Nanny
Work in an employer's home, looking after their children and making sure they are happy and healthy.
Also known as: childminder
About the job
What it's like
You would work in an employer’s home, looking after their children and making sure they are happy and healthy.
You might often have to look after babies and very young children. You could work as a maternity nanny, helping families care for newborn babies during the first few weeks of a baby's life. You could also work with older children or a mix of age groups.
You would:
Feed, bathe and dress children and change nappies
Teach basic social skills and hygiene
Make sure children are safe
Help children to learn through play
Go out with children to give them new experiences
Take children to school or nursery
Plan interesting things to do
Take children to the doctor or to do activities
Organise chances for children to play with others
Prepare healthy meals and snacks
Tidy up and clean rooms used by the children
Keep records of the children’s development for the family
You would need an excellent understanding of health and safety, as well as food hygiene.
Hours
You would work in a private household for up to 12 hours a day, five or six days a week. In addition, you may be expected to provide baby-sitting services as and when required.
Environment
You might be a live-in nanny staying with a family in their home, or a live-out nanny travelling to them every day. Some families share live-out nannies, which would mean looking after children from more than one family. You might look after them all at the same time, or split your week working between different houses.
Travel
Many families look for a nanny with a driving licence.
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Childminder
Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- housekeeping
- meal planning and preparation
- broadband
- family support
- child development
- cooking
- diaper changing
- social development
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- developing a plan
- observation
- verbal communication
- listening
- supporting
- cooperating
- building relationships
- positive attitude
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Care
Childcare and Development
Skills for Work: Early Education and Childcare
Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services Children and Young People
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
There are no formal qualifications required to enter this work but some employers may ask for qualifications at SCQF levels 4 to 6.
You could do a Higher National Certificate (SCQF level 7) in Early Education and Child Care, a Higher National Diploma (SCQF level 8) in Childhood Practice or relevant work-based experience and qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Social Services (Children and Young People) (SVQ level 2/3/4)
Entry to the HNC is normally a relevant National Certificate/National Qualification or one to three highers.
Qualifications and experience that demonstrate child care abilities such as Skills for Work Early Education and Childcare (SCQF level 4/5)
First Aid Certificate
Practical cookery skills
To be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland
To be at least 17 years old for some college courses
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