AIBU about foreign nanny?

[Notnormalnotweird]

Am I being utterly insane? I'm returning to work and have a lot of anxiety about leaving DTs with a nanny. Could anyone see if this line of thinking makes any sense?

Nanny was found through a reputable nanny agency. She has 6 years experience of nannying in another country. References have been verbally verified and she has been DBS checked. Her passport and visa status have been checked by the agency. She is qualified in her home country. We interviewed and she seemed very warm and reliable.

However, now thats she is due to start next month and I am panicking. I know its the anxiety talking to me, but I can't get the thought out of my head that she could be anyone. Maybe her DBS check didnt show anything because she is new to the country. They aren't international, are they? How do we know the references we spoke to were actual employers and not friends in her home country? I am absolutely tying myself in knots trying to figure it out.

Depends on the country, corruption etc.

Do you mind saying which one?

Ask her for a police check certificate from her own country too?

In my experience of nursery staff and nannies, the ones from overseas are far better than their British counterparts. Smarter, more engaged and reliable. Not wishing to cause offence to talented British workers, just offering a counterpoint to your anxiety.

References and police check certificate from her own country

The agency should provide you with her country's equivalent of a DBS. The school I work in has quite a few foreign teachers and that's what we have to obtain from them.

Shouldn’t the dbs should be completed from the uk ? I had a friend who worked internationally and dbs was possible, but time consuming.

How do we know the references we spoke to were actual employers and not friends in her home country?

You could say the same about an applicant from your own country. Part of me wants to reassure you that it'll probably be fine. Part wants to advise you to call it off before the poor soul uproots herself to move country and work for someone who already mistrusts her just for being 'foreign'.

You really need her to provide an overseas police check complete with an official translation and also translations of her qualifications. It is hard to get references for self employed nannies, regardless of their home country because they have been working for 'Joe Bloggs' and not a company that you can easily tie the referee too. Can you verify who these people are at all? eg do they own a company with a website or are they doctors with a listed practice? You could ask them to email you from their professional accounts if so. I wouldn't be happy with the idea of just some random voice at the end of the phone to be fair.