There is no single legally required qualification to work as a nanny in the UK. What you actually need is a paediatric first aid certificate, an enhanced DBS check, and insurance — that combination makes you employable and lets you register with Ofsted. Everything beyond that is about which families you want to work with, and what they'll pay.
Nannying is an unregulated profession, which is a double-edged thing. Nobody can stop you calling yourself a nanny — but equally, nothing distinguishes you from anyone else who does, unless you make it so.
Table of contents
What's actually required
Three things, and none of them is a childcare diploma:
- Paediatric first aid — required for Ofsted registration, and expected by most families and agencies regardless. See what Ofsted requires and how to find a provider.
- An enhanced DBS check, with a children's barred list check. See how the DBS and Update Service work.
- Public liability insurance — cover for accidents or damage while you're working.
With those three, you can join Ofsted's Voluntary Childcare Register, which matters commercially: it lets the families you work for put government childcare support towards your fees. Full route map: how to register with Ofsted as a nanny.
Be wary of anyone selling you a "nanny qualification" as though it were a legal requirement. It isn't. Training is worth doing for what it teaches you and what it lets you charge — not because a rule demands it.
What employers look for
Families and agencies are generally looking at four things, roughly in this order:
- Safety credentials — first aid, DBS, insurance. Non-negotiable, and the first thing checked.
- Relevant experience with the age group they need. A nanny who has genuinely cared for newborns is a different proposition from one who hasn't.
- References that can actually be taken up.
- Specialist skill — and this is where training changes what you earn.
The first three are entry requirements. The fourth is what separates day rates.
Which training is worth paying for
Honest answer: it depends entirely on where you're heading.
Get compliant first, then get experience
First aid, DBS, insurance, Ofsted registration. Don't spend heavily on training before you've worked out which direction you want to go — a generalist childcare certificate rarely moves the needle on what a family will pay.
Maternity nurse training
This is the biggest single jump in earning potential available to a nanny. Newborn specialist work — supporting a family in the first weeks after birth — commands significantly higher day rates than general nannying, and it requires genuinely different knowledge: feeding, sleep, newborn behaviour, and knowing when to refer.
See what maternity nurses actually earn and what the role involves.
Specialist knowledge
Once you have the fundamentals, specialising is what makes you the person an agency calls first. Sleep, colic and reflux, and perinatal mental health are the three areas families most often need help with and most often can't find it.
Understanding course levels
You'll see courses advertised at Level 3, Level 4, Level 6 and so on. This is the regulated qualifications framework, and it's a genuine indicator of academic depth rather than marketing:
- Level 3 — roughly A-level standard
- Level 4 — first-year degree standard
- Level 6 — final-year undergraduate standard
What matters more than the number is who accredits it. Look for an awarding body recognised by Ofqual. Babyem's training is accredited through Open College Network London, an Ofqual-recognised awarding body.
A certificate from an unaccredited provider is worth exactly what the family believes it's worth — which, increasingly, is not much.
What Babyem offers
To be straightforward about it: we no longer run general childcare courses, paediatric first aid, or the nanny accreditation we used to offer. Those pages have been kept as guidance rather than sales pitches.
What we do run:
- Maternity Nurse Training — OCN accredited at Level 3 and Level 4, online, in London, or blended, with placement support
- Holistic Sleep Coaching — OCN Level 6
- Specialist short courses — colic, reflux and infant allergies; perinatal mental health; gentle sleep
Not sure which fits? What baby care training course is right for me? walks through it.
Common questions
Do you need a qualification to be a nanny in the UK?
No. Nannying is unregulated and there's no legally required qualification. You do need paediatric first aid, a DBS check and insurance to register with Ofsted and to be taken seriously by families and agencies.
Is it worth doing a childcare course as a nanny?
It depends on your direction. A general childcare certificate rarely raises what a family will pay. Specialist training — newborn care, sleep, colic and reflux — does, because it's what families struggle to find.
What does Level 3 or Level 4 mean?
They're regulated qualification levels: Level 3 is roughly A-level standard, Level 4 first-year degree standard, Level 6 final-year undergraduate standard. Check the awarding body is Ofqual-recognised.
Does Babyem still run nanny childcare courses?
No. We no longer run general childcare courses, paediatric first aid or the nanny accreditation. We run maternity nurse training, holistic sleep coaching and specialist short courses.
Thinking about newborn work?
Maternity nurse training is the biggest step up in earnings available to most nannies. Accredited at Level 3 and Level 4 through Open College Network London, with placement support.