We know that finding the right childcare support, or the right family to work with, is an important decision. That’s why we’ve put together answers to the questions we hear most often from both parents and Sennies. And if you don’t see your question here, don’t worry our team is always happy to help.
We make it easy with a clear step-by-step process. Here’s what to expect:
Fill out our online application form and create your Sennie profile.
❗We cannot register international applicants who have been in the UK for less than 6 months.
Sign your contract (with the family or SENNIES) and complete any necessary onboarding or training.
Once everything is in place, you’re ready to begin your journey as a Sennie!
Yes! SENNIES offers a range of training options for both registered Sennies and external professionals:
Access accredited online courses through our training partner, Flick, including topics like Autism Awareness, Safeguarding, Paediatric First Aid, Mental Health, and more.
We offer personalised virtual coaching sessions tailored to your specific needs—perfect for exploring key areas of SEN or developing support strategies.
If you’re placed through SENNIES, you’ll receive one free coaching session. Additional sessions can be self-funded or paid for by the family or service you work with.
If you’re on a pay-per-hour placement (with SENNIES as your employer), you’ll receive ongoing coaching sessions free of charge as part of your role.
Half-day or full-day sessions, including direct support in real-world environments (home, school, etc.). These can be self funded or funded by your employer.
We also partner with trusted providers to offer certified Makaton and Paediatric First Aid training.
📩 Visit our Training & Support page or get in touch to find the right option for you.
It’s completely free to register as a Sennie.
All we ask is that you follow our Code of Conduct when introduced to a family through SENNIES. By submitting your application, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Code of Conduct.
All roles through SENNIES are listed in gross pay.
👉 Click here (https://www.nannytax.co.uk/gross-vs-net ) to learn more about Gross vs Net pay.
💬 Every job listing will clearly state the pay, expectations, and key requirements. Do not apply if the salary does not meet your expectations.
It depends on the type of role:
SENNIES is run by a neurodivergent mother and daughter team who truly understand the SEN world—both personally and professionally. When you register with us, you’re joining a supportive, inclusive community that values your experience and individuality.
As a Sennie, you’ll benefit from:
We’re here to match you with roles where you can thrive—and truly make a difference.
All permanent positions require a minimum 1-year commitment (52 weeks). We prioritise consistency and hope Sennies can remain with families long term.
We ask for a minimum commitment of one academic year.
Temporary placements are rare and considered case by case. If available, the contract duration will be clearly stated in the job description.
We’re looking for passionate, reliable individuals with at least 2 years of hands-on SEN childcare experience, including time in a sole charge role.
You don’t need to follow one specific career path—our Sennies come from a range of professional and lived experiences, including:
If you're confident supporting children with additional needs and meet our experience requirements, we’d love to hear from you.
If you’ve applied for a permanent role, we’ll only be in touch if a family chooses to move forward with an interview. Unfortunately, we can’t provide updates or feedback for every application, as families often review multiple candidates and don’t always inform us of their decisions.
If you're selected, we’ll stay in touch with prep calls and updates after interviews or trials. You will typically attend 1 interview and 2 paid trials (national minimum wage paid directly to you by the family)
If you’ve applied for a Pay-Per-Hour role, you’ll only need to interview with SENNIES. We will match and place you directly into a suitable role— You will meet with the family once and then begin the role if all parties are happy to proceed.
While we do our best to find suitable placements for all registered Sennies, we cannot guarantee work or a specific timeline. Role availability is limited and varies week to week.
Once you're fully registered, we’ll actively submit your profile to families for roles that match your experience and preferences. The decision to move forward with interviews or trials is made by the family/client.
These roles are typically funded (e.g. by local authorities or services). SENNIES selects and places the most suitable candidate directly—no family interview required.
We aim to match within 2–4 weeks of the role going live, but as roles are limited, we can’t guarantee when a suitable position will become available.
Yes, all trials are paid at National Minimum Wage.
You’ll need to invoice the family directly and arrange payment. If you'd prefer SENNIES to handle this on your behalf, we can do so for a £10 admin fee.
Yes, we can help! You can apply for an Enhanced DBS through SENNIES for £69.80 which includes a digital ID check. To get started, please email headoffice@sennies.co.uk
If you're offered a role through SENNIES, you must be enrolled in the DBS Update Service before your start date. If you're not already on it, you'll need to apply for a new DBS and register for the Update Service within 14 days of receiving your certificate.
💡 Why it matters:
The Update Service allows employers to check your DBS status at any time. Without it, your certificate is only valid on the day it's issued, meaning any new activity wouldn't be flagged during your placement.
We’ll guide you through the contract and negotiation process, offering advice and reviewing documents if needed.
These roles come with a fixed hourly rate based on your experience—no negotiation is required. SENNIES is your employer, not the family, and you’ll sign our employment agreement and code of conduct. The family signs a separate agreement with SENNIES.
Unless you choose to be self-employed or take on a temp role all standard roles are employed (PAYE)—either by SENNIES or the family. This means you’re eligible for holiday pay, sick pay, maternity pay, pensions, and other statutory benefits (where eligible).
