To be furious with DD's nanny?

[alwaystimeforgin]

So I am utterly fuming. I have just had a call from a friend of mine saying she had found my DD (She is 3 years old) wandering around at the park on her own with no adult in sight. After about 10 mins DD's nanny comes back with a coffee in her hand and when my friend questioned her she said she went to the cafe to get DD a drink as she was thirsty.

The coffee shop is the other side of the park and would have taken the nanny around 15 mins to walk there and back. Plenty of time for a child to get injured or get into some sort of danger. Hate to think what might have happened if my friend had not been there. The nanny has been great with DD up until this point and she has been a nanny for 15 years so I am genuinely shocked by this serious lack of judgement on her part. However, I don't think I can trust her now after this incident Is this grounds for dismissal or should I be giving her another chance?

I wouldn't trust her anymore and I'd get rid of her. Is she admitting that she left your DD unattended when she went to buy a drink?

I'm angry on your behalf.

How long has she been with you? I assume the statutory probation period would apply to nannies too, and that is 2 years now. But as others say you need to check the contract to see what disciplinary procedures are required - you might need to go down the disciplinary investigation route a la ACAS.

I would definitely want to hear her side of the story!

Fire her!! If it's true

Wow! I'd dismiss instantly. That is so inappropriate!!?

If that's really what happened she needs to go.

If.

Does she have a contract of employment with you?

I'd ask nanny first, and if nanny confirmed what friend said I'd fire her effective immediately. I say that as an ex - nanny. I've met some slack childcarers, but never one that would have done that. Surely there has to be a misunderstanding?

Wow - I'd be fuming. Unless there was someone she knows looking after her (not some random person from the park, or indeed a Nanny that my DC knew) then I'd consider letting her go.

If she says she was looked after by someone, then I'd want to speak to that person then and there (if possible)

Your friend who told you this isn't after a nanny, is she?

Ask the nanny.

I think Cindy has the process correct. I'd do that.

If it is as described, with a three year old, and no challenge/intervention of your friend when she approached the child (which would indicate that the nanny was watching the child even though the friend thought there was no-one nearby), I'd say grounds for immediate dismissal (you may still need to pay a notice period though).

I'm a nanny and it's not unusual for some of us to swap and change charges whilst we're out (yesterday I needed to fill up DCharges water cup so left him with a nanny friend and her charge came with me to fill his cup up) BUT our bosses all know we do this, are happy with it & they trust us enough to know we would only ever leave them with a nanny we trust 100%....never ever would we not intervene if we saw someone come up to our own charge or one left with us...I cannot imagine a situation where another adult could come up to one of the kids a and we wouldn't immediately be over just checking all is fine.

But you do need to find out if she left her alone completely or relied on a nanny she thought she could trust who let her down (neither are great but they are different)

You're so fuming and furious that instead of asking the nanny what actually happened, you're posting on here about how awful this thing that may or may not have occurred is?
Priorities, ffs.

Hearts what statutory two year probation period are you referring to? There is no such thing.

My thoughts also Arsicle

That didn't make sense. I meant NOT random from the park or a Nanny that DC didn't know.

Ask the nanny. If she did leave her under the watch of someone else,the fact that that someone didn't intervene for 10 mins is irrelevant. Did your daughter need "intervention"? Was it really 10 mins or however long? And those questions only if it even happened.

If things are true and you are unhappy with the explanation,can't trust the nanny anymore then you can give her notice and start looking for another nanny

Oh dear. I hope it is just a misunderstanding.

I would seriously worry about this though.

Surely if she actually went to get DD a drink (errr other than coffee ) the conversation would go:
"Nanny X, I'm thirsty"
"Ok then let's go to the cafe together"

and possibly
"But I wanna stay here!"
"Oh well then we can't get a drink then, that's a shame"

Rather than leaving a 3yo on their own. Not on.

Two year probation thing sounds like confusion with right to take an employer to court for unfair dismissal. Wrongful dismissal would apply though if the nanny had been in that employment less than 2 years and felt the reason for dismissal was unreasonable. So it is important to follow disciplinary procedure, so as an employer you can show a court that you took reasonable actions.

Ask the nanny first.

OP - I think you need to establish some facts before anything else.

This is incredibly odd- definitely give her a chance to explain. I know many nannies and not one would do this. There must be more to it otherwise I can't see her lasting that long in the job.

OP I'm glad you say you are going to hear the nanny out. To all those saying that OP should immediately fire her....I hope your employers' wouldn't fire you on the basis of an allegation without investing the matter first.

But yea OP if the investigation confirms your friends version of events then of course you wouldn't be unreasonable to dismiss her....it would be a complete break down in trust which is grounds for gross misconduct.

Agree that if the story is true then she gets the sack - who says that this is the first time she done it? I'd be furious.