Child care professionals share a commitment to improving society by creating dynamic and nurturing care environments for Australia's youngest learners.
Read this month's Child Care Person in the spotlight Bree Grigson Director of The Wright Nanny, a nanny agency based in Sydney NSW.
Bree Grigson
Director of The Wright Nanny
C4K: What is your name and current position?
BG: My name is Bree Grigson and I am 32 years old. I am Director of The Wright Nanny a Sydney based nanny agency.
C4K: What is your professional background and career experience?
BG: After graduating from high school I obtained my first job in the local child care centre and discovered I had a great passion for working with children. This lead me to complete the necessary qualifications to become a qualified child care provider and I spent the next eight years working in a variety of child care centres, caring for children ranging from newborn to school aged. I then had the opportunity to work as a nanny in England and Belgium, an experience I will forever cherish.
In 2002 I registered as a nanny with The Wright Nanny Agency and worked for a variety of families throughout Sydney. After several years of working as a nanny I decided I would like to move into a different area of child-care and had the opportunity to take over The Wright Nanny Agency in 2005.
Since then, it has been a whirlwind of growth and development with some exciting changes along the way.
C4K: What attracted you to a career in child care?
BG: Working with children has always been a great passion of mine and I love that no two days are the same.
C4K: What does a 'normal' day look like for you?
BG: On any given day I'm required to: Screen resumes, conduct interviews, verify references, complete relevant checks, listen to parent enquiries and discuss their child care needs, schedule babysitters, create employment paperwork such as contracts and job descriptions, problem solve with nannies and parents and manage book keeping and other administrative tasks.
In addition to the normal duties I am constantly working on projects to provide our customers with a more efficient and effective service. Our website has introduced some great new features and we will be seeing more in the very near future!
C4K: What are some of the advantages of working in the child care sector?
BG: Finding a nanny with whom a family can trust, in knowing their children are receiving an excellent level of care can be a difficult task. It is my job to make this happen.
To be able to make a difference to the lives of families gives me great satisfaction. The feedback I receive from our clients and carers reinforces the fact that I'm on track.
C4K: What are some of the biggest challenges facing the child care sector?
BG: I would like to see the employment of nannies become a recognised field for Child Care Benefit purpose. If parents were able to receive a greater subsidy we would be able to provide more nannies to families unable to find positions for their children in child care centres.
C4K: How has your place of work changed to deal with these challenges?
BG: We aim to keep our fees achievable for our clients and do not charge an administration fee.
Whilst engaging an agency to find a nanny is a greater expense than some other methods, by using us parents have our support and a safety net should they be faced with any challenges along the way. We recruit nannies on a daily basis and know what to look for in an excellent candidate.
C4K: How does the industry need to change to adapt to these challenges?
BG: I would like to see a greater acknowledgement for nannies as a recognised field of employment.
C4K: What advice would you offer someone thinking about a career or looking for a promotion in child care?
BG: My suggestion to any aspiring child care worker is to remain educated and up-to- date with changes and growth in the industry.
There are many child workers out there and the field can be competitive. You must have a genuine passion and care for children. If you don't posses this enthusiasm it will be spotted a mile away and you will not be respected as a child care professional.
As an agency operator I'm always looking for the unique carer that offers something different to the others. You should be willing to contribute to ongoing education to keep your skills current. This displays initiative, a quality essential to the field.
C4K: Is there anything else you would like to add?
BG: Taking the first step in obtaining a nanny can be a daunting task for parents the first sentence I usually hear from a new client is 'I'm not sure where to start but I think we need a nanny……' This is usually the most difficult phrase parents have to say when deciding to engage the services of an agency.
We are here to discuss parental requirements and concerns, and to offer solutions.
Agencies need to be given a suitable amount of time to recruit candidates for a family's needs. Once a family has engaged a nanny they should be clear and specific about their expectations. We provide paperwork to make this process as simple as possible.
The engagement should be an official one with a contract, job description, performance reviews and incentives. Ideally we want our nannies to remain with a family for the long term so they should be treated with respect, as with any other employee.
Bree Grigson
CareforKids.com.au®
Care For Kids Internet Services Pty Ltd
ABN 55 104 145 735
PO Box 543 Balmain NSW 2041
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