All roles through SENNIES are advertised in gross pay just like all other professional industries. Click here for more information regarding 'Gross VS Net' Pay.
The decision is yours, but we strongly recommend waiting until you’ve received and formally accepted an offer letter from the family or client. This offer letter will act as a temporary agreement until your full contract is finalised.
Your duties will vary depending on the family's needs and the specific role. All responsibilities will be clearly outlined in the job description before you start.
Typical Sennie duties may include:
Every role is unique—our goal is to match you with a family that suits your skills, experience, and interests.
Please note: Sennies employed by SENNIES are not permitted to provide personal care or administer medication until we are officially CQC registered. These duties may only be carried out when a Sennie is employed directly by the family or client. We will provide an update once our CQC registration is in place.
Starting a search is simple! We’ve created easy step-by-step guides for both our Permanent Process and Pay-Per-Hour Process so you know exactly what to do.
Follow our step-by-step guide to browse and apply for permanent opportunities.
Follow our step-by-step guide to browse and apply for flexible, hourly opportunities.
We offer two flexible options depending on your family’s needs:
Permanent SENNIES Search or a Pay-Per-Hour Solution.
We only consider roles with:
If you require fewer than 30 hours, then on a case by case basis we may still advertise your role, but the minimum gross salary must remain £30,000. This means the hourly rate will be higher. In most cases, we will recommend using our pay per hour process for any role less than 30 hours per week.
Placement fee: 14%+ VAT (UK) or 16%+ VAT (International) of the Sennie’s annual salary, with a minimum fee of £4,200 + VAT (based on a £30,000 salary).
Minimum of 4 consecutive hours per shift
Designed to suit different needs, budgets, and schedules.
Minimum commitment: 12 hours per week, there is no maximum
Cost: £32+ VAT per hour
Billing: One month in advance.
Any additional hours (beyond the agreed weekly commitment or during holidays) will be charged as overtime, invoiced the following month once timesheets are completed.
Minimum of 3 consecutive hours per shift
Prefer to find your own Sennie? We also offer training and support packages to help them become a Super Sennie. Please get in touch for pricing.
Yes — but only under our Pay-Per-Hour process.
This option allows families to hire a Sennie during school terms without committing to a year-round contract.
💡 Many families also choose to increase hours during school holidays for additional support. We can arrange this within your Pay-Per-Hour agreement to give you flexibility when you need it most.
Our Sennies come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, so we can match your child with the right support. Experience includes (but is not limited to):
All Pay-Per-Hour Sennies are carefully selected by SENNIES and have a minimum of 2 years’ SEN childcare experience.
We are working to grow the pool of specialist SEN nannies over the next decade. While we already have a number of highly experienced SEN nannies, some Sennies join us from other professional backgrounds. This is because it’s often easier to train an experienced SEN childcare professional to become a nanny than to teach a traditional nanny to specialise in SEN care.
Our goal is always to find the best match for your child’s unique needs.
A SENNIES search lasts up to 8 weeks. Our goal is always to place within 4 weeks wherever possible, but the exact timing depends on finding and qualifying the right candidates for your family.
Here’s what the process usually looks like:
We work tirelessly throughout the full 8 weeks to find the best possible match.
💡 If no suitable Sennie is found, you won’t be charged a placement fee or hourly rate — we only get paid once a match is made.
Pay depends on whether you choose a Permanent Role or a Pay-Per-Hour Solution.
At SENNIES, all roles are advertised in gross pay.
As the employer, you pay your Sennie their gross salary. From this, the correct deductions are made for their tax and National Insurance.
Please note: gross pay does not include employer contributions (such as pension or employer’s National Insurance).
To see more information on Gross vs Net please click here.
To see full employment cost estimates please click here.
Registration fees are non-refundable. We’re a small but dedicated team, and the registration fee allows us to invest time and resources into families who are serious about finding quality SEN childcare. It covers the costs of advertising, compliance, and support throughout your search.
Your registration fee covers:
After that, you’ll be invoiced £32 + VAT per hour on a monthly basis.
💡 In short: the registration fee makes sure your role reaches the right candidates for the best chance of success.
It depends on whether you choose a Permanent Role or a Pay-Per-Hour Role.
The final placement fee is due once your chosen Sennie accepts the offer NOT their first day of employment.
You’ll receive an invoice each month, one month in advance for your agreed minimum weekly hours.
Any additional hours, overtime, or expenses (e.g. mileage) will be invoiced the following month, once timesheets are completed.
💡 This way, payments are clear and predictable, with no hidden surprises.
Yes. The SENNIES team will support you throughout the process. We’ll keep in touch during interviews and trials, offering guidance and advice to help with salary discussions and final offers.
No negotiation is needed. The rate is fixed at £32 + VAT per hour, and SENNIES sets the Sennie’s hourly pay. This keeps the process simple and transparent for families.
Once we’ve found the right Sennie for your family, here’s what happens next:
💡 With this process, SENNIES takes care of all the admin, payroll, and training — so you can focus on your child, while we handle the rest.
