Nanny Profile- Amber

Amber is a British nanny who is currently looking for a permanent, daily nanny position to start from July. She is hoping to find work in the Clapham Junction area as she will be living in Norwood Junction.

Amber is a qualified nanny and has extensive experience with children aged from newborn upwards. She qualified in 1994 and has been a nanny to several London families, as both live-in and live-out, since that time.

She is Surestart approved, and has a recent CRB check. She also has a current first aid certificate and holds a full UK drivers licence.

AMBER

EDUCATION

September 1988 - September 1993 Thomas Mills High School, Framlingham, Suffolk
       
   
TRAINING
 
November 1993 - February 1994  
Lucie Clayton College of Nursery Training , Gloucester Road SW7
                                                                                       
Lucie Clayton Nursery Training Diploma 
This course covered all aspects of childcare from the newly born to pre-school and included First Aid, Nutrition/Specialised Diets and Hygiene. The course also specialised in child development including many different 'learning and play' techniques and involved organising, arranging and supervising outdoor activities.  My placement whilst training was with a pre-school nursery where I helped and cared for the children with their daily activities.

October 2007    
St Johns Ambulance –Early Years First Aid

March 2007    
Tinies-Introduction to childcare course. March 2007

OTHER

March 2007    
*SURESTART APPROVED*

February 2007    
UK CRB check

EMPLOYMENT

July 2006 to date-Brook Green
Sole charge of Iris aged 5 months. My role here was to care for Iris from 7am until 7pm Monday to Friday ,and occasionally over night if needed.
We kept our days busy with music classes, Gymboree, the library, and various local playgroups.
As well as going to friends houses and also having friends over for tea etc.

Brook Green has a lot of families so we were always making new friends in the local parks etc
Iris very much enjoyed being around other children and was always a joy to be with whether we were out and about or at home climbing the stairs pretending to be dinosaurs!
Once l had weaned her on to solids she very much enjoyed my wholesome organic cooking!
Sometimes she would actually help me cook using her miniature whisk and wooden spoon!
I have seen Iris go though many changes since l starting back in July 2006.This has been most rewarding.

I would have very much liked to have continued in this position, but have now bought a house, which due to the  location and the hours I worked, would have made the commute and day very hard going.

February 2004 to July 2006-Fulham
Sole charge of Luke who suffers from epilepsy.  He was aged 7 months when I started this position.  Because of Luke’s condition, he was very limited to what he could participate in regarding activities, but I felt we made the most of what he was capable of doing.
Luke was a very loving, social, cheerful little boy with heaps of personality that would shine through to anyone that met him and he was a joy to be with.
We took each day at a time as Luke continued to try different medications to help make his life a little easier, all with unpleasant side effects.

I took a first aid course when I started the position to familiarise myself with ‘seizures’ and how to deal with them,as he was only diagnosed once I had started the job.  By doing this course I was able to get a grater understanding about his condition and learnt that Luke wasn’t in danger when fitting and how to stay calm throughout these difficult times.

Due to the family relocating to Merton and after a lot of thought, I have decided that I want to continue working central London

January 2004 – Traveling in Thailand.

September 2002 – December 2003
My position here was again sole charge and involved taking care of Kitty aged 4 months when I started. At the beginning this job was very much about getting Kitty into a good sleeping routine and then when she was a little older, weaning her onto solids.  Once Kitty became 6/7 months old, we had a very busy social life – she was signed up for most of the music/gym classes in the area!  We spend a lot of time doing creative things at home……painting, cooking etc and often had friends over for tea.  Kitty’s mum chose not to work on Fridays so the position was Monday through to Thursday.  I managed to find a Friday job looking after two older girls, then aged 7 and 8.  I would collect the girls from school and we would enjoy the rest of the afternoon in the park, at the library, at friends’ houses or just back at their house in Kensington.  I helped with homework, cooked their dinner and often babysat in the evenings.           
Kitty’s mum decided that when her second baby was born in December 03 she would take extended maternity leave, therefore, my hours/salary would be less.  I decided to leave as I wanted to earn a full weeks wage and, therefore, also left my Friday job at the same time to enable me to get a Monday-Friday position.

September 2001-August 2002-Gloucester Road/Paris
Working as a daily nanny for a French family.  This position was in Gloucester Road, where I had sole charge of Adrien from 2 months of age to one year.  Due to Ms Aufan’s business commitments, I travelled with her to Paris at least once a month and looked after Adrien in her apartment in the centre of Paris.

