Call us: 020 3143 2265 Families pay only when they hire. Free for nannies.
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Trusted nannies for London families.

The Household Circle is a personal nanny agency with first-hand childcare experience. We take the time to know every family and every nanny, and only make introductions we believe will last.

Run by a nanny and a mumWe're a nanny and a mum working together. One of us has spent years caring for children in London homes. The other knows what it feels like to hand your children to someone new. Between us, we understand both sides of every match.

I'm looking for a nanny I'm a nanny looking for work

Our promise to you

Profiles within 48 hoursWe start your search the day we speak.
Every nanny carefully vettedInterviewed, referenced and DBS checked.
Support after day oneWe check in at 1, 3 and 6 months.

The right help for your home

Full-time, part-time or just for a few weeks. Tell us how your week looks and we'll do the rest.

Live-out nannies

Daily nannies who arrive in the morning and go home in the evening.

Live-in nannies

Nannies who live with your family, with their own room and set hours.

Part-time & after-school

School pick-ups, homework, tea and bath time.

Nanny-housekeepers

Childcare plus laundry, tidying and family meals.

Temporary & emergency

Cover for holidays, sickness or a gap between nannies.

Bilingual nannies

Nannies who speak French, Spanish, Portuguese and more at home with your children.

Simple, from first call to first day

  1. We chat

    A friendly call about your children, your hours and the kind of person you want.

  2. You get profiles

    A short list of vetted nannies, usually within 48 hours. No registration fee.

  3. Interviews & trials

    We book interviews and paid trial days, and give honest advice on each nanny.

  4. Start & stay

    Help with the offer and contract, then check-ins once your nanny has started.

Start my searchYou only pay a fee if you hire through us.

What every nanny goes through

Before we introduce anyone to your family, they pass every one of these.

  • A full interview with us
  • Enhanced DBS check
  • Two childcare references, spoken to by phone
  • Paediatric first aid certificate
  • Right to work in the UK
  • ID and qualifications checked

Areas we cover

We place nannies with families across London. Not on the list? Get in touch and we'll see what we can do.

CamdenIslingtonHampsteadKensington & ChelseaNotting HillFulhamClaphamWandsworthBatterseaRichmondChiswickDulwich

Hiring a nanny, made clear

Which nanny do I need?

Live-in, live-out, nanny-share or after-school, and how to choose.

Read the guide

Being a nanny employer

Payslips, tax, pension and holiday pay, explained in plain English.

Read the guide

Interview questions

What to ask, what a trial day should look like, and red flags to spot.

Read the guide

Nanny or au pair?

A nanny is a trained professional. An au pair is a cultural exchange.

Read the guide

From families and nannies

They really took the time to understand our family and what we were looking for. The whole process felt personal and effortless, and we found a wonderful nanny within days.
Parent, Islington
Rhiannon genuinely cared about finding the right family for me, not just filling a position. I felt listened to and supported throughout, and they still keep in touch to make sure everything is going well.
Nanny, 9 years’ experience

Frequently asked

How much does it cost?

Registering is free for families and nannies. Families pay a one-off placement fee only when they hire a nanny through us. We'll tell you the fee on our first call, so there are no surprises.

How long does it take to find a nanny?

Most families see profiles within 48 hours. A permanent hire usually takes two to six weeks, including interviews and trial days. Temporary cover can be much quicker.

What happens if it doesn't work out?

If a nanny leaves within the first few weeks, we'll search again for a replacement. Ask us about the exact terms.

Do you help with contracts and payroll?

Yes. We'll guide you through the offer and contract, and point you to trusted nanny payroll services so tax and pension are handled properly.

I'm a nanny. Do I have to pay anything?

Never. Our service is always free for nannies.

Let's find your match

Leave your details and we'll call you back at a time that suits you.

Phone020 3143 2265
Emailhello@thehouseholdcircle.co.uk

We only use your details to reply and help with your search. See our privacy policy.