When you hire a Sennie through our Pay-Per-Hour process, SENNIES is the employer and we cover all entitlements. Here’s how it works:
Once your chosen Sennie accepts your offer, SENNIES will continue to support you with contracts, compliance, and check-ins. Here’s what you can expect:
Your Sennie will supply the following:
We recommend reviewing the following ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) resources to support you in your role as an employer:
💡 With SENNIES, you’re never left on your own — we stay connected to make sure your placement is a success.
Yes, we do. We can support families with Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) packages and specialist tutors.
We can recruit one or multiple Sennies to cover as many hours as your child requires.
We can provide up to 15 hours per week, as we are not currently OFSTED registered. Once we finalise our CQC registration, we are also looking into OFSTED registration so that we can offer a full-time EOTAS package solution to families who need it.
Fees vary depending on the specialist skills required for your package. Please enquire directly for a tailored quote.
💡 With SENNIES, you can choose the flexibility ofPay-Per-Hour support or a longer-term Permanent arrangement, depending on your child’s needs.
Yes — we work with local authorities, social services, and case managers. We can also accept funding directly from these providers, as long as your budget has been agreed and it meets our fees.
Please note: regardless of who pays, you remain responsible for ensuring all fees are covered in full.
💡 This means we’re flexible in working with external providers, but families should be prepared to cover any shortfall if funding does not meet the agreed rate.
We are currently in the process of becoming CQC (Care QualityCommission) registered.
Until our registration is complete:
Please note: CQC registration can take time, but we will update families as soon as approval is confirmed and these services become available under the Pay-Per-Hour model.
The majority of our Sennies are not currently OFSTED registered.
However, if OFSTED registration is important to you, we can include this as a requirement in your job description:
Essential skill: Must be OFSTED registered or willing to undergo OFSTED registration
In most cases, the employer (the family) covers the cost of:
This is because OFSTED registration primarily benefits families, by making them eligible for the Tax-Free Childcare Scheme (which can save up to £2,000 per child, per year).
Your Sennie’s role will be tailored to your family’s needs. When you complete your Online profile with us you’ll be asked to list the duties you’d like your Sennie to carry out. We will then check each candidate’s suitability before introducing them to you.
Typical duties may include (but are not limited to):
Please note: medication administration and personal care can currently only be carried out by Sennies hired through the permanent process, until we receive our CQC registration.
💡 Every family is different, so we only introduce Sennies who are both qualified and happy to carry out the specific duties your role requires.
Yes. A Sennie’s primary focus is to support your child’s care, learning, and development. They are not expected to take on tasks that fall outside of this, such as:
Yes, we have successfully placed Sennies in split-shift roles (before and after school). However, these roles can be more challenging to fill, as fewer candidates are available or willing to commute to and from work four times a day.
How we handle split-shift roles
To improve your chances of finding the right candidate, we suggest:
💡 Flexibility makes it easier to match you with a high-quality Sennie who can meet your child’s needs.
SENNIES is the UK’s leading, award-winning SEN childcare agency, founded in January2020 by a neurodivergent Super Sennie.
Here’s why families choose us:
💡 With SENNIES, you’re not just hiring childcare — you’re partnering with a team who understands, supports, and champions your family’s journey.
Don't just take our word for it, check out our incredible Trustpilot Reviews here!
At SENNIES, we do not provide sponsorship for international applicants.
For safeguarding reasons, we cannot register someone as a Sennie unless they have been living in the UK for at least 6 months. This is to ensure we can complete all the required background checks and references.
We’ll work with you to create a strong job description that will be advertised both externally and internally, through your online account. Our team will guide you to make sure it highlights your family’s needs and attracts the right Sennies.
Once your job description is confirmed and published, any changes for external job sites may incur a £50 admin fee.
Internal updates (within your SENNIES account) are free of charge.
To avoid extra costs, we kindly ask that you carefully review your job description and make sure it’s 100% correct before approval.
It’s very important that you do not change the role after a Sennie has accepted an offer.
💡 In short: we’ll support you in getting the job description right the first time — so you attract the right candidates and set everyone up for success.
Calls and emails received outside of our office hours (Monday - Friday: 9am - 5.00pm) will be attended to on the following business day.
For any urgent communications outside of these hours, please reach out directly to the Sennie you have selected for an interview or trial.
Please note that most childcarers are registered with multiple agencies, including SENNIES. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that a Sennie will not accept other roles offered by different agencies during the interview process. To avoid disappointment, we only allow our Sennies to trial for one role at a time.
Our permanent "SENNIES search" typically runs for 8 weeks and is provided as an introductory service. As an agency, we prioritise introducing you to suitable Sennies, but we do not employ them directly. If you find a Sennie unsuitable for your family's needs, please provide detailed feedback so that we can ensure better matches in the future. The 8-week duration is generally sufficient, but we aim to place a Sennie within 4 weeks whenever possible. If needed, we can extend the search duration to meet our shared objective.
Pay-Per-Hour roles operate under a different process compared to full-time permanent searches
%20(1)%201.png)
.png)
Company number: 12200922