What checks should you do / documents should you ask for when employing a baby sitter – from a new Mum who has never done this before!

[clairebear110]

Can anyone advise what kind of things I should check out when employing a baby sitter?
Obviously I?m going to ask for references and sight of a passport or drivers licence but what other checks should I do?
Any and all advice welcome.
I'm a new Mum and not really sure what I should do.
Thank you in advance.

ask to see their crb and first aid as well as cv/references

passport/drivers license is good for proof of who they are picture wise and address

check and double check ref - if need be get dh to ring as well)

follow your gut instinct whether you like them and also how they interact with your children

Thank you, thats very helpful. Good idea about getting dh to ring as well.

Some people doing evening babysitting may have no formal childcare qualifications, may not have worked formally with children, so may not actually have any documentation at all.

If they work during the day with children - such as at a pre-school, nursery, as a nanny... then they will have some documents for you to see, such as a Criminal Records check (CRB), First Aid training certificate, childcare training certificate.

As Blondes says... follow your gut instinct. See how they interact with your child/ren, see what reaction you get to meeting them.

How have you found this babysitter?

By Babysitter you are meaning someone who cares for your child at your home for a few hours in the evening... or do you mean something else?

Thank you, that is very helpful
I?m just starting to look for a baby sitter, by this I mean someone who will come to our house and in the evenings when we go out for a few hours.

Yes, that is what we would call a babysitter in the UK. In some other countries (such as in the US) they use the word Babysitter differently. Thus why I wanted to check that you did mean the same as we did.