Orlando

About Me

Hi there o/

I’m Orlando Timothy Fletcher.

That's the name I gave myself.
But more about that later...

For nearly a decade, I've been the person who steps in and the person who steps out.

I walk into homes that aren’t mine, stepping into routines already in motion.
I meet children where they are—sometimes cautious, sometimes curious, sometimes unsure what to make of me at first.
Because I’m new.
Because I’m unfamiliar.
Because, to them, I am unexpected.

Some children see me for just a moment—a single night, a few hours, a brief stop in the timeline of their lives. Others grow with me, and more will, their newborn cries turning into laughter, their hesitant steps turning into confident strides, their little hands reaching for mine until, one day, they no longer need to.

I am both temporary and constant.
A familiar face to some, a passing figure to others.
Always present, yet never permanent.

And outside of their world, some people never quite know what to make of me.

“How did you get into this?”
“Wait, you do this (childcare) full-time?”
“I’ve never met a male nanny/babysitter before!”

As if care should have rules.
As if nurture should have a gender.

But children don’t care about labels.
They care that I show up. That I listen. That I meet them where they are.

They care about the little things—the way I remember their favourite bedtime stories, the way I catch them when they leap without looking, the way I listen when they have something important (or completely nonsensical) to say. The way I stay when they ask me to, and step back when they’re ready.

And in the middle of all the movement, there are moments.

A baby, who would only settle for their parents, drifting off to sleep in my arms.
A toddler, once reluctant at bedtime, now reaching for my hand from under the blankets.
A child who once watched from a distance, pulling me into their play as if I was always meant to be there.
A small hand slipping into mine—not out of habit, but out of trust.

And 9.5 years in, I know one thing for sure:
I may not be permanent, but for them, in those moments, I am.

Now a bit more about my background and my ways:

I’m a professional Ofsted registered nanny and babysitter with nearly a decade of experience in looking after children of all ages, mainly with babies and toddlers (newborns included) and older children with additional needs and disabilities (including severe autism and using a wheelchair).

I lived with various families for 7 years in total almost all over the UK (Wales including), taking care of their children, homes, and in some cases including their pets. In some families, this included proxy parenting for weeks at a time, including in a family of a single dad with triplets and their older brother. However, my childcare journey didn't finish with moving out from the last family I lived with.

Since then, I did a mix of part-time childcare as a nanny employee and I also work as a self-employed individual, providing flexible ad hoc and emergency childcare.

I'm available for babysitting as well as for something more regular, like a few days a week, but not for afterschool and wrap-around jobs as I didn't find them sustainable for the long term.

< My Approach & Qualifications >
My approach to childcare is deeply personal, built on a core philosophy that has been validated by both lived experience and professional training. I believe that all behaviour is communication and that my role is to listen to what a child is truly saying, not just by what they say, but especially by what often goes unspoken.

I’m also currently studying for a degree in Child Psychology - not only as part of my longer-term goal of becoming a Play Therapist, but also to deepen the support I can offer to children in my care right now.

I already have a few childcare related qualifications and diplomas and more, also for your peace of mind:
- Level 3 Diploma in Childcare & Development,
- Level 3 Maternity Nurse Training,
- Paediatric First Aid,
- Moving & Handling People with Special Needs,
- Safer Sleeping for Babies,
- Level 2 Safeguarding Children,
- Managing Behaviour in the Early Years,
- Equality and Diversity,
- GDPR,
- Registration with the Information Commissioner Office (ICO) as a Data Handler,
and a few others.

My professional goal is to become a Play Therapist. This feels like the natural culmination of my entire life's journey—a way to use my deepest understanding and empathy to help children find their voices, much like I once needed to find mine. I’m OFSTED registered.

< What I Love About This Work >
For me, the heart of this work lies in the small, everyday genuine moments of connection and trust.

It’s in the feeling of a hesitant child at the swimming pool, after we’ve played and built trust, finally taking that exhilarating leap into the water, knowing I’ll be there to catch them. It’s seeing a toddler’s face light up after I do an exaggerated, silly tumble at a soft play centre, breaking through their fear with a moment of shared, playful joy.

