Rearing a mini-human is no walk in the park. In fact, parenting in those early stages can be quite the ordeal.
It’s filled with intermittent sleep and screaming tiny overlords, but it’s also an exciting journey.
Parents need all the help they can get, and we’ve discovered that firsthand. So from one parent to another, we are putting forth this list of recommended nanny services in London.
We’ve done our research—talking to people while the little tyrant is asleep or tapping away at the keyboard in between milk preparations!
How much does a nanny service cost in London?
On average, it costs around £11 – £16 per hour to get a nanny. Rates can also differ depending on the type, such as live-in or live-out, special needs specialist, or maternity nanny.
How we chose the best nanny service in London
- Pricing: We compared the total costs of each service with its value and chose the provider that offered the best results. This means our list includes both low-cost and high-end services.
- Service: We selected providers with a strong track record of quality and only a few service misses. The services cover communication, customer support, and issue resolution.
- Nannies: We also looked into nanny qualifications, focusing on their experience, education, and professionalism.
- Customer Review: We asked around and talked to customers. We also checked out online reviews to get a broader perspective.
- Reputation: We took into consideration the provider’s experience, awards and recognition, and number of people served.
1. Wimbledon Babysitting and Nanny Agency
Address: The Crescent
Phone: 0208 7390 878
The Wimbledon Babysitting and Nanny Agency is the brainchild of a mother of two, who has a combined experience of over 14 years in the recruitment and childcare field. It offers a range of solutions for local families, including special needs specialists and teacher nannies.
We find the agency commendable for only employing professionals with at least three years of experience. This certainly works, as its customers have nothing but glowing recommendations about their sitters.
Positive reviews for the agency include well-educated sitters, prompt service, and excellent communication. Few of us who got our nannies through this agency certainly agree.
No wonder it won the best customer service award at the Merton Business Awards!
In addition, their website is first-rate because all pertinent details are quickly scannable. This includes info on the booking process, sitters’ bios, and pricing.
Thanks to this data, we were able to sign up quickly!
All in all, we can’t find any major faults in this agency, except only that it covers select areas in London.
Always been great!
We’ve used the Wimbledon Babysitting Agency several times over the years and they’ve always been great! Caroline is fantastic at finding the perfect sitter for you and your child. I have no hesitation in recommending them.
- Melanie M., Google Review
Highest Standard!
Exceptional! I have three boys under the age of six and Caroline has been absolutely amazing managing my requests, she is extremely efficient and always responsive. Most importantly, the babysitters she offers are of the highest standard…
- Ashlee D., Google Review
2. Homebodies
Phone: (0)207 101 4243
Homebodies has been placing full-time staff since 2014, including governesses and rota nannies. We find it different because of its extensive parent-interview process and careful vetting process to get the best possible match.
What we appreciated most was having a single point of contact from the agency, which made things more convenient.
Meanwhile, customers love Homebodies for its responsive customer service and for making the right match. We talked to one of them who had hired the same nanny for 14 years!
These service hits are one of the reasons why the agency took home the UK Nanny Awards for Best Nanny Agency in 2023.
However, we find their fees quite punishing on the pocket. Since these are not published on their website, you’d have to go through several processes just to get an estimate.
Provided us with high quality candidates
It has been a pleasure to work with Simone. We were in a tricky situation, and she promptly provided us with high-quality, well thought-through candidates including a “unicorn” candidate that matched our language and quality requirements!
- Marta S., Google Review
Personal service
Working with Simone was fantastic. Previously I had used the big agencies to find nannies, but a friend recommended Simone and I am so grateful that she did! It was a bespoke, personal service from start to finish: Simone took a huge amount…
- Eleanor, Google Review
3. Koru Kids
Phone: 020 8050 5678
Created by a mother who once worked in the tech healthcare industry, Koru Kids is an app service that connects parents and nannies. It offers user-friendly features, an extensive nanny selection, and a quick parent onboarding process.
