Tags: international nanny

5 things to consider when creating a nanny contract

Post date January 24, 2023

Contracts are essential in any nanny-family relationship. At first, it can sound intimidating and complicated but having a contract in place is invaluable especially in situations when something unexpected arises.

If something goes wrong, a contract can ensure that fair treatment is given to both parties.

Creating a contract does not necessarily need a lawyer’s presence but you do need to make sure that the contract is fair and have both sides, the employer and employee, agree with the terms for it to be effective.

So, what are some of the key issues to consider when drafting a contract?

Pay/Salary

5 things to consider when creating a nanny contract

This is the most important factor in every working contract, so it’s important to be clear on exactly what the nanny will be paid and by when.

You should set down in the contract what a nanny’s normal working hours will be, if and when overtime will be paid and at what rate.

You contract should be clear about holidays and sick days, how many are allowed, whether they are paid or unpaid adn all of this should reflect employment law in the main country of residence.

Another area you will need to consider is tax and insurance, which will again need to reflect the relevant employment law. In some countries the employer is responsibly for paying taxes, in others it is the employees responsibility to file taxes.

You should also state in the contract whether there will be a trial period of 15 days that can serve as a probationary period, this is a good clause to include for both parties as it allows you both to change your mind if it becomes apparent early on that you aren’t the right fit for each other.

In the contract, you should also state when the nanny will have a performance review where they can renegotiate their salary.

House Rules

The nanny-family relationship requires lots of trust and respect from both sides since it is such an intimate role; a family is letting someone into their house and their lives and a nanny is becoming an integral part of the family, sometimes living in the same house, but certainly spending many hours in the family’s home.

Establishing clear expectations, and setting them down on paper, is really important.

The contract is a good space to clearly describe your expectations of your nanny, and what the nanny can expect from you in return.

For example, will there be a room or space intended solely for the nanny?
Are visitors allowed during work hours?
What are the house rules on drinking?

These are all important matters that should be considered and written into the contract.

Childcare Expectations

A nanny’s contract needs to contain a detailed outline of their roles and responsibilities.

In the contract you need to be clear not only about the hours that will be worked but what the nanny is expected to do within those hours.

Will the nanny be driving the child to school and doctor’s appointments?
Is housekeeping included in their duties?
Do you expect the nanny to care for other children when your own child has a playdate?

All of these expectations must be made clear in the contract otherwise the nanny has the right to refuse additional duties.

Benefits

A nanny should be given benefits such as paid sick leave, maternity leave and contracted holiday.

They should also have pay premiums for days they are expected to work during national holidays (keep in mind that these days are supposed to be for rest and relaxation but nanny’s are often required to work, so this should be recognised)

If the family is going on a vacation, will the nanny be required to travel with them?
And how will this be compensated?

All of this needs to be considered and included in a Nanny contract.

End of Contract

The nanny contract will also need to stipulate how and when a contract will end.

You will need to consider the following questions:
If the nanny decided to leave, how long should the notice be?
What are the grounds for termination?
When is the nanny let go without prior notice?
Is there a severance pay in any particular circumstances?

All of these stipulations will need to reflect employment law in the relevant countries.

It is needed by both parties to hold on to their right and safety.

If you are a family looking for a nanny, then you need to create a contract between yourselves and your nanny in order to protect the rights and safety of all involved.

You should have the potential candidate involved in drawing up the contract so that it is democratic and fair.

Remember, this contract is considered valid as long as both parties agree and sign it.

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The Benefits of CPD Certification

Post date January 3, 2023

Nanny and child spending time together

Here at International Nanny Institute, all of our courses are accredited by the CPD Certification Service which is the largest and leading independent CPD accreditation organisation working across all industry sectors.

To be accredited by this service the learning content of our qualifications has been scrutinised to ensure integrity and quality. The learning activity has also been judged to have reached the required Continuing Professional Development standards and benchmark/

The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is a well-known and well-established brand that has been working with training companies, professional bodies, conference providers, academic institutions and corporate organisations throughout this time to support individuals seeking CPD learning activities.

