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A couple of the guys at one of my previous client's tried to hire an au pair they were terribly fed up when the agency told them that they did not supply young girls to hang around a shag pad and cook food... In the end I think they found a student from the local uni to kick around for free and cook and billed the client for a serviced apartment
We have used nursery, nanny and just recently a childminder (for the summer holidays).
Nursery - visit all of them, you will soon get a feel for whether the children are happy. A general rule is avoid if the staff are very young. Don't count on Ofsted conclusions, one of the worst nurseries we visited had an Ofsted outstanding rating.
Nanny - luckily I work from home so I can monitor nannies. Had one nightmare one with mental health issues who was going through a divorce. Sacked her on the spot one day when I noticed she'd been on the phone all day. Got a great nanny now, older lady who has a granddaughter about SG junior's age, great refs, she brings the granddaughter to our house and they have a whale of a time. Its nice hearing kids playing when you work.
Childminder - had my doubts but had no choice for summer holidays. SG Junior seems to love it. Pick one who's obviously serious about it. You can tell by visiting and seeing how much investment they've put into their house and how many refs they're willing to provide. Our one has converted her downstairs into a playroom with their own toilet and the garden is well equipped with slides etc.
Trust your instinct, look to see if the other children are happy, that's all I can say.
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