Nanny Agency Jobs Explainer

Make the immediate handover safe and record the actual finish time.

Confirm what is happening

If the parent or relieving adult is late, continue the agreed care until a responsible handover occurs. Contact them through the household’s planned route and ask for an updated arrival time. If they cannot be reached, use the agreed backup contact. Avoid treating the scheduled end time as proof that another adult has taken over.

Keep the child’s plan steady

Focus on the child’s current routine and any practical change caused by the delay, such as a meal or bedtime handover. Do not invent new authority to change major plans. If an instruction conflicts with the revised timing, ask the parent which option to follow.

Record the actual work

Note the scheduled end, the time you contacted the parent, the updated estimate if given and the time responsibility actually transferred. Keep the record factual and private. A timesheet should reflect actual work rather than silently replacing it with the planned shift; the written agreement and local rules govern pay questions.

Discuss the pattern later

Once the immediate shift is closed, discuss how the family wants to handle future delays. Ask when they expect a warning, who the backup adult is, how schedule changes are confirmed and how additional time is recorded. A recurring delay may call for a different planned end time or backup coverage.

Use a fictional handover

Fictional example: a shift ends at 6 p.m., but the parent reports a 6:30 arrival. The nanny records the update, follows the agreed child routine, and logs the time of actual handover. The next day both parties review the contact route and time record. This is an illustration, not a pay determination.

Questions to take to the agency

  • What time should relief be ready to take responsibility?
  • Who is contacted when the parent expects to be late?
  • How will actual extra time and recurring changes be recorded?

Sources