You may be wondering how a qualification supported by the CPD certification service might benefit you. Here are some of the ways:

Stay up to date

Qualifications certified by the CPD certification service must demonstrate that they contribute to candidates refreshing their knowledge and keeping their skills up to date.

Training with the International Nanny Institute helps ensure both academic and practical qualifications do not become outdated, and allows nannies to continually upskill throughout their career.

Fill knowledge and skills gaps

Our training courses at International Nanny Institute are designed specifically with nannies in mind, to support their day-to-day professional work with children and families.

This makes it simple for you to focus short term on specific knowledge gaps and missing skills.

Our accreditation by the CPD certification service can leave you assured that there will be a recognisable improvement to your proficiency, as all of our training courses have been scrutinised as part of the accreditation process to ensure that they provide value to the learner.

Increase your confidence

CPD can help to increase nannies’ confidence, and knowing that our qualifications have been examined to ensure that they provide adequate challenge will allow nannies to embark on a training course with the knowledge that their professional capabilities will improve and evolve.

This in turn, will increase your confidence that your skillset will thrive through any industry, or role, changes.

Showcase your learning

Another benefit of completing training that has been accredited by the CPD certification service is that it enables nannies to clearly showcase their further learning and development, which can help create a competitive advantage within the job market.

Boost your employability

Completing our CPD certification service approved courses is a great way to show potential employers that you take your responsibilities as a nanny seriously, and that you are committed to continually upskilling and developing your professional knowledge.

Our CPD certification service accredited courses will help you stand out from other nanny candidates seeking similar roles, getting you more interviews more often.

All of our courses here at International Nanny Institute are accredited by the CPD certification service, so you can embark on any course that interests you knowing that it will add value to your skill set and meet your professional needs.

If you think one of our courses might be a good fit for your professional development, visit our website at www.international-nanny.institute! We can’t wait to have you on board!

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Why should I enrol in a Healthy Living course?

Post date November 15, 2022

In any career, continuous professional development is vital. Completing ongoing training helps you grow as a professional by gaining new knowledge, reflecting on your experience and mastering new skills to take back into the workplace.

Professional development also demonstrates your passion and commitment to your sector and shows you are dedicated to your chosen career.

When working with young children in private, domestic households, earning an OCN-London approved qualification via our course, Healthy Living, caregivers can ensure they are getting ready for a professional childcare placement.

With a growing public awareness of, (and interest in) health, there are a range of different courses and qualifications available for those interested in healthy lifestyles.

The International Nanny Institute Healthy Living course has many unique benefits and features that make it the perfect fit for nannies and others in the domestic childcare field.

Tailor-made for nannies

With an array of different courses related to caring for children available, it can be difficult to know which to choose.

The International Nanny Institute Healthy Living course has been carefully curated by a team of experts who are committed to maintaining high standards and staying up-to-date in the field of childcare.

Our experts specialise in a range of different fields and include practical advice as well as academic information. Our courses have been designed with nannies in mind, so they will be well suited to the day-to-day work of keeping children and their families active and nourished.

Learn to support children’s wellbeing

As society has a renewed interest in children’s wellbeing, it’s a great time to ensure that your knowledge is up to date.

We all want the best for the children in our care and while we aim for them to grow up to be healthy and happy, it’s not always easy to know how to achieve this.

Our ONC-London certified Healthy Living course will help you build up the knowledge and skills necessary to support children and their families with healthy eating, physical activity and all round the best wellbeing practices.

Improve your own wellbeing

When caring for young children, caregivers often forget that their personal needs are also important.

Our Healthy Living course is designed to encourage nannies to consider their own lifestyle while also learning how to support children and their families in making positive choices around exercise and nutrition.

Healthy Living gives students a chance to reflect on their personal wellbeing and inspires them to take small steps towards improving their own sense of wellbeing through managing stress, eating well and getting enough physical exercise.

Broaden your skill set

Being a nanny can be a demanding job that requires a broad set of skills.

