About Nanny Share

What is a nanny share?

A nanny share is when a nanny works for two families, caring for children from both families together at the same time. Parents share nannies to give their children someone to play with, to give their nanny a pay rise, and to save on childcare costs.

Does the nanny get paid more for looking after more children?

Yes, typically a nanny will get paid £2 net per hour on top of their usual sole rate. Nanny share is a great way to give your nanny a pay rise and share the cost with another family.

How much does it cost to use Koru Kids?

The cost of a nanny share depends on the nanny’s net pay, the taxes and the number of hours you share for. We then charge a fee on top of this for contract setup and payroll administration – we’ll deal with all the paperwork. As a guide we recommend budgeting £1100 – £1300 per month for a 30 hour a week share.

This covers your share of the nanny’s net wages, tax, pension, employers’ national insurance, payroll and Koru Kids fee. There are no other fees or charges.

Find a local family to nanny share with using our free tool

Is a nanny share cheaper than a sole care nanny?

Yes, it’s much cheaper. The average cost of a sole care nanny in London is around £14-16 per hour. That figure is made up of £10 net per hour for the nanny, plus £4-6 per hour in income tax, employee national insurance, and employer national insurance.  Agency fees for finding a nanny would be on top of that. By comparison, Koru Kids nanny shares usually work out  at £10-12 per hour, including all employer costs and fees.

I have a nanny – how much will I save?

If you have a nanny, how much you save depends on how many shared hours your nanny does. As an illustration, by sharing your nanny for just 25 hours per week you could reasonably save £5000-6000 per year. If you’re a higher rate taxpayer, that’s the equivalent of a £10,000+ pay rise!

How do you match people up?

We’ll ask you some basic questions like when you need a nanny to start, what days you’re looking for, the ages of your children and of course your location. There’ll be space for you to let us and other families know if you have any other requirements.

 How many children can a nanny look after at once?

There isn’t a legal limit on the number of children, but a nanny can only look after two families’ children at once. In practical terms, the key question is how many children the nanny feels they can look after. This will likely depend on the ages of the children, their temperament or needs, and the nanny’s experience. Shares with two or three children in total are most common.

Who hosts the share?

Usually, both families’ houses are used for the share.  However, families can agree something different. For example, if one family has a parent working from home they may prefer the share to always be at the other house.

Find a local family to nanny share with using our free tool

Who provides the equipment like double buggies?

Sometimes one of the families will want to buy a double buggy (e.g. if they expect to have a second child at some point). Alternatively, the costs can be split.  Families are expected to provide nappies, wipes, and formula for their own children if required, and may agree to make a contribution towards food.

Can we get help with contracts, tax, employers’ national insurance, etc.?  

Yes, that’s our job! We take care of all of these things. The process is simple for you as we work in the background to sort out these details.

What happens if one of the kids gets sick?

We recommend that sick children still get looked after as part of the share. This is a major benefit of nannies over other forms of childcare such as nurseries and childminders, who will send sick children home. Usually children are contagious well before showing symptoms anyway, so they’ve probably already passed it on.  

What happens if the nanny gets sick?

Nanny sickness is rarely convenient but it’s easier to deal with in a nanny share than in a sole nanny situation. That’s because nanny shares involve two families as backup, so it’s more likely that one of the adults can take a day off and look after the children without it being a total disaster. From a payments perspective, our blog has more information on what happens if your nanny is sick.  

What are my responsibilities as an employer?

When you use Koru Kids we guide you through the process of becoming an employer and take care of all the administration for you. Your legal responsibilities include making sure your nanny has an employment contract, paying their taxes and making sure you have the right insurance. We will take care of all of this. For more detailed information on your full responsibilities as an employer head to our blog.

Can the nanny do nursery duties at both houses?

‘Nursery duties’ (such as taking care of the children’s laundry and other equipment) are one of the perks of having a nanny, and most nannies will expect them as part of their job description. In a nanny share these duties will also be shared and will usually only be performed for you when the share is at your place.

Do I really need help to organise a nanny share?

Lots of people organise their own nanny shares, and these can be very successful. To set up a DIY share you’ll need to organise the following:

  • Find a family who live nearby, are like-minded, and have compatible hours and children’s ages
  • If neither family has a nanny, you’ll need to recruit one, check their references, right to work, DBS and ensure you’re happy with their experience and qualifications
  • Draw up two sets of contracts –one for each family as you will both be employers — covering the details of employment and the obligations of each party
  • All three parties will need insurance and you will need to ensure that the structure of the contracts and payments does not inadvertently create an uninsured or uninsurable liability.  
  • Even for part time shares, families must operate PAYE schemes and pay their share of the nanny’s tax, employee’s national insurance, compulsory pension payments, employer’s national insurance, and any applicable extras such as back taxes or student loan repayments. Don’t be tempted to skip this step.

If you would like to simplify your life and avoid these tasks, that’s where the Koru Kids service comes in.

Find a local family to nanny share with using our free tool

To find out more get in touch using WhatsApp or LiveChat.