Sharon Bastien launched Flying Tots when she faced the challenge offinding a nanny who could live-in only on the days when her job took heraway on long-haul trips.
Three or four times a month Ms Bastien's other role as specialist cabincrew for VIPs would take her as far afield as Hong Kong for several daysat a time. Childcare became even more difficult when she became a singleparent.
Ms Bastien told Nursery World, 'I only wanted a live-in nanny until Icame home. I needed someone to follow my shift pattern.'
She added, 'BA is a good employer who encourages staff to combine workand family life, and has schemes to enable staff to continue working.Thanks to them I still work as a loyal cabin crew member.'
Ms Bastien carried out research with airline staff and found there wasgreat demand for a 'flexible, professional nanny, who can work withfamilies on an ad-hoc basis'.
Although the service was originally set up for crew and pilots inLondon, Ms Bastien said she is already receiving enquiries from staffflying out of other UK airports. She is expanding it for otherprofessionals who work atypical hours and shifts, such as doctors andthose in the emergency services. 'I believe there is much demand forchildcare from customers whose work takes them outside normal workinghours and away from home for a long time.'
Flying Tots nannies undergo a thorough recruitment process involvingOfsted approval and CRB and reference checks. Ms Bastien said,'Profiling both the family and the nanny, we are able to match eachnanny with one or two families in their area so they can split the jobbetween them and dovetail the work on days or weeks they areneeded.'
Further information: www.flyingtots.co.uk