Completing our internationally certified Healthy Living course is one way to showcase your understanding of proper nutrition, age-appropriate exercise, and ability to provide children with the building blocks for living a healthy lifestyle.

Demonstrate a specialism

As the nanying industry evolves, more nannies are specializing in different areas. Some nannies support families with sleep routines while others specialise in newborn care or working with multiple children at once, but increasingly there is a need and demand for nannies who are able to support children in the process of developing healthy lifestyles.

As many families begin to focus on their children’s physical and mental health, our internationally certified Healthy Living course is a fantastic way to demonstrate that you have developed your skill set in this area, setting you apart from other applicants for jobs.

Healthy Living Course. International Nanny Institute

The Healthy Living course consists of 4 weekly, in-depth training sessions supplemented with a test for checking your understanding.

We also offer an interactive group forum so you can discuss what you are learning with other students in your cohort. This forum can help foster understanding, learning and personal development on a deeper level.

Healthy Living is taught as an online course 100% online and it will take about 60 hours to complete over 8 weeks, giving you a window of time to complete the course and leaving you in control of how and when you study.

If you like what you’ve read about our Healthy Living course and think it might be a good fit for your professional development, visit our website at www.international-nanny.institute!

We can’t wait to have you on board!

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Why should I complete an OCN-London Certified Course?

Post date October 26, 2022

The internet is a great tool for professional development with plenty of blogs, information sites, videos and even courses available. So if you are thinking about taking one of the International Nanny Institute’s courses designed specifically with nannies in mind, you might be wondering how being certified by OCN-London benefits you. Here are some of the ways that our accreditation by OCN- London benefits you as a student and as a nanny:

Quality assurance

All of the courses at International Nanny Institute are certified by OCN-London, a UK national not-for-profit awarding body that creates and awards qualifications. OCN-London qualifications are internationally recognised and ensure that you will receive recognition for your learning from a nationally recognised Awarding Organisation. OCN London quality assures the content and assessment of courses developed in this way and issues a record of achievement to learners who successfully complete the accredited bespoke course. This benefits learners in many ways, for example:

There is extensive quality assurance by a national awarding organisation of both course content and assessment
OCN London works with providers to ensure that bespoke course that are tailor made to meet learner requirements
Learners who successfully complete a course receive from OCN London a record of achievement.

Developed specifically for nannies

Whilst our courses are quality assured and accredited by OCN London, they are written by professionals in the field. OCN-London has partnered with us to develop qualifications that meet the specific needs of our students. The International Nanny Institute courses have been written by a team of experts who are committed to maintaining high standards and staying up-to-date in the field of childcare. Having worked as nannies themselves, our experts apply their academic knowledge to your role as a nanny, which ensures you are provided with relevant, practical advice. This means that the courses have been tailor-made for nannies and will also be well suited to their day-to-day work.

A record of your achievement

OCN-London makes sure that all students receive a meaningful certificate acknowledging the completion of the course they have attended. This ensures that you maintain a record of your achievement for yourself and to evidence your qualification to others.

Internationally recognised

OCN-London is an internationally recognised accrediting board, which means that wherever you go in the world, your qualification will be recognised and taken seriously. This is especially relevant for nannies who move or travel worldwide, but can be just as important for nannies staying in their home country too. With so many different qualifications available, having one accredited by an internationally recognised board like OCN-London can help to reassure employers that you have studied and earned a credible and worthwhile qualification.

If these benefits make you feel that studying with the International Nanny Institute to gain an OCN-London certified course is right for you, then find out more about our courses here.

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Why should I get certified by the International Nanny Institute?

Post date October 26, 2022

The International Nanny Institute is a leading education centre that provides practical and comprehensive domestic childcare-related courses online. We design our courses to train and educate nannies, au pairs, babysitters and childminders. Maybe you have just discovered us, or maybe you have been considering enrolling in one of our courses for a while and are wondering what the benefits of being certified by the International Nanny Institute are. Well, here we list the reasons why being certified by us is the right choice!

