what to ask referee for a nanny?

[Fridayschild]

I think we have found someone to cover DNanny's maternity leave, and we have a phone number for the referee. Any idea what on earth to ask her? It is a while since I did this...

Children are now aged 12, 10 and 9 which makes me feel better - able to say what they think if things go horribly wrong, assuming they are prepared to say anything.

Are they a good timekeeper, reliable.
Any particular things they did really well.

Did they have to cope with any tricky situations, how did it go?

Why did she leave
Would you hire her again
How much sick pay did she take
Anything they wished they'd known at the start
Ability to handle a kitty appropriately if needed
Driving safety if appropriate
Any little niggles that you should look out for

ooh these are good, thank you. Any more for any more?

On top of the other suggestions.

What were her strengths and her weaknesses

I also check the referees name/address and number against 192.com.

What's important to you in a nanny, then ask if she has these qualities.

For me it would be flexibility, and the ability to keep order whilst still being fun.
You could ask about sickness record

Thanks you!

I think you have to listen out for what's not being said and then try to ask specific questions to try and find out what's in those gaps.
I think the question about whether or not the person would hire her again is very important. I'd also ask about how much the nanny used their phone/texts/used internet during working hours (and, in particular, when the child was around). If they've worked for a long time for the last employer I'd ask about what slipped over the years (sometime shows the nanny's weaknesses or where they may try to cut corners over time).