Babysitter / Nanny

We are a family with three children with additional needs, and we are looking for a very special person to join our family and provide reliable childcare and support.

This role is not really about having impressive qualifications on paper. What matters much more to us is who you are as a person.

We are looking for someone who is calm, patient, resourceful and, above all, genuinely comfortable around children who may behave in unexpected ways.

Our children can be wonderful, funny, loving and incredibly rewarding — but they can also be challenging. We need someone who doesn't become overwhelmed when things don't go according to plan.

What we are looking for

The most important qualities are:

• Calm and patient, even when things become difficult.
• Resourceful and able to think on your feet.
• Comfortable working with autistic children and children with additional needs.
• Able to stay calm when a child is refusing, ignoring instructions or becoming dysregulated.
• Able to recognise that sometimes it is better to choose your battles rather than turn every disagreement into a confrontation.
• Warm and kind, but also able to maintain appropriate boundaries.
• Able to adapt when something that worked yesterday doesn't work today.
• Not easily shocked or upset by unusual or repetitive behaviour.
• Comfortable with children having strong interests and repetitive routines — for example playing the same game, drawing the same thing or watching the same video repeatedly.
• Able to gradually build trust with children who may initially behave differently towards a new person.
• Reliable and comfortable taking responsibility rather than needing constant direction from us.

Our children

We have three children, each with their own personality, needs and challenges.

They are unpredictable in the way many autistic and neurodivergent children can be. A child may seem completely comfortable with you at first and then behave very differently once they become familiar with you.

We don't expect you to "fix" their behaviour.

We need someone who can understand that sometimes the most sensible response is simply to remain calm, keep everyone safe, and decide what actually matters.

As parents, one of the things we have learned is that you cannot spend hours trying to make a child comply with every instruction. Sometimes you have to ask yourself:

"Is this actually important for their wellbeing or safety, or is it just something that would be nice if they did?"

That ability to pick your battles is extremely important to us.

Personal care

Our youngest child is 9 and still requires assistance with toileting, changing clothes and nappies.

You therefore need to be completely comfortable providing personal care respectfully and without making the child feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.

There is nothing unusual or shameful about this for us — it is simply part of the care they need.

What the job involves

Depending on the hours and arrangement, duties may include:

• Looking after all three children.
• Keeping the children safe and supervised.
• Helping with routines, meals and activities.
• Supporting transitions and changes in routine.
• Personal care, including nappies and changing clothes.
• Helping children regulate when they become overwhelmed.
• Playing with or engaging with the children when appropriate.
• Allowing appropriate independent/repetitive play when that is what the child needs.
• Helping maintain a calm environment.
• Communicating with us about anything important that happens during your time with the children.

We are not looking for someone who spends the whole time trying to force the children to behave like typically developing children.

We want someone who can understand them, work with them and keep everyone safe.

Pay: £20.00-£22.00 per hour

Work Location: In person