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How to recruit a nanny
Carrying out a criminal record check on a prospective nanny is a vital step and as part of an overall structured approach in the recruitment process. As an example, nanny agencies that fail to undertake appropriate background checks are vulnerable to civil action if, in the event that a nanny it has placed became responsible for an offence or gross misconduct and is later found to have a defective history that it had reasonably failed to discover.
In addition, under the Protection of Children Act 1999 and the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000, it is an offence for any organisation to offer employment that involves regular contact with young people under the age of 18 to anyone who has been convicted of certain specified offences, or included on lists of people considered unsuitable for such work held by the DfES and the Department of Health.
Parents must be confident, as far as is possible, that they are making the correct decision as to who is going to look after their child. The Children Act 1989 covers the reponsibilities of a parent as to the care of their child. Legislation is there to assist in the process and any nanny that is considered for employment should expect to have a Disclosure and also that a check is made as to their identity, qualifications and employment history. If the person employed to look after a child is unsuitable and the parent has not utilised the mechanisms in place, the responsibility rests with the parent.
There is no provision for parents who recruit their own nannies to ask exempted questions. Parent who use the services of a nanny are not considered to be an individual employing them in the course of a business and so are unable to register with the CRB. As a parent you can ask your potential nanny to obtain an Enhanced Disclosure, via a company such as Civil & Corporate Security, but the nanny does have the right to refuse.
There are four steps to selecting a Nanny:
1. Drawing up a job description
2. Advertising for a nanny and finding the right person
3. Selecting and interviewing applicants; and
4. Checking references and employment history
1. Drawing up a job description
Nannies can provide families with high quality, stable and professional childcare, for which they need good working conditions and a well thought out job description. It is recommended that you prepare a contract of employment for your nanny.
You will need to decide:
a) what duties you wish the nanny to perform
b) what hours you will need the nanny to work
c) whether you want a live-in or daily nanny
d) whether you have any special requirements
• are you occasionally away from home overnight?
• will your children need baby-sitting?
• do you want a non-smoker?
• is more than one language spoken in your home?
e) whether your nanny should
• like pets
• be a driver
• own a car
• have experience of children with special needs
f) how much you intend to pay
• in wages or salary
• in any extra costs that are associated with employing a nanny, e.g. for outings and leisure activities, which your nanny will organise for your child, or mileage expenses for a nanny using her own car whilst performing her duties.
g) on the terms and conditions of employment.
2. Advertising for a nanny and finding the right person
Finding the right person does take time, so do try to begin your search at least twelve weeks before you need your nanny to start work. You can find a nanny in several ways:
a) Contact a nanny recruitment agency
b) Place an advertisement
c) Talk to other parents/parents organisations (National Childbirth Trust)
3. Selecting & interviewing potential nannies
What to look for. Draw up a list of attributes to look out for:
Skills and knowledge:
• childcare and child development qualifications
• ability to plan and arrange safe, fun learning opportunities
• first aid training
• nutrition - planning and preparing healthy meals and snacks
• driving experience if required
• organisational skills
Attitudes:
• interest in children as individuals
• confidence
• resourceful personality
Experience:
• experience of working with children (ages and settings)
Questions to ask could include:
• how long have you been a nanny?
• what ages of children have you worked with?
• why do you enjoy working with children?
• what do you think are your particular strengths when working with children?
• what qualifications do you have? (see section 4)
• have you undertaken any training in childcare and development and, if so, how long were the courses?
• are there areas of your work that you plan to improve?
• what would you do if. … (invent a family crisis) …?
• what aspects of this particular job do you think you will enjoy?
• how might you spend the day with my child?
• do you think your childhood helped you to become a good nanny?
• why did you leave your last job and, if appropriate, why will you be leaving your present position?
• what difficulties have you experienced as a nanny with parents or children and how were they resolved?
• what are your views on families sharing a nanny? (If you want to set up a nanny-share)
• how many days have you had off sick in the last 12 months?
This list of questions is not meant to be comprehensive. Add questions on other topics that will be important to you. For example, you may wish to ask about the potential nanny’s attitudes to sweets, television, etc.
Discuss with your potential nanny:
• the wage or salary (with details about tax and National Insurance arrangements)
• how payment will be made, monthly or weekly, by cheque or directly into a bank account, etc.
