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Professional Nanny of the Year Award 2007: winner announced

The Professional Association of Nursery Nurses (Voice) has announced that Heidi McFadyen is the Professional Nanny of the Year 2007. Heidi (27) from St Neots, Cambridgeshire, is an experienced nanny currently caring for four children aged eight, five, four and 21 months.

As winner, Heidi receives the first prize of a two night champagne UK hotel break for two, free membership of Voice for a year, a copy of Which? Essentials Guide: Baby & Toddler and one year?s free subscription of Which? magazine.

The award was presented by the 2006 Professional Nanny of the Year, Gillian Taft. Gillian was presented with a certificate by Debe Lawson , Immediate Past Chairman of the Professional Association of Teachers (Voice).

The finalists attended a ceremony at the close of the Annual Conference of the Professional Association of Teachers (Voice) in Harrogate on Wednesday 1 August, when the winner was announced, followed by a celebratory lunch to which they were invited to bring along a guest.

The other finalists were:

2nd: Lorna Powell, Putney, London (D.O.B 11.03.1980)

Lorna is an experienced nanny currently caring for two children aged four-and-a-half and six-and-a-half.

Third: Helen Bird, Chippenham, Wiltshire (Date of birth: 18.01.1984)

Helen is an experienced nanny currently caring for three children - twin girls of four-years-old and a boy of two-and-a-half.

The first prize was donated by REC (The Recruitment and Employment Confederation). The second prize of a West End theatre and London hotel break for two was donated by childcare insurance provider Morton Michel. The third prize of a relaxing time gift experience for two was donated by childcare and training college Chiltern College . Lunch was sponsored by NannyTax and Greycoat Placements.

Speech from Kate Beith, Chiltern College (Word)

  Heidi McFadyen 

The Professional Association of Nursery Nurses (Voice) is a section of the Professional Association of Teachers (Voice), an independent trade union for education and childcare professionals: www.pat.org.uk/pann 

The Professional Nanny of the Year Award, which was launched in 2004, was created to recognise the highly professional, important role nannies play in providing high quality, safe and flexible childcare to thousands of families throughout the UK.

Voice believes that nannies have, until now, been the invisible professionals and it is hoped that this Award will significantly raise the profile of professional nannies, giving them the recognition they deserve.

Entry criteria: Candidates were nominated by their current/previous employer and had to meet a number of entry criteria, including a childcare qualification at a minimum of NVQ level III or equivalent, a minimum of two years? recent nannying experience, a current full Enhanced CRB disclosure and a Paediatric First Aid Certificate. Further details of the entry criteria (Word)

The closing date for this year?s award was Thursday 31 May 2007.

Interviews took place at Chiltern Collage, Reading, in June, comprising formal interviews, observations in a nursery setting, and evidence of work.

Professional Nanny of the Year 2006 Gillian Taft

Voice Immediate Past Chairman Debe Lawson

Voice?s Nanny Web site: www.pat.org.uk/nannies

The Voice Annual Conference 2007 ran from Monday 30 July to Wednesday 1 August 2007 at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate. 

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Contacts for further information or photographs: Voice Senior Professional Officer Tricia Pritchard (pann@pat.org.uk): 01332 372 337 or Voice Press Office (pressoffice@pat.org.uk): 01332 372 337.