After-School Family Lifestyle Assistant (Childcare & Household Management)
Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Southborough and Surrounding Areas
Part-time - Typically 3:30pm–8:00pm
£18–£30 per hour | Negotiable depending on experience and individual family requirements
Private Family Roles with Long-Term Opportunities
Root & Nest is expanding its network of exceptional Family Lifestyle Assistants to support a growing number of professional and high-net-worth (HNW) families across London and Kent.
We are particularly looking for warm, capable and highly dependable people who are available during the after-school and early-evening period, typically between 3:30pm and 8:00pm.
Our clients are looking for much more than occasional after-school childcare. Many are seeking a trusted, long-term presence within their family life: someone who gets to know their children, understands how their household works and becomes a reliable part of the family's routine.
For the right person, opportunities may develop beyond the family's usual home environment. Depending on the placement, Lifestyle Assistants may be invited to travel with families within the UK or internationally, provide support during family holidays, accompany children to activities and appointments, or assist the family around special occasions and events.
Because our Lifestyle Assistants work closely within private family life, professionalism, discretion, good judgement and respect for confidentiality are fundamental to the role.
About Root & Nest
Root & Nest provides thoughtful, practical support to busy families across London and Kent.
Our Family Lifestyle Assistants combine childcare, household management and practical family support, helping to make some of the busiest parts of family life feel calmer and more organised.
We carefully match each Lifestyle Assistant with families based on experience, personality, location, availability, working preferences and the individual needs of the household.
The aim is not simply to fill shifts. We want to create strong, sustainable relationships between families and Lifestyle Assistants that can develop over the long term.
The Role
For many families, the period between school finishing and children going to bed is one of the busiest parts of the day.
You might collect children from school, take them to an activity, help with homework, prepare dinner, organise school bags for tomorrow, put away some washing and reset the kitchen and children's spaces before the evening ends.
Depending on the family, responsibilities may include:
- School and nursery collections
- Driving children to clubs, appointments and extracurricular activities
- Providing warm, attentive and age-appropriate childcare
- Supporting homework, reading and learning
- Planning engaging activities and outings
- Preparing nutritious children's or family meals
- Supporting bath, bedtime and evening routines where required
- Preparing school bags, uniforms and other items for the following day
- Children's laundry and wardrobe organisation
- Light household organisation and family resets
- Keeping children's bedrooms, play areas and shared spaces organised
- Grocery shopping and occasional family errands
- Keeping track of household essentials
- Helping parents stay ahead of practical family routines
This is a hands-on, trusted and proactive role.
We're looking for someone who can understand how a family likes things done, recognise what needs attention and use sensible judgement to help without needing instructions for every task.
More Than Traditional After-School Childcare
Root & Nest believes childhood should include experiences beyond screens, homework and rushing between activities.
Depending on the children's interests, an afternoon might involve baking, crafts, reading together, kicking a football around the garden, planting vegetables, taking the dog for a walk or simply creating some calm after a busy school day.
Where families have gardens or growing spaces, Lifestyle Assistants may also support simple gardening and outdoor activities with children.
Root & Nest separately offers specialist Kitchen Garden & Outdoor Learning support, so candidates with an interest in gardening, growing food, Forest School or outdoor education are particularly welcome.
Gardening experience is not required.
Private Family Travel & Events
Some of the families we support have busy professional, social and international lifestyles.
Depending on the individual placement, there may be opportunities to:
- Accompany a family on UK or overseas holidays
- Travel internationally with the family
- Support children during family trips
- Accompany children to sporting, educational or extracurricular activities
- Provide additional support around family celebrations or special occasions
- Attend appropriate events with or on behalf of the family where childcare or family support is required
- Provide additional hours during school holidays or particularly busy periods
Travel and event requirements vary considerably between families and are not guaranteed or required across every placement. Any such arrangements would be discussed with you as part of the matching process.
These opportunities also explain why discretion matters enormously.