Free guide

Which nanny do I need?

Start with your week, not the job title. When do you need help? How old are your children? Do you have a spare room? Once you know that, the right kind of nanny is usually obvious.

Live-out nanny

The most common choice in London. Your nanny arrives in the morning and goes home in the evening, usually five days a week.

Good for: working parents who need full days of care and don't have space, or don't want someone living in.

Live-in nanny

Your nanny lives with you, with their own bedroom and agreed working hours. Time off is their own, even though they're in the house.

Good for: early starts, long days or irregular hours. You'll need a private room, and ideally their own bathroom.

Nanny-housekeeper

Childcare first, plus household jobs like laundry, tidying and family meals. Often a good fit once children are at school and the days have more gaps.

Good for: busy homes where the children are a little older.

Part-time and after-school

School pick-ups, homework, tea and bath time. Usually afternoons into early evening.

Good for: school-age children whose parents work past 3pm. Good part-time nannies get booked up, so start looking early.

Nanny-share

Two families share one nanny. Sometimes the children are cared for together, sometimes on different days. Each family pays its share and is an employer for that share.

Good for: cutting the cost of a full-time nanny, and company for your child. It works best when both families agree on routines, food and screen time up front.

Temporary cover

For holidays, illness or a gap between nannies. Usually short notice and short term.

Still not sure?

Most families aren't. Tell us about your week and we'll tell you honestly what we'd do.

Not sure which fits?

Talk to us

Free guide

Being a nanny employer

When you hire a nanny, you become their employer. Not the agency. That sounds daunting, but most of it is a one-off setup, and a nanny payroll service can do the regular work for you.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Thresholds and rates change, so check gov.uk or a nanny payroll service for current figures.

Before day one

Agree pay in gross, not net

This catches a lot of families out. Gross pay is before tax and National Insurance. Net is what lands in your nanny's account. If you agree a net figure, you carry the risk when tax changes. Agreeing gross keeps it clear for both of you.

Payslips, tax and National Insurance

Each payday you need to give your nanny a payslip, take off their income tax and National Insurance, and pay those to HMRC along with your own employer's National Insurance. Your nanny must also be paid at least the National Minimum Wage for every hour worked.

A nanny payroll service will run all this for a small monthly fee. Most families use one.

Pension

If your nanny earns over a set amount and is old enough, you have to enrol them in a workplace pension and pay in too. This is called auto-enrolment. Your payroll provider can usually set it up.

Holiday and sick pay

Where we help

We'll help you with the offer and the contract, and point you to nanny payroll services we trust.

Want help with the paperwork?

Talk to us

Free guide

Interview questions

A CV tells you where someone has worked. The interview tells you how they'll be with your children. Ask about real situations, then listen for detail.

Questions to ask

Have your children around for part of it. Watch how they say hello. A good nanny will usually get down to your child's level without being asked.

The trial day

Red flags

Trust your gut. If something feels off, it's fine to keep looking.

Always speak to references yourself

We call every reference, but you should too. Ask how long they worked there, what the children were like with them, and whether they'd hire them again.

Want us to set up interviews?

Talk to us

Free guide

Nanny or au pair?

Both help with the children, but they're very different roles. A nanny is a childcare professional you employ. An au pair is usually a young person from abroad who lives with your family, learns English and helps out part-time.

A nanny

An au pair

Which is right for you?

Choose a nanny if you have young children, work full days, or want someone with real experience and continuity.

An au pair can work if your children are at school, you need a hand before and after school, and you have a spare room and want someone to join family life.

The rules on au pairs, visas and pay can be tricky. Check current guidance on gov.uk before you take one on.

Our focus

We place nannies, not au pairs. If you're not sure which you need, call us and we'll give you a straight answer.

Think a nanny's right for you?

Talk to us

Privacy policy

Last updated: November 2026

Who we are

The Household Circle is run by The Household Circle Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, number 17564032. Our registered office is Unit E6, Old Imperial Laundry, 87 Warriner Gardens, London SW11 4DX.