Designed with nannies in mind

With an array of different courses available across the internet, it can be difficult to know which to choose. The International Nanny Institute courses have been written by a team of experts who have worked as nannies themselves, this means that the courses have been designed with nannies in mind and will be well suited to their day-to-day work. Not only are our courses full of academic information from experts in child development, nutrition, paediatrics, SEN and more, but they are also directly applicable to your work as a nanny in a way that more general childcare courses may not be.

Study online

All International Nanny Institute courses are easily available for study on your home computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, making it easy for busy professionals to continue their education and study at their own pace. This flexibility allows you to complete your studies during your free time in the evenings, on the weekends or even during your commute.

Set your own pace

Our courses consist of 4 weekly, in-depth training sessions supplemented with a quiz for checking your understanding. We also offer an interactive group forum so you can discuss what you are learning with other students worldwide. Our forums can help foster understanding, learning and personal development on a deeper level. All of our courses are taught online and take about 60 hours to complete, but students are given an 8-week window for each course, leaving you in control of how and when you study. We don’t set the deadlines, you do!

Stay up to date

We have produced a range of courses covering a wide base of topics, so there’s sure to be something you will find interesting and relevant. We are passionate about keeping child care providers up to date with important topics and want to help them follow the latest best practice, so we’re always developing new courses in response to current needs. Checking back or subscribing to our email is a good way to ensure that you don’t miss out on new courses that could keep your professional knowledge up to date.

Build your career

The International Nanny Institute is passionate about empowering and raising the standards of domestic child carers as professionals in their fields. We believe the nanny profession is a meaningful, worthwhile career and want to help nannies to develop and reach their own career goals. To help achieve this aim, we are constantly developing courses and programmes that will help you to take control of your career and meet your personal, professional and academic goals. Our courses also help you to stand out from other applicants, landing you more interviews, more often.

Boost your confidence

When you feel up-to-date with your professional knowledge and skills, and in control of your career journey, you feel more confident. In a profession where you often need to take control and set your own goals, targets and schedules, confidence is key. Studying with the International Nanny Institute can help to raise your confidence allowing you to feel secure when performing your role.

If you think studying with us is right for you, find out more and register for a course or programme today. Come and visit our website at www.international-nanny.institute today! We can’t wait to have you on board!

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The Role of a Nanny: Communication

Post date August 10, 2022

Positive Communication Between Nannies and Nanny Parents

Relationships between Nannies and Nanny parents can be difficult to navigate with a host of potential issues to overcome. Most of these issues can be prevented or resolved by using clear and effective, positive communication. In fact, positive communication is one of the most important tools a Nanny can have.

Why work in partnership

A Nanny and Nanny parents need to work in partnership for the good of the children involved. When caregivers and parents work together towards similar aims, outcomes and day-to-day experiences are better for everyone; the children, the parents and the nanny. Working in partnership helps provide consistency for children, which makes them feel safe and secure and in turn helps them to learn and develop. It is crucial for caregivers and parents to develop solid and secure partnerships when working together to care for young children.

How communication supports working in partnership

Good communication allows both parties to set and maintain clear expectations for their relationship. When it comes to nannying, communicating clear expectations helps both the nanny and the parents to build trust in one another, feel comfortable and ultimately helps to ensure that care provided to the children remains consistent.

Nobody knows a child better than their parents and parents are their children’s first educators, so in order for children to thrive, nannies will need to draw on this knowledge. In addition, nannies are professionals who are often trained in child care child development, so in many circumstances parents will often need to draw on nannies’ knowledge and experience too. This partnership works best where there is a two-way flow of information and mutual respect.

Daily communication

On a day to day basis there is actually quite a lot for Nannies and Nanny parents to communicate about. Some nannies will be working alongside parents, whilst others will have a handover, or a period of transition from parental care to nanny care, to help make the transition easier for the children.

A good handover requires clear communication from both sides. Nannies can ask questions to gather the information they need for example, “Did he sleep well? “What time did he wake this morning?” or “What did she have for breakfast?” They can also use this time to begin setting expectations for the day. If a parent is heading off to work, it may help them to know what their little one will be doing during the day. For example, a nanny may say “we’ve planned a picnic in the park at lunchtime” or “we’re going to have a playdate with his friend Martha this morning” so that when the parents are at work they have a concrete idea of what the activities their children are engaging in.

