Hiring a nanny with a drink driving offence

[littlelongstockings]

I interviewed a lovely nanny yesterday who I liked overall, however she has a DUI on her criminal record from 9 years ago, she is in her 40s so not young.
the position will not include driving my child around as she doesn’t currently have a car and isn’t open to using one of our cars, she will transport my child by bus or train.
would you employ a nanny with a background offence of DUI?

If it was when she was 19 and she was now in her forties, probably, if she was great in all other ways but not given she was prosecuted while she was in her thirties, well old enough to know, and do, better!

They were lying to you

If there's no evidence of driving, it would have been a charge of being in charge, not driving.

Here are the sentencing guidelines for this
https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/excess-alcohol-in-charge-revised-2017/

Even with the highest blood alcohol level, you'd be looking at a 6-12 month ban, not 2 years. Less v with the drunk driving awareness course.

His story was fabricated I'm afraid. As I said, people make excuses, which is why the potential nanny needs to provide evidence of any factual background.

Nope, plenty of other potential nannies without DUIs.

Absolutely not for me. I’m all for second chances and not judging people from their past mistakes but when it comes to my child, I wouldn’t risk it.

It would for me. Those situations would be very sad for her, but my child is still more important in this situation.

Yeah

Its not the dui but

Not mentioning it at the interview and explaining
Claiming not to want to drive, which suggests she's banned
Messaging at 2.30am, truly unprofessional

We all make mistakes, its how you handle it that matters - i wouldn't hire her but would be kind about it x

@BabyboomtasticThank you, It says on DBS she was fined £755 and it says she was disqualified from driving for 18 months but it could be reduced if course was completed.

No chance. People who drink and drive are the lowest of the low. I wouldn't even consider letting them look after my children regardless of if they'll be driving or not.

That’s not true. Drink driving offences do not prohibit a career in teaching.

The messaging at those hours hours would raise alarm bells for me. Even if she is an insomniac she would wait till ‘normal’ hours

Yes I would , because I worked with someone who was caught DD, the morning after a night out , she genuinely felt fine and was an error of judgement on her part, she’s never drunk since unless she isn’t driving the next day ,
so I believe you can make a mistake and learn from it . That is of course assuming that the public transport links around you lend themselves to being able to support
your kids attending their clubs etc , bur the conviction wouldn’t solely put me off .

How would she get to yours?

Is public transport reliable?

Even if she didn’t have this, I would be concerned that she’d be unreliable due to transport issues (unless you live in London or something).

Two of my grandparents got killed in car accidents (one by a drunk driver), so no I wouldn't hire them based on that if it was me being the hirer in this scenario.

However, someone else might be obliged to give this person another chance.

I wouldn't employ as a nanny anyone with a crimial conviction of any kind. You'd have to be whiter than white to be in sole charge of my children.

No . She’s lied to you and covered up a serious offence . I wouldn’t employ her

Did you ask her about it and the circumstances?

Incorrect. I know teachers with DUIs and court ordered rehab.

Probably not.

You had the DBS before the interview so I would have expected you to bring it up at interview and find out what if any circumstances she described. I do think that people make mistakes and can move on and should be allowed a second chance .However if it's a choice between a nanny who hasn't got a drink driving charge on their enhanced DBS and one who has, I'd always go with the one who has got a clean DBS. if you employed her and it was problematic you would look back and think I should have been alerted by the DBS having a drink driving charge. if I was employing somebody in a shop I'd be more inclined tosee past it then when employing somebody looking after my children.

If she’d been open and said ‘look you’ll see there’s a drink driving conviction from 9 years ago. I’m really ashamed and I’ve never done it again’ I might consider it. But as she didn’t mention it- nope.

If she'd been upfront about it and described the circumstances of the conviction and what she'd changed in her life and learned since, I'd be open to employing her, potentially.
But she wasn't. And the 2.40am messages are a red flag - to send a message to a potential employer at such an unsociable hour is unprofessional and shows a further lack of judgement. I'd also be worried that if she was routinely awake at that time, she might not be fit to look after my child in the morning (whether or not she'd been drinking).
Also, you don't trust her. Don't employ a nanny you don't trust.

Absolutely not.

this woman has shown she has a criminally reckless regard to safety.
on what planet would you think she was even remotely suitable to be in sole charge of your child?

Have you contacted her employer from 9-10 years ago for a reference?

Then no. I was on the fence reading through the thread but if something is off then trust your instincts and say no.