What can an English nanny offer to a child?
What requirements does a UK nanny meet?
Wealthiest families of the world believe that English nannies, tutors and governesses are the best child care professionals. Let's look at what makes them think so.
Literary and television British nannies are known to everyone since childhood. Among them are Mary Poppins and characters of the famous TV program The Super Nanny aka Jo Frost.
Love for children
A British nanny is a professional that can be trusted with a baby’s safety, health and development. She’s highly professional and has great personality traits. Love for children is a must, but it’s not the only requirement to become a professional nanny.
Specialized training
A nanny from the UK is a combination of high professionalism, which is based on her excellent education, English manners, etiquette and classic English. In the UK, nannies and governesses are highly paid and prestigious professions.
In Russia, there is no concept of "professional nanny" or " professional governess" and there are no analogues to the British education in the field of child care and education. In our country, when selecting a nanny for an infant, parents choose a person on the recommendation of someone they know. Usually such nannies are unskilled women or elderly people who raised their children and need money. They are not professionals and are low-paid.
In England, there’s a number of recognized educational institutions — Norland College, Chiltern Nannies, London Montessory Nanny school, where tuition costs several thousand pounds per semester. A nanny from Britain is a specialist who has a specialized education in the field of child development. This is not a refresher course, but a two to three-year training to work with children from zero to seven years old (see child care certificates).
On average, English nannies study eighteen subjects related to child care. During a special Creative Skills course, they learn how to promote baby development using games and creative activities. They also learn how to respond to the child's provocative behaviour correctly and understand the baby’s mood.
Specialized courses and verification
A nanny from the UK regularly renews her first-aid certificates. To work with babies from six months to two years old, they need a CACHE diploma or its equivalent. All British specialists are checked against DBS (CRB) criminal databases.
Work experience
English nannies always have experience in the field of physical and social development, education, intellectual and emotional needs of children of different ages. Before their first trip abroad, they spend at least 1 year gaining experience in the field in their home country.
Nannies from England are aware of care issues, health and hygiene, early development, organizations of educational games, first aid, childhood illnesses and their prevention. They understand child psychology, relationships with the baby's family and parents, in particular, and the psychology of parents in the postpartum period.
Russian or British nannies — is there a differevce in the cost of their services?
In Moscow, a good Russian nanny’s services can cost you 60 000-90 000 rubles. A professional nanny from the UK will cost you 700-1200 pounds per week, plus housing and expenses for her visa. This is the cost of a ten-hour working day with weekends (Saturday and Sunday). Shift work is possible, night work is negotiated separately. Under the contract, the Employer provides annual paid leave. Usually nannies from England insist on five weeks off and agree to work on public holidays. In addition, foreign specialists are provided with a one-room apartment or a separate room, preferably with a bathroom.
Russian and English nannies provide quite different levels of service. A nanny from Britain is a completely new level of childcare and a chance to raise a bilingual child.
Why are British nannies in high demand all over the world?
A nanny from the UK means first and foremost competent care for an infant. For these nannies, looking after kids is their calling. They know how to find a common language with your child. They posses a certain set of personal qualities, have specialized education, and an impeccable reputation. British nannies teach children good manners, monitor the actions of children to ensure that they are complying with the rules established in their family. They accompany children on foreign trips and always coordinate their actions with the baby's parents. They are able to tactfully build relationships with the family, support the authority of parents, without usurping their role.
The mentality of an English specialist
rules out the idea of looking for a placement abroad
through private advertising.
Therefore, they trust reputable agencies
with their placement.
What does a nanny from the UK have to do?
Responsibilities may change depending on the employer's wishes. They are written in the contract. Here you can find a standard contract for hiring a qualified nanny and see resumes of qualified nannies from the UK.
LIST OF MOST COMMON REPONSIBILITIES:
- Providing care, attention, and control of the child's educational development with an emphasis on teaching English;
- Organization and control of developmental activities throughout the day, involving the child in age-appropriate activities (creative games, etc.);
- Providing a safe environment for the baby, preventing potential dangers, both inside and outside the home;
- Development of social skills of the baby, monitoring the correspondence of the child's development with his age group, teaching etiquette, discipline and ethical values;
- Development of English language skills (writing, reading, speaking), conversation with the baby and his parents in English, according to the requirements and agreements with the Employer;
- Playing with the baby, feeding, maintaining a safe environment for the child while taking care of him/her;
- Maintaining cleanliness and order in the baby's room, thorough clean up of the child’s room twice a week;
- Drawing up daily schedules and providing the Employer (upon verbal request) with verbal reports on the planned classes and activities during the day;
- Together with parents working on a healthy and nutritious menu for the child;
- Compliance with the dress code agreed with the employer.
