A recent poll conducted by Nannytax shows that the majority of nanny employers (35 per cent) source their nanny through a nanny agency. 29 per cent of nanny employers report finding their nanny with the help of a friend or other personal recommendation.

The poll also shows that nearly one third (31 per cent) of parents use online communities and recruitment sites such as Gumtree, Nannyjob and Simply Childcare to find their nanny. This indicates that parents are now willing to take on the initial sifting through of applications, selections for interviews and reference checking.