We decide how your personal data is used, so we are the "controller" under UK data protection law.

Questions about your data? Email hello@thehouseholdcircle.co.uk.

What we collect

If you're a family: your name, phone, email and postcode area. What help you need, your hours and start date. Anything you tell us about your children, like their ages or any needs a nanny should know about.

If you're a nanny: your name and contact details. Your CV, work history and qualifications. References, ID and right to work documents. Your DBS check and first aid certificate.

We only ask for what we need to make a good match. We don't need your children's full names.

How we use it

Our legal reasons for this are: taking steps you've asked for before an agreement, carrying out our agreement with you, meeting legal duties, and our legitimate interest in running the agency. We'll ask for your consent if we ever want to use your data for anything else, like a newsletter.

DBS and criminal records information gets extra care. We only use it where the law allows, to check a nanny is safe to work with children. Only the people who need to see it can see it.

Who we share it with

We never sell your data.

Some of our providers may store data outside the UK. When they do, we make sure there are proper legal safeguards in place.

How long we keep it

Your rights

You can ask us to:

If you gave consent for something, you can withdraw it at any time. Just email us. We'll reply within one month.

If you're not happy with how we've handled your data, please tell us first. You can also complain to the ICO at ico.org.uk.

Website terms and conditions

Last updated: November 2026

About us

This website is run by The Household Circle Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, number 17564032. You can contact us at hello@thehouseholdcircle.co.uk or on 020 3143 2265.

Using this website

By using this site, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, please don't use the site.

The site is free to use. We can change, suspend or remove any part of it without notice. We can't promise it will always be available or free of errors.

Our information isn't advice

Our guides and other content are general information. They aren't legal, tax or employment advice. Please check with a professional before you act on anything that affects you.

We try to keep everything accurate and up to date, but rules and figures change. We can't guarantee the content is complete or current.

What you can and can't do

Our content

The text, design and logo on this site belong to us or are used with permission. All rights are reserved.

Links to other websites

We sometimes link to other websites, such as gov.uk. We don't control them and aren't responsible for what they say or how they handle your data.

Our responsibility to you

We aren't responsible for any loss that comes from using this site or relying on its content, as far as the law allows.

Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law doesn't let us limit. They don't affect your legal rights as a consumer.

Your personal data

Our privacy policy explains how we use any details you give us, and our cookie policy explains our use of cookies.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The date at the top shows when they last changed.

The law that applies

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. Any disputes will be dealt with by the courts of England and Wales.

Complaints policy

Last updated: November 2026

We want every family and nanny we work with to be happy with our service. If something has gone wrong, please tell us. We'll take it seriously and try to put it right.

How to complain

Please tell us what happened and when, who was involved, and what you'd like us to do about it. Include any emails or documents that help.

What happens next

If you're still not happy

You can ask for your complaint to be reviewed by a director of the company who wasn't involved. They'll reply within 14 working days. Their reply is our final response.

If we still haven't resolved things, you can contact:

How we handle complaints

Making a complaint will never affect how we treat you.

Cookie policy

Last updated: November 2026

What cookies are

Cookies are small files a website saves in your browser. Some are needed for a site to work. Others track how you use a site or show you adverts.

What we use

We don't use cookies for tracking, analytics or advertising.

We may use a small number of strictly necessary cookies to keep the site secure and working. The law doesn't require us to ask for consent for these, because the site can't work properly without them.

Fonts

The fonts on this site come from Google Fonts. To show them, your browser asks Google's servers for the font files, so Google receives your IP address. Google's privacy policy explains how it handles this.

If this changes

If we ever add analytics or other cookies that aren't strictly necessary, we'll ask for your consent first and update this page.

Managing cookies

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Blocking strictly necessary cookies may stop parts of the site working.

Questions

Email hello@thehouseholdcircle.co.uk.