You may become familiar with a family's home, routines, travel arrangements, professional commitments and private life. We expect our Lifestyle Assistants to treat that access with maturity, confidentiality and respect at all times.
Who We're Looking For
We're particularly interested in people who are:
- Warm and naturally confident with children
- Exceptionally reliable and punctual
- Organised, practical and proactive
- Calm and adaptable when plans change
- Professional and highly discreet
- Respectful of family privacy and confidentiality
- Comfortable working independently
- Able to build trusted relationships with children and parents
- Comfortable balancing childcare with practical household responsibilities
- Confident using initiative and making sensible day-to-day decisions
- Interested in developing a long-term relationship with the right family
- Available for consistent afternoon and early-evening work
Relevant backgrounds may include:
- Nannies and after-school nannies
- Teaching Assistants
- Learning Support Assistants
- Nursery Practitioners
- Independent school staff
- SEN support professionals
- Family PAs
- Household Assistants and Household Managers
- Private household professionals
- Montessori and Forest School practitioners
Previous HNW or private household experience is valuable but not essential.
For us, excellent judgement, professionalism, warmth, reliability and the ability to understand appropriate boundaries within a private family environment are equally important.
Working Pattern
We currently have families seeking support across London and Kent, with a particular need for candidates available approximately:
3:30pm–8:00pm
Exact days and hours vary between families.
Some families may need three afternoons per week; others may require regular Monday–Friday support. Additional daytime, weekend and school-holiday hours may also be available depending on the placement.
When you apply, we'll ask about your minimum and maximum preferred weekly hours, days of availability and the locations you're willing to travel to so that we can consider you for families whose requirements genuinely fit your life.
Driving Requirement
A full UK driving licence and access to your own reliable car are mandatory for these opportunities.
Lifestyle Assistants may be responsible for school collections, extracurricular activities, appointments and family errands, so you must be a confident driver and able to travel reliably between locations.
Please only apply for these particular opportunities if you meet this requirement.
Pay & Longer-Term Opportunities
Typical hourly rate: £18–£30 per hour
Rates are negotiable and dependent on experience, responsibilities, location and the requirements of the individual family.
Root & Nest supports a range of working arrangements, from regular after-school placements through to substantial part-time and full-time private household roles.
For experienced candidates interested in progressing into broader Family Lifestyle Assistant positions, some of our London-based client opportunities offer remuneration packages in excess of £60,000 per annum.
We are particularly interested in finding exceptional people who would like to build long-term careers supporting private families, rather than simply taking occasional childcare shifts.
Essential Requirements
Candidates must have:
- The right to work in the UK
- A full UK driving licence
- Access to their own reliable car
- An Enhanced DBS certificate or willingness to obtain one
- Strong professional references
- Excellent spoken and written English
- High standards of professionalism, discretion and confidentiality
- Availability during the after-school/early-evening period
Joining Root & Nest
We take great care in selecting the people we introduce to our families.
If your application looks like a good fit, we'll invite you to an initial conversation so we can learn more about you, your experience and the type of family opportunity you're looking for.
Successful candidates will complete our assessment and safeguarding process before being welcomed into the Root & Nest Approved Lifestyle Assistant Network.
From there, we'll consider your experience, personality, availability, location and working preferences alongside the needs of our client families and contact you when we identify a potential match.
All appointments are subject to satisfactory identity, Right to Work, reference and Enhanced DBS checks.
If you're someone families can depend on, you genuinely enjoy working with children and you take satisfaction from making family life feel calmer, more organised and more enjoyable, we'd love to hear from you.
Root & Nest
Nurturing Homes. Enriching Lives.
Pay: £20.00-£30.00 per hour
Application question(s):
- Do you hold a full UK driving licence and have regular access to your own reliable car for work, including transporting children where required?
- Which weekdays are you available between 3:30pm and 8:00pm?
- What is the minimum and maximum number of hours you would ideally like to work each week?
- What hourly rate or salary range are you looking for?
- If successfully matched with a family, when would you be available to start?
Work Location: In person
