Checking Out Your Childminder?

[MustangSally1983]

I have had some bad experiences when hiring childcare's over the last 12 months, some have been unreliable and others even worse. This has happened both when hiring through agency and private, my BIL suggested that I should start doing background checks on them with someone like 192.com before they start. He's a developer and does it with all his contractors, AIBU background checking?

I am not looking to find out anything overly private, just set my mind at rest that they are who they say they are and don't have any huge financial warning signs.

You can certainly ask them if you can run a check. You could also run that 192 search but as it's free, it's not exactly reliable or worthwhile.

Is there a reason why you won't go through an agency that will have done a lot of this for you?

Nanny agencies would not run financial checks on the nanny or on parents. Should they? Maybe they should. Though maybe not many people would volunteer that information as they may not feel it is relevant.

The nanny who I am talking about was through an agency, the report actually costs about £10 each and has helped my BIL quite a lot in spotting dodgy contractors, so I think it is probably worth it.

So why does your title say childminder?

Tinies does a Nanny Reference Check but I can not see any info on checking things like financial history. Tinies Nanny Screening Services

Maybe if there was sufficient demand then agencies would do checks such as the 192 Background check. I suppose it may be useful but how much impact would it really have when making a recruitment decision? If there were two candidates who were identical in experience, quals, that sort of thing, would it be legal to deny one an interview if one had a CCJ from 3 years ago? I don't know - maybe it is but maybe it isn't a reasonable reason not to consider someone for the job.

Do just to clarify op - you are not talking about a childminder at all?

Could you change your title to nanny, please. Childminders are registered with OFSTED and work from their own homes

mustangsally - Childminder is a legally protected term, like policemen and doctors - so you're actually employing a nanny.
It is difficult, although i think you've also been unlucky, there can't be many employers who have been called on by the bailiffs for their nannies.

For you next nanny:
First insisit on a current DBS check, you can easily get an umbrella company to do this for you.
Then ask for two checkable references with landline number and mobiles, you can check addresses against landlines and therefore check that the person you are speaking to is actually the person from the reference.

Pay in arrears and have a clause in your contract that you can take out costs against wages: for any damages, keys that have not been returned etc...

As a nanny I expect that a lot of employers would try and snoop and find any information about me on Facebook etc but have nothing to hide at all. But if I found out they went to the extent of doing financial checks on me I would leave that day. How strange and over the top and would feel a bit weird (my personal opinion) ..I would expect that level of checks if I was working for the royals nothing less.

I have worked for people as "nanny" and had phone calls and bailiffs turn up for my employers and had to deal with them.

Mustang Sally by all means use 192.com and pay for it but be aware it is often far from right it has my details at my old address only, nothing at my new address and I am on and have always been on the Electoral Roll at my new address and I moved 10 years ago!!

Personally i think it would be a waste of money. Also your employee's financial position is none of your business and I wouldn't work for you if you stated to ask to do or I found out you had done such checks. Very odd indeed.

Also please don't use the term 'Childminder' when you mean Nanny or Au Pair they are all quite different rolls.