When people ask what makes Irving Scott different, the honest answer is a person: Paloma Irving. As the agency’s co-founder and Managing Director, Paloma has shaped a way of working that puts discretion, fit and long-term trust at the centre of every placement. Her focus is simple: build households that run beautifully by matching the right people to the right principals — and stand behind those matches long after the first day.
For more than a decade, Irving Scott has specialised in recruiting outstanding private household staff for UHNW and HNW families in London and internationally. Typical briefs include housekeepers, butlers, estate and house managers, private chefs, chauffeurs, nannies and maternity nurses, PAs/EAs and family-office support. What unites these disciplines is the standard Paloma insists on: technical excellence, impeccable references and a service temperament that fits the culture of the home.
Scoping the Role Properly
Scoping the role is where Paloma begins. Job titles can hide wildly different realities, so she starts with the household itself: routines, standards, diet, children, pets, visiting guests, travel patterns, security needs, tech and maintenance. From those details she writes a clear, realistic brief — responsibilities, boundaries, hours, compensation and success measures. The aim isn’t just to hire; it’s to make the household work better.
Rigorous Vetting
From there, vetting is personal and rigorous. Paloma looks for consistency over time, not just one glowing reference. She validates documents and qualifications, checks safeguarding where relevant, and probes how candidates handle real-world pressure: a last-minute dinner, a principal’s travel delay, a contractor who fails to show. She listens for attitude — calm under fire, pride in craft, kindness in delivery — because in private service the how often matters as much as the what.
Shortlists from Irving Scott are deliberately short. Two or three names, each with a reasoned narrative of why this person fits this home: the cooking style that matches the family’s diet, the housekeeping standards that align with materials and finishes, the management approach that suits a busy estate, the childcare philosophy that complements parents’ values. Where appropriate, Paloma arranges trial shifts or tastings so principals can experience the fit before committing.
Supporting Both Sides
What distinguishes Paloma’s work is the way she supports both sides of the relationship. For principals, she offers plain-spoken guidance on market expectations, competitive packages and realistic timetables — and she sets up the first 90 days for success with clear handover plans and check-ins. For candidates, she is a coach as much as a recruiter: sharpening CVs, rehearsing interviews, aligning expectations, and, when needed, signposting training (from food hygiene and household chemicals to service standards, childcare or security awareness).
Discretion and Transparency
Discretion is non-negotiable. Paloma treats every introduction as a private matter, limits data to what is essential for the process, and uses NDAs where appropriate. She also insists on transparent terms: clear scope, trial and notice arrangements, and fair mechanisms when circumstances change — because clarity keeps relationships intact.
Real-World Examples
The breadth of briefs Paloma oversees is wide. A few examples (composite to protect privacy) show the range:
- A family who entertain frequently needed a private chef confident with Mediterranean menus, children’s meals and dietary restrictions; Paloma delivered a chef whose tasting won the family over — and who later led seamless villa seasons abroad.
- A couple moving from an apartment to a country estate required an estate manager who could set up preventative maintenance, manage contractors and implement sensible security; Paloma’s shortlist featured candidates who had built those systems before, saving months of trial and error.
- A growing family wanted a senior housekeeper to raise standards and train junior staff; Paloma introduced someone with five-star hotel pedigree and the coaching style to bring others with her.
- In each case, the work didn’t end at placement. Paloma’s aftercare — structured check-ins, calm problem-solving, and pragmatic adjustments — helps good hires become long-term pillars of the household.
Thinking Globally
Because many of Irving Scott’s clients live multi-city lives, Paloma also thinks globally. She understands how expectations shift between London, the Côte d’Azur or the Gulf; she anticipates seasonal rhythms; she knows how to build teams that can flex for travel and guests. The goal is continuity of standards wherever the family happens to be.
Excellence Without Ego
Ask Paloma what she values most and the answer is consistent: excellence without ego. The best private staff arrive, read the room and do the right thing. They protect time, create calm, and take quiet pride in work that is rarely seen by the outside world. Those are the people she seeks out — and those are the people Irving Scott is known for placing.
If you’ve heard of Irving Scott, you’ve likely heard of the way Paloma matches on values and working style as much as on CV. That philosophy has earned the agency its reputation: not the loudest, but trusted where it counts. It’s also why principals return years later when life changes — new homes, new children, new priorities — and why many of the professionals Paloma placed early in their careers now lead households and refer the next generation of talent.
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