It’s in understanding that a little girl repeatedly throwing her teddies out of the cot isn’t being "naughty," but is cleverly communicating her deep need for attachment and presence before sleep. Most of all, it's the feeling of a small hand slipping into mine—not out of habit, but out of trust.

It's in answering the often unspoken question every child is asking, "Are you safe?" with an unwavering "Yes," and to prove it to them every single time they test the boundaries and the foundations of the trust we constructed together.

It's in understanding that a child flicking food onto the floor, throwing sand into my mouth, kicking me, biting me, scratching me, or even kicking me into my face, is not being naughty, is not being mean, and is not doing it out of malice. That is something that my father never learned.
It's in understanding that those actions often labeled as "naughty" come from children raising the stakes as the relationship and the trust we built deepen to ask: "Is this safety real, or will it collapse into punishment and rage? Are you safe enough for me to fall apart with?".

It's in these moments I find the most profound reward.

It's also in breaking the cycle. Time after time, child after child.

< My Motivation >
My commitment to childcare is not just a career; it is my life’s purpose, born from my own story.

My childhood was profoundly shaped by the absence of the safety, attuned presence, care, and consistent warmth every child not only so deeply deserves, but also so dearly needs. Instead of these, an abundance of something else entirely was given. That experience, while deeply difficult, taught me how to provide that security, connection, understanding, and warmth for a child, not because I’d seen it modelled, but precisely because I hadn't.

This is the core of my motivation: to use that hard-earned knowledge and understanding to provide every child in my care with the security, safety, and attuned presence they deserve and need. It is the purpose that drives my work today and my long-term goal of becoming a Play Therapist to help children find their voice, just as I needed when I was a child.

< A Summary of My Core Skills >

Attachment-Focused Care
This is about being a temporary constant in a child's life. It's more than just being present; it's about providing an attuned, responsive presence that builds a rock-solid sense of safety. I meet children where they are, understanding that a secure attachment is the essential foundation from which they can feel safe enough to explore and thrive. It's also in the quiet truth behind a small hand slipping into mine—not out of habit, but out of trust that we built, together.

Trauma-Informed Practice
My approach is grounded in the lived understanding that what is often labelled "misbehaviour" can be a physiological echo of a child's past. I believe that all behaviour is communication, and my role is to see beyond the surface-level action to the underlying need, recognising that I am often answering a silent question the child cannot yet put into words: "Am I safe with you?". It is an expertise I had to build for myself, learning how to provide safety not because I’d seen it modelled, but precisely because I hadn't.

Emotional Co-regulation
When a child is overwhelmed by big feelings, my role is to be their calm anchor—the calm they can borrow. This can be quiet, like helping a tired baby to calm down and rest; it can be playful, like the time I did an exaggerated, silly tumble at a soft play centre to break through a toddler's fear with a moment of playful vulnerability; it can also mean providing steady, physical containment for a child in the midst of sensory overload, holding them gently but firmly until the storm passes.

Compassionate Boundary Setting
I understand that when children stress-test the foundations of our trust—sometimes by flicking food, biting, scratching, or even kicking me in the head—it is not malice. It is a desperate, non-verbal question. They are raising the stakes as the relationship and the trust we built deepen to ask: "Is this safety real, or will it collapse into punishment and rage? Are you safe enough for me to fall apart with?". My answer is always simple: "Yes."

Rupture and Repair
I am not perfect. There are times I make mistakes, misread a cue, or simply get it wrong. For me, the most important part of building trust is what happens next. My commitment is to own my mistakes, apologise genuinely, and actively repair the connection. This process teaches a vital lesson: that relationships are resilient, that it’s okay to be imperfect, and that a child's feelings are always valid enough to deserve a sincere and heartfelt repair.

< A Note on My Name and Certificates >
And here's where we get to the name change.
I gave myself this new name to reclaim another part of myself and reflect the person I have become.

I changed my name in late 2024.
Because this change was recent, most of my certificates, which I could share with you, are in my old name. However, I still have a way of proving they are mine.

If you'd like me to assist you on your journey of raising your children in the times you might not be able to or needing a break, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Warm regards,

Orlando T. Fletcher