• the hours and duties of the job
• when you would want her/him to start
• holiday entitlements and whether she/he would be willing to take them at certain times - e.g., to fit with school terms or your annual leave
• length of probationary period
• positive discipline strategies - a trained childcare worker would never use physical punishment as a form of discipline
• child safety: in the home (including dealing with pets); when using public transport; and where appropriate when using the car (seat belts, car’s capacity, etc.) – the Child Accident Prevention Trust produces leaflets and checklists on all aspects of child safety in the home and all child care settings for both parents and childcare workers.
• gaps in employment history - you should explore fully during the interview any gaps in employment history.
What do your children think?
It is important to let your children meet the potential nanny - you need not tell them this might be their nanny when they are introduced. Watch her or him with your child. It may be a good sign if (s)he pays more attention to them than to you. How did your child respond?
What does the nanny want to ask you?
Interviewing is a two-way process. Make sure you offer the nanny the chance to ask you questions. Where possible give the prospective nanny a hand-over period with the nanny who is leaving. You can offer your potential nanny a friend's number to call for a reference on you, if you are employing a nanny for the first time and there is no previous nanny for them to talk to.
4. Checking Nanny
Because there are currently no legal requirements on a person applying for a job as a nanny, you, the employer, must be confident as far as possible that you are making the right decision. Your nanny should expect you to check their identity, background, qualifications and employment history.
Always ask for:
• Proof of identity
• Two of the following: passport, driving licence, birth certificate. Insist on originals, as photocopying can disguise forgeries. At least one of these forms of identity must carry a photograph.
References
Always ask for at least two referees, even when the nanny is from a nanny agency. One referee should be the nanny’s last or present employer. If your potential nanny is a student straight from college, you should ask not only for a reference from the college tutor but also for a separate reference from their final year placement.
Contact referees with ‘open questions’. You should ask:
• for a description of the nanny’s work for the time they employed the nanny
• how they rated the care of the children
• why the nanny left
• what her/his strengths and weaknesses were
• if they foresee any difficulties if the nanny is to be left in sole charge of your child
• about health problems and sick leave taken during the period of employment
• whether they would re-employ her/him.
Follow up written references with a telephone call or by visiting the referees if possible. People may be reluctant to admit to concerns on paper, but will sometimes share them 'off the record'.
A full employment history
Ask your nanny to give you a full employment history - covering all work done since the nanny left full-time education. Make sure the details of employment history are given in terms of months - e.g. ’July 1998 to October 2002’ rather than just in years. Identify all gaps and ask for the reasons why. If the nanny tells you about a period spent abroad, they should provide sufficient evidence of this. Ensure that you pursue in your questioning every gap you identify. Does the candidate seem uncomfortable when you probe gaps? Does he or she seem unable to give a full or clear explanation? If so, the gaps could be concealing something, such as a criminal record, or a medical condition, which might suggest the candidate is unsuitable to be left in sole charge of your children.
Qualification certificates
Your nanny should show you the originals of their certificates of qualifications. Do NOT accept photocopies. Ask the awarding body for verification if the original certificates have been lost.
Medical check
Ask your prospective nanny if they have any health problems and how many days off sick (s)he took during the last period of employment. Cross-check this information with referees. Would the potential nanny be prepared to obtain a GP's letter confirming their fitness to work with children?
Criminal Record Check
At present, there is no nationally agreed system for the checking of criminal records of people applying for a post as a nanny.
DO NOT:
• Employ a nanny without checking references and employment history.
• Ignore unexplained gaps or discrepancies - always check them out until you are completely satisfied as to the reasons why.
If in doubt, ask your nanny for a second interview, again with a trusted friend, your partner or a relative. Prepare your questions before the interview. Continue to explore gaps in employment history. If you are inviting a candidate for a second interview, ask them to bring along any evidence that will confirm what they have told you about the gaps in their employment history.
The Criminal Records Bureau
At present, there is no provision for parents to gain direct access to criminal record information in respect of a person that they might wish to employ as a nanny. He/she may also already have had a CRB check. If this is more than a year old, it is advised that a new check is performed.
However, you can contact a CRB ‘umbrella body’ and employ their services to obtain a CRB check and assess the suitability of the prospective nanny via suitable vetting procedures. Civil & Corporate Security can assist you in this and all other security precaution issues, addressed above.
Source: DFES © Crown Copyright 1995-2002 acknowledged.
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