Some nannies use daily diaries to communicate the basics, which often include what types and how much food has been eaten, what time and how low the children have napped or when the baby’s nappy has been changed, whilst other nannies and caregivers are happy to relay this information in person. Different methods will work for different families and different nannies, it’s important to find what works best for your own situation.

Apps and texting can also be ideal methods of communication, allowing the nanny to send quick photo updates throughout the day. but you should only have more important conversations face to face as apps and texting mean that things like gesture, body language, facial expression and tone of voice are missing so meaning can get muddled.

Difficult communication

There will be times as a nanny that you need to have a more difficult conversation with parents and throughout the relationship, positive communication will be vital. For example, it might be that the child has displayed some difficult behavior, injured themselves or you may have concerns about their development that you need to raise. These kinds of conversations should always take place face to face in the absence of the children. In these types of situations, when nannies and parents need to communicate about more difficult topics, a nanny should try and select a time where the parent is not rushed and is able to listen without distractions. If the situation warrants it, it may be worth arranging a meeting time in advance.

Nannies should always try to ensure that a conversation doesn’t become a list of complaints. This is not to say that you should sugar coat information, but it’s important to recognise positive qualities the child exhibits as well. If you have had a day of difficult behavior, then you should be truthful about that, but there is often good alongside bad behavior so try to acknowledge this during the conversation.

Where you have developmental concerns about a child, remember that a parent will find this difficult to hear and take care to approach this sensitively. Nannies should never attempt to make any kind of diagnosis themselves as they are not medical professionals. Instead, tell the parent what you have observed or experienced, why this concerns you, and what you’d like to do going forward. For example, you may feel that a child has delayed speech so you might tell the parent that you can see they understand the majority of what you say, but they aren’t really trying to form words and they don’t have as much expressive language as you would expect for their age. You might also state that this could be concerning as speech is a key area of learning, and gently suggest that the parents mention it during the child’s next visit to their pediatrician.

When discussing an accident or incident, nannies should report these occurrences shortly after they happen as opposed to waiting until the parent arrives home. This gives parents the opportunity to express if they would like you to get medical attention, but also can be useful to mentally prepare them for a black eye or visible bumped head when they arrive home.

Positive communication between nannies and nanny parents is the key to a successful working relationship and to achieving better outcomes for children. You can learn more about this vital skill at the International Nanny Institute. Our OCN-London approved course, Working as a Nanny, helps students understand what will be expected of a professional nanny. This includes the kinds of tasks you can expect to fulfill, and explain the types of responsibilities you’ll be taking on. We also offer tips on securing employment and developing a positive, healthy relationship with your next family.

Different Types of Nannies

Post date May 20, 2022

When looking for a nanny, each family has different needs and each nanny fulfils a slightly different role.

Families have varied characteristics, such as the number of children, ages of the children, dietary restrictions, hobbies and activities, parenting styles and boundaries, as well as any special needs.

In all cases, quality childcare is always a top priority for both a family and a nanny because children must be in a safe environment at all times.

Below we describe some of the different types of nannies families hire to meet their requirements:

Nanny

The nanny helps to develop the children’s potential through educational games, play and entertainment.

A nanny is someone who is fully invested in a child’s development and well-being. They are typically a daily fixture and are very involved in the children’s everyday lives.

It’s a nanny’s responsibility to create daily schedules and engage in activities to ensure the healthy mental, physical, and emotional growth of the children they care for.

A nanny will be responsible for a variety of tasks relating to the children, including but not limited to choosing the clothing, dressing, bathing and washing, preparing healthy and nutritious meals, scheduling play dates, organising age-related outings and general supervision at all times to ensure the children are safe.

The nanny also helps to develop the children’s potential through educational games, play and entertainment.

Rota Nanny

Rota nannies are usually required to work 24/7 when on duty on a rota system. For example, 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off.