In both London and Paris, I took him out as much as possible stimulating him with trips to local parks, music and movement classes and different environments.  I intended, as he grew older, to introduce him to both English and French cultures.  Unfortunately, there was little opportunity for this as after working for the family a little under a year, they moved back to Paris and I wished to stay based in London.

April 2001 – September 2001
Various temporary Nanny placements, mostly based in London.
(I accepted the position with the French family in May before the baby was born.  As she was still living in Paris at the time, we agreed that I would commence work in September, hence the reason for the temporary positions)

January 2001 - April 2001-Earls Court
Working as a recruitment consultant on the live-in desk for a Nanny Agency in London.
This position involved interviewing Nannies, doing reference checks, speaking with families who wanted to register with the Agency, arranging interviews for nannies to meet with suitable families and making the vital placements.
After 3 months of office experience, I decided to return to being a nanny and to the environment where I felt the happiest.

February 1997 - December 2000-Kensington
Working as a live-in nanny.  When I commenced this employment I was given sole charge of Lily aged 3 months.  From an early age, Lily was a very social child and I built up a large network of friends for her which we continued to keep up over the years.  Our days consisted of swimming, baby massage, play groups, music classes etc.  I also took on the daily run of the house.  This included ironing, running various errands for the parents as well as nursery duties and cooking.
 
Lily's baby sister Grace was born in August, 1999.  By this time, Lily was at school most afternoons.  I undertook the responsibility of caring for Grace throughout the day and stimulating her needs by introducing her to babies of a similar age. Familiarising her with baby gyms, music classes and swimming, carefully coinciding this with Lily's school run and after school activities.

During the long Summer breaks from school, I involved Lily and Grace in educational outings to places such as art galleries, museums and zoos which I felt was of great benefit to them. (Ref Mrs Spicer) 

My time spent in this job had been most rewarding but I felt it was perhaps time for a change.

May 1996 to Feb 1997-Ealing
Working as a live-in nanny.  Being restaurateurs and working unsociable hours, I  had sole charge of Rebecca from birth and Adelaide, then aged 5 years.  This entailed the day to day responsibility for the needs and care of a new born baby and often included working evenings when the parents were working late.

Caring for Adelaide, taking and collecting her to and from school and organising after school and holiday activities.  Understanding and responding to her emotional needs. (Ref Mrs Robinson)

January 1996 - March 1996-Hanwell
Working as a nanny..  Having sole charge of Milly, then aged 4 years.

As Milly attended school from 1.30 pm until 3.30 pm, the mornings were spent either creatively at home, socialising with her friends or educational trips, depending on the weather. 

My day would end after giving Milly her dinner and bath before her parents arrived home from work at 7.00 pm.

Regrettably, I had to leave this post after a short time due to a redundancy in the family.

March 1995 - January 1996-Ealing
Working as a live-in nanny for Mr and Mrs Bain and having sole charge of Charlie, then aged 5 years and Miranda aged 3 years.   My day commenced at 7.30 am by giving the children breakfast, getting them dressed and organising Charlie’s school bag.  Charlie was given a lift to school each day and brought home at 3.45 pm. 

Miranda attended nursery 3 mornings a week which was within walking distance.  I would collect her at 12.00 noon and after lunch would spend time with her either, creatively at home or with other children and their nannies.  The days Miranda didn’t attend nursery, we would visit different play groups, Music and Movement classes, soft play centres or I would take her swimming with her friends.

When Charlie came home from school, I would help him with his reading and homework. After their dinner and bath, I would play with them both until their parents returned home. Looking after both the children in the school holidays, taking them out and generally widening their interests.

I kept a diary of their daily activities which the children helped to formulate, Charlie and Miranda’s parents enjoyed reading this when they returned home from work.

June 1994 - March 1995-Putney
Working as a nanny/mother's help for afamily in Putney and taking care of Alex, then aged 3 years.  My daily routine consisted of preparing Alex's breakfast and taking and collecting him from school.  Preparing his lunch and generally keeping him amused until teatime when I would bath him and put him to bed.  I took him out during the school holidays and generally encouraged him to read, write and draw.

During my term of employment, Elana was born.  I immediately took over the sole responsibility of feeding, changing and generally looking after her whilst her mother was recovering from her Caesarian operation.  Overcoming Alex's problems concerning jealousy of the new baby and finding ways to encourage him to love and enjoy his new sister.

Due to business commitments, it was necessary for the family to move to Hong Kong and after a great deal of thought, I decided not to go with them and continue to gain more experience in London.

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
Photography, modern art, keeping fit, cycling, music and foreign travel