How to Make Sure Children Receive the Best Care from Nannies

For parents, delegating childcare responsibilities to another person will always be a source of worry, which is why it is so important that they are able to feel confident about the knowledge and abilities of their nannies.

When nannies are employed in someone’s home, they become the primary caregivers for the children while the parents are absent, meaning it is their responsibility to ensure that they are safeguarded and do not encounter harm under their care. This is a big step, but by taking the right measures to properly affirm the credentials and expertise of their nannies, parents can make this decision with certainty and peace of mind.

Here, we will explore some of the key steps parents can take to ensure their children will receive the best possible care from the nannies they have hired.

• Download our factsheet on how to keep children safe at home
• AND our Christmas version

Carry out the right background research

The first and most important step in finding a nanny who will be able to provide the right care for your children is to put the time into properly researching their background, professional achievements and capabilities.

Naturally, this will mean carefully going through their CV and carrying out a thorough interview, during which you will be able to get a feel of their personality, key skills and past work experience. It also means ensuring they have the right credentials, and identifying any potential causes for concern at an early stage.

Since nannies do not have to be registered with Ofsted by law, a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is the best way of making sure the candidate has no legal issues that would make them unsuitable for the role. Parents cannot request a DBS check on their own, but a professional nanny agency can assist you with arranging a check like this.

Have an open conversation about your expectations

Once you’ve selected a nanny, it is important that you have a frank and open conversation with them about the responsibilities you expect them to fulfil, and the potential safety issues they may need to contend with.

This means letting the nanny know about any particular safety concerns that they might expect to encounter in the home, during your children’s daily routines, or as a result of medical issues your children might have. You should also lay out a clear plan of action for reporting and acting on any safety issues they do encounter during the day.

By doing so, you can feel sure that your nanny fully understands what they will need to do to keep your children safe - and that in the unlikely event that something does happen, you will be notified immediately.

Help your nanny carry out risk assessments

It is good practice for professional nannies to perform risk assessments before starting to work with a family, examining the likely scenarios they will encounter each day and taking proactive steps to ensure any risks are mitigated. As a parent, you can get involved and provide crucial information to help this process along.

While it ultimately remains the responsibility of the nanny to ensure that any issues that may arise are dealt with safely, parents can provide them with the most accurate insights into how they should plan for everyday routines, mealtimes, regular activities in the home and outdoors, or special field trips.

Work with a nanny agency

For many parents, finding a nanny who can fulfill all of these responsibilities in line with the specific needs of their family can feel like a daunting process. If you do not feel confident in making this decision on your own, it may be a good idea to call on the support of a professional nanny agency.

Nannies Matter can help you with each stage of the selection and hiring process, finding candidates who are tailored to your individual requirements, carrying out our own interviews and seeking out verbal references from previous employers to make sure they are the right fit.

The agency can also carry out enhanced DBS checks for all nannies, housekeepers and household staff before they are employed, ensuring that the chosen candidate is fully qualified and properly trained to provide the best, safest and most responsible care for your children.

If you require further help and advice on finding a nanny you can trust to safeguard your children at all times, get in touch with Nannies Matter on 0800 121 4881, or complete our online contact form and we’ll be in touch.