Are you aware Little Steps Nanny and Events Agency supports the UK Nannies Matter Campaign? Do you know what the campaign is about? Read on to find out more and see how you can help!
At the begining of the year (2020) I was approached by Allie Bell, to ask whether I would be interested in helping support and back the UK Nannies Matter Campaign. When I heard more information about the campaign, I was on board straight away. No hesitation.
The campaign aims to set minimum standards of professional nannies, including safeguarding, continuous professional development (CPD), pay-scales and to establish a governing body.
I had no hesitation in supporting the campaign, as this is what Little Steps Agency was built upon.
Why should Early Years settings, such as nursery and childminders be regulated and abide by set standards, yet nannies do not have to? Anyone can technically be a nanny! No qualifications, no DBS on the government udpdate service, no childcare knowledge or understanding. How is this still happening currently? This worries me, as a childcare professional and an nanny agency owner.
Little Steps Nanny and Events Agency is strict on our nanny vetting process. Our standards are high and I do not and will not deviate from this. A nanny will not register on Little Steps Agencies books without an Enhanced DBS on the Government Yearly Update Service. This costs a nanny £13.00 per year, to ensure their DBS is constantly up to date. This enables agencies and employers to check a DBS, with the nannies permission, at any time, ensuring no criminal convictions have taken place. It is a small price to pay, to ensure safeguarding standards are kept to a professional capacity.
Our vetting process and interview stage also contains a number of childcare related questions, to ensure you are suitable to work with children and are able to be left alone, at a professional standard, of which we believe is suitable.
The UK Nannies Matter Campaign suggests nannies pay scales are also taken into account. Who determines how much you pay a nanny? Is it your standards or an agencies? Do you see a lot of variation within the area you live in? Or maybe, you see London salaries are completley different to Hampshire? Who decides these factors? Is it the employers, the agencies, or the nannies?
Little Steps Agency also supports the #GoGross campaign to enable nannies pay scales and salaries to be in line with other job adverts. It is very unlikely to see an IT role in London, with a net salary or a role as a Health and Safety officer in Reading as a net salary. So again, why are nannies and some agencies still talking in net?
The standards of nannies need to be in line with any other professional role, especially within the Early Years sector.
Find out more information as to why we are supporting this campaign here: https://uknanny.org/little-steps/
If you have a spare 2 minutes, please show your support, and sign the campaign to regulate the nanny industry.
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