Rota nannies might have different work hours depending on the family’s needs, but it is most likely to be 24/7 and the rota can extend between 1 week and 4 weeks. Rota nannies usually start after having previous experience as live-in nannies

Live-In and a Live-Out Nanny

Being a live-in nanny does not mean working longer hours or days than the law allows.

Live-in nannies are those who live with the family in their home for part of the week or can live with the family full time.

Live-out nannies are those who commute to work each day and, after finishing their duties, return home each night. The family must provide a suitable room and usually full board to a live-in.

Being a live-in nanny does not mean working longer hours or days than the law allows. This is, sometimes, a misunderstanding.

Nanny-Guard

A nanny-guard is an individual with training and experience in security.

A nanny guard is a nanny with added security training and skill to protect a child from acts of harm that may be intentional or unintentional.

They undergo rigorous training and testing to be able to act in certain situations.

Nanny-Housekeeper

A nanny’s duties can include light housekeeping relating to children.

A nanny-housekeeper covers both housekeeping chores and nanny duties. The housekeeping chores are done whilst the children are in the nursery or school.

However, the most important aspect of this position is to ensure the children’s well-being and safety at all times.

A nanny-housekeeper usually works with school-aged children and can work live in or live out.

Whereas a nanny’s duties can include light housekeeping relating to children, a nanny-housekeeper goes beyond the mere children’s duties and does all the housekeeping chores.

Holiday/Travelling Nanny

Some families tend to travel a lot and require an experienced full-time nanny to accompany them and carry out nanny tasks when travelling.

A travelling nanny is required to travel with the family, depending on the family’s needs. Some families tend to travel a lot and require an experienced full-time nanny to accompany them and carry out nanny tasks when travelling.

Parents may need to work, they may want some free time, or they may need some extra help, so they need the nanny to take over or lend an extra hand.

A travelling nanny usually works on a 24/6 or 24/7 schedule, and it is usually temporary. A travelling nanny can work either with the parents or sole charge.

International Nanny

An international nanny has extensive experience working with different families in different countries.

An international nanny is experienced in living in and has the competencies and resources to relocate easily.

This nanny can work full time, live in or live out and, in other cases, on a rota.

Maternity Nanny

Nanny helps the mum in introducing new milestones.

A maternity nanny tends to take over a maternity nurse. They are hired to continue helping with the habits and routines that were set by the previous maternity nurse.

They help the mum in introducing new milestones, such as weaning and sleep coaching. A maternity nanny has training and extensive experience working with young babies.

Nanny-Governess

This position entails covering all the nanny duties and implementing educational elements to help children thrive in academic matters.

A nanny-governess works as a nanny and a governess, this means that apart from the general duties and tasks a nanny has to carry out, they work with the child/children and family with an emphasis on education.

Whereas a nanny-governess covers more duties and a governess, this position entails covering all the nanny duties and implementing educational elements to help children thrive in academic matters.

A nanny-governess, as governesses do, has an educational background and the ability to teach.

Nanny-PA (Personal Assistant)

A nanny-PA takes on additional duties to the general nanny tasks. This is usually done to support the parents or children when the nanny is not actively caring for the children.

PA’s duties usually revolve around the personal and social needs of the parents or children.

This position requires organisational, administrative and time-management skills, as you are caring for a child/children and managing the day-to-day aspects of the home.

International Nanny helps families identify the best childcare set-up for their family and works hard to find the best homes for the best nannies.

We have a broad range of profiles and strive to recruit professional and career nannies.

We are committed to raising the standards in domestic childcare and have a thorough application and recruitment process because we work with candidates who are vocational and see this profession as the career it truly is.

Besides the agency, and to better equip candidates with the interest and vocation to grow and develop as successful nannies, we also offer training and accredited courses through the International Nanny Institute.

For more information, visit our website at https://www.international-nanny.com/ to find out about our open vacancies and more about International Nanny.

Feel free to visit our institute at https://www.international-nanny.institute/ to learn more about becoming a professional nanny.

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