Because of these, we recommend this provider as a good fit for busy, working parents like us who need to get a nanny quickly. Plus, it offers peace of mind through its liability insurance, Ofsted “effective” inspection, and comprehensive background checks.
Parents we talked to love it for its flexibility and free signup process. We also can’t get enough of the promotions offered!
However, just like any tech-based provider, it can come with impersonal service. Some of the parents we talked to had system issues with their accounts and had difficulties retaining a nanny.
Another thing we’re iffy about is that Koru Kids hires nannies with zero experience, including part-time university students. One of us had the unfortunate experience of getting off work early because her part-time nanny was running late for class!
Overall, we find this service helpful for families with changing needs and those seeking budget-friendly options.
Straightforward to use
I have used Koru Kids to search for after school nannies. The app is very straight forward to use. The customer service and support through the process is meticulous, detailed and efficient. The process from the nanny search, to signing …
- Jeeta P., Google Review
Highly recommended!
It’s the first time I hired some family support and looked into Koru Kids… Highly recommend them Koru kids, always on hand to take a call and incredibly supportive. LOVE this service!
- Saduf N., Google Review
4. Childcare.co.uk
Address: 77 Berwick St
Phone: +44-020-7287-7900
Business hours:
- Mon-Fri: 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM; 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM
- Sat: 12:00 PM – 10:30 PM
- Sun: Closed
As a social networking platform, Childcare.co.uk is a comprehensive resource for all things childcare. It mainly works as a DIY service for parents anticipating to hire nanny services.
We tried this service and found that we have to do everything ourselves, including research, background checks, and reference enquiries. But because it’s free with the option to subscribe, it can be a good fit for clients who have tight budgets.
However, we find the platform iffy because of the minimal oversight. Parents who signed up complained about undisclosed charges, unhelpful customer support, and system issues.
We also talked to people who said it takes a long time to get a service. Others were more unfortunate because they had problems with the nannies’ attitude.
Still, it’s important to note that the Department for Education has named the platform a Small Business Research Initiative Competition Winner in 2015.
Additionally, we saw many positive online recommendations. Through the platform, a lot of users mentioned they found local nannies that met their needs or kept the same nanny for years.
On the whole, we have this provider on our list because it has helped us a few times, just as it has helped over a million users since its launch in 2009.
Platform was very good
We found a great childminder through Childcare.co.uk. The communication with all childminders through the platform was very good.
- Mrs. BH, Trustpilot
Highly recommend
Great service. Simple. Very easy to use! Huge number of staff responded to my advert…Also very responsive customer service too. Highly recommend.
- Anton M., Trustpilot
5. Kensington Nannies
Address: 3 Hornton Place, Kensington High Street
Phone: 0207 937 2333
What we find impressive about Kensington Nannies is that their onboarding service is quite meticulous. It takes them around a minimum of four weeks to go through everything, from the client registration to the trial day.
We tried using their free search platform and found it rather straightforward.
As a freemium service, they do all the heavy lifting. This includes candidate interviews, background research, and reference checks.
That said, clients must offer higher-than-average rates to hire these nannies successfully. For instance, part-time nannies start anywhere around £20-£30 per hour, while full-time ones can go as high as £80,000 a year.
However, many of the clients that we interviewed were satisfied with the fees. According to them, the convenience of the search process and the quality of the nannies are worth it.
As a whole, we included Kensington Nannies on our list because it has been awarded by the UK Nanny Awards as the best agency of 2022. Plus, it is one of the longest-running agencies in London, having been in business for over 40 years!
Outstanding nannies
Kensington Nannies have outstanding nannies available and we were deeply impressed with the candidates we met in terms of their clear child expertise, professionalism, and care… Couldn’t recommend the experience more.
- Nicky G., Google Review
Recommended to parents!
An amazing nanny agency. Their consultants are extremely professional, friendly and always ready to help. I have recommended this agency to various parents and never been disappointed.
- Nela, Google Review
