Oplu is a specialist nanny recruitment agency for ultra-high-net-worth families. We place nannies and head nannies into private households where the expectations are exact, the environment is complex and the hire must be right first time.
Top nannies in the UK start at GBP 100,000. Paying that salary does not mean you get the best. Nannies at this level choose where they work. The brief, the household structure and the way the search is run all determine whether the strongest candidates engage. Oplu exists to get that process right.
Private nanny recruitment operates on different terms to the domestic staffing market at large. A nanny working for a UHNW family is managing routines across time zones, integrating into a staffed household, maintaining boundaries with multiple principals and adapting to circumstances that change without notice.
A scoped, retained search produces better outcomes than open advertising or multi-agency contingency. We work on a retained basis for every nanny placement, defining the brief before search begins, approaching candidates directly and presenting a small shortlist built for comparison.
A nanny is the right hire when a family needs consistent, day-to-day childcare from a single professional who builds a long-term relationship with the children. Common triggers include:
| Role | Focus | Typical mandate | Key difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nanny / Head Nanny | Day-to-day childcare, routine, development, wellbeing | Ongoing, full-time or rota-based | Long-term relationship with children across daily life |
| Maternity Nurse / Night Nanny | Newborn care, feeding, sleep training, parental guidance | Short-term, typically 4 to 12 weeks | Clinical-grade newborn specialism with a defined exit point |
| Governess / Tutor | Curriculum delivery, language acquisition, academic development | Ongoing, alongside or replacing school | Educational mandate with formal reporting and measurable outcomes |
In larger households, a nanny and governess may work in parallel. A maternity nurse may hand over to a nanny once the newborn stage ends.
Which role fits your situation:
A nanny's core mandate is consistent: managing the children's daily routine, ensuring their safety, supporting their development and maintaining the standards set by the parents. In a UHNW household, this extends to:
The working pattern shapes the role, the candidate pool and the cost.
Live-in. The nanny resides in the family home or a separate staff dwelling. Common in rural estates, international postings and households requiring early or late coverage.
Live-out. The nanny commutes daily. Standard in urban settings with defined hours and clearer boundaries between work and home.
Rota. Two nannies share the role, often week-on, week-off. Common in households with heavy travel or where seven-day coverage is needed. Higher cost, but reduces burnout and turnover.
A great nanny is defined less by qualifications and more by judgement, consistency and the ability to operate within a complex household without friction.
The family lands in a new city for three months. The nanny has already found a local paediatrician, identified two parks within walking distance, sourced organic groceries, and established a routine that mirrors home. The children barely notice they have moved.
A child falls ill on a Sunday evening during a family holiday abroad. The nanny has the hotel doctor's number ready, knows the nearest hospital with a paediatric department, and has the child's medical history and insurance documents in her travel folder. The parents are informed calmly and the situation is managed before anxiety takes hold.
The principal's schedule changes and the school run falls through at short notice. The nanny rearranges her morning, collects the children, adjusts the afternoon activities and communicates the updated plan to the housekeeper and chef. The day continues without disruption.
British nannies, particularly Norland-trained, command a premium internationally. Relocating a UK nanny to the Middle East or Asia is significantly more expensive, but it is common practice among UHNW families who want Western childcare standards.
UK ranges:
US ranges:
Norland-trained nannies command a premium in all markets. For nannies in bilingual families, native-speaker requirements are common. Parents want their children to acquire a language naturally. This narrows the pool and can increase the package.
Overtime is the cost nobody budgets for. A nanny who travels with the family will accumulate hours fast. By month three, the actual cost can be 30 to 40 per cent above the base. Factor this into the brief from the start.
We share detailed ranges and benchmarks once the brief is scoped.
Underscoping the brief. A vague brief attracts the wrong candidates. Define coverage, travel, reporting line and boundaries before search begins.
Ignoring overtime and travel costs. The base salary is not the total cost. Travel, overtime and benefits can add 30 to 40 per cent.
Hiring on personality alone. Rapport matters, but a strong process also tests judgement, adaptability and the ability to hold boundaries.
Skipping the trial. In private work, we recommend a paid trial period for most placements. For nannies, this is standard practice. A week of reality tells you more than three rounds of interviews.
Misaligning on scope. If the nanny expects childcare only but the family includes school runs and light housekeeping, the placement will fail. Align before you offer.
The best nannies are selective about where they work. They have options, strong references and a network that keeps them informed about which households are worth joining and which are not.
What motivates them is professional respect. They want to be treated as childcare professionals, not as an extension of the domestic staff. They care about the quality of accommodation, clearly defined hours, paid overtime and whether the family values their expertise or simply expects compliance. Professional development matters. The strongest candidates pursue additional qualifications and training and want a family that supports this.
They leave roles when boundaries collapse. A nanny hired for childcare who gradually absorbs housekeeping, errands and pet care will disengage. They also leave when the family dynamics are unstable, when instructions contradict between parents, or when their professional judgement is routinely overridden on matters within their expertise.
When assessing a new role, experienced nannies ask about the children's routine, the household structure, other staff in the home and the family's travel patterns. They want to understand the real working hours, not the advertised ones. Red flags include briefs with no mention of days off, families who have employed four nannies in three years, vague descriptions of duties that signal role creep, and interviews where the children are not mentioned until the end.
Oplu runs a retained, scoped process for every nanny placement. This is what it looks like:
A paid trial is recommended for all nanny placements.
A standard nanny hire in a single UK residence may take four to six weeks. A bilingual head nanny with international travel can take eight to twelve weeks. We confirm a realistic timeline once the brief is scoped.
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