has British grandparents she can claim 'grand patriality' and is entitled to work here for four years. It is much easier for Australian and New Zealanders to come and work in Britain than it is the other way round.
There are several nanny agencies who specialise in placing Australian and New Zealand nannies and will even help with organising work permits and visas (see below).
Cost of Living
British house prices and rents have shot up - in London rents are considered to be astronomical compared to the rest of the country (you can't get much for less than £100/ A$250 per week). Living in means girls can save a small fortune on rent, however many opt to share accommodation and it is not unusual to find up to six girls living in a three bedroom flat.
Tax
Australian and New Zealand nannies are liable for tax. It is their employer's duty to pay tax and national insurance contributions every month and sort out the paper work in exactly the same way as they would if they were employing a British nanny. (See tax and national insurance for details)
Getting Placed
Most girls will naturally want to sign up with an agency before they leave so they can be guaranteed work on arrival.
Charlotte May of Nannies Incorporated in London says: "It is certainly sensible to make contact with agencies over here and register with one or two that you really like. If nannies have a good rapport with the people at an agency they will feel more confident during the whole process. It is a big move and change so it's good for them to know they've got back-up."
Agencies should establish that visas etc. are in order and check references before the girls arrive in the UK. The agency can then line up job interviews almost immediately.
Olga Yaschenin of Walleroo Nannies in London says: "We feel you really need to meet all the members of a family before you accept a position. You will need to look at the accommodation, family pets, children, all the ins and out of the job along with and most importantly the personality and sense of humour of the family to see if you are going to fit in. This cannot be organised over the phone or by an agency, you need to be there!"
Clare also warned "In my experience nine out of ten pre-arranged nanny positions fall through because they didn't 'click' with the family."
Girls often arrive jet-lagged and a little disorientated. Allowing them a week or two to adjust and settle in will be much better than crashing into a job in a busy household within a couple of days. A good agency will advise on where to stay and some even arrange accommodation during the interview period.
Working for a British family
One of the biggest complaints from Australian nannies is the hours as British working mothers tend to have a longer working day. In the UK nannies can easily work a 12-hour day. 7:30 am to 7pm is not unusual and there are usually two evenings babysitting. These hours tend to be far longer than in Australia or New Zealand where many nannies are used to 'knocking off' at 5pm. However most agencies would recommend that both sides agree a contract or a 'terms of employment' statement that they sign before the contract begins so everyone knows exactly where they stand when it comes to hours, conditions etc.
Charlotte May, Nannies Incorporated: 'it can be a bit of a shock at first - many of the nannies are expecting to work much shorter days. They can also find British families less flexible than Australian families. Girls tell me that professional working mothers here tend to be a bit more stressed out, so that may take a bit of getting used to.'
Some girls have commented that they have found British children to be a bit spoilt and lacking in discipline. At an interview it is always worth discussing discipline and what is acceptable. After working for an Australian or New Zealand family, British families may seem a bit 'buttoned up' or reserved. However, most families who request an Australian / New Zealand nanny do so because of their forthright, no-nonsense reputation.
Support
There are plenty of likeminded Australasian girls who quickly build up networks and agencies often put them in touch with each other.
Clare Williams, Walleroo: "Nannying is exhausting at the best of times, and fighting the London traffic with three children can be daunting, but a drink after work with other Walleroo nannies can change a bad day into an okay one!"
A good nanny agency will have a policy of 'aftercare' - that is looking after girls and their interests well after they have settled, or not as the case may be, into a job. Some agencies have an eight-week guarantee period and are there to sort out problems for you if things are difficult.
Clare Williams, Walleroo: "There aren't too many things we haven't seen before. But no matter how trivial they seem, if they are left to fester it could turn into a serious problem. We know that being away from home is tough, so we always stress to our girls that we are just a phone call away.'
Charlotte May, Nannies Incorporated stresses to the nannies the importance of not losing confidence due to a difficult work situation: "We try to be there for them as much as possible. The worst thing that can happen is for a girl who is far from home to lose her confidence. We will get them out of a situation before that happens. Never panic, that is the worst thing you can do, there is always a solution.'
If there is a family illness or unforeseen circumstances agencies and employers will usually be understanding. Some agencies will even arrange flights back home.
Homesickness
Many refer to it as the 'three month blues'. Clare Williams: 'After the excitement of coming to London has worn thin and winter in the UK is being compared to 30 degrees back in Oz, everyone will pine for home. It's normal. We try and have a get together at our agency every three months. If you've got through this period you've cracked it!'
The final word:
Girls should beware of agencies that try to pressure them into taking a job that is not right for them. Charlotte May, Nannies Incorporated.
'Some agencies are quite pushy and girls who are new to this country and eager to please may find themselves accepting job and regretting it a week later. They should always make sure they are 100 per cent sure of the job before they accept it. Once settled into the right family they can begin to enjoy life and get the most out of their time here and hopefully make some life-long friends and contacts. If you are willing to adapt and work hard you will most certainly be able to play hard too!
Some of the bestbear Recommended Agencies dealing with Oz & NZ girls (click on names for more info)
Family First International •
The Nanny Service •
Eden •
Kensington Nannies •
Millennium Nannies •
Nannies Incorporated •
Walleroo. •
Useful Sites
AussieinLondon.com is a great site packed with useful information and list of accommodation
Useful phone numbers
Australian High Commission - 0207 379 4334
New Zealand High Commission - 0207 930 8422
South Africa House - 0207 930 4488
Directory enquiries - 192
International directory enquiries - 153
Emergencies - 999
British Rail Enquiries - 0345 484950
Combi vans- 020 7840 0498
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