Nannies being lured by sports cars and holidays

Nannies are quitting the industry in search of a better salary as the cost of living soars and 40pc have considered a change of career in the past two years, according to payroll firm Nannytax.

British families pay an average of almost £32,600 a year, or £12.52 an hour, for a nanny, rising to roughly £39,800 a year in London.

Fees are at an all-time high, as the supply of workers within the sector dwindles. Thousands of nannies are on the brink of moving to a new vocation, or a better-paying family, leaving parents without childcare.

Kirsty Wild, of Nannytax, said parents were recruiting at school gates offering higher salaries and “juicy starter perks” such as holidays and access to sports cars.

She said: “Families who employ nannies need to start thinking about how they will retain them.

“If increasing pay is not an option, then consider additional rewards or training opportunities. One nanny just had the opportunity to work in Barcelona for a month, another got to drive a Porsche and a Tesla, and another had access to the family’s chef and chauffeur.”

Rent-free accommodation and use of second homes for holidays were also commonly used as employee benefits, Ms Wild said.

Competition for nannies is now fierce because of staff shortages triggered by Brexit, the pandemic and huge demand amid a shortage of nursery places.

Cheaper childcare alternatives, such as nurseries and childminders, are also battling a staffing crisis, pushing up prices and restricting availability for parents.

More than 5,000 workers have left the early years sector since the pandemic began, according to analysis by childminding agency Tiney.

Brett Wigdortz, from Tiney, said too many in the industry were “undervalued and underpaid”, especially nursery staff earning less than the living wage.

He said: “We need to ensure staff are fairly paid, have access to professional development and are respected for the skilled educators that they are.

“If we don’t then people will continue to leave, pushing up prices for families and restricting access to care.”