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?

I think most people if they were sorry and it was a mistake would lead with that rather than let it be discovered on a DBS

DUI doesn't have to spell she has an issue with booze. DUI is stupid and she rightfully should've had the book thrown at her, but it doesn't mean that she is an alcoholic. Friend of mine got caught, she went to a party in the middle of the Sussex countryside (this was years ago before uber!) with her partner, they had a fight and she was just over the limit and drove home instead of him, the designated driver. Got caught. She wasn't an alcoholic, she made a stupid decision while emotional.

It's where she is now that counts imo. Something like DUI is moronic but does it have to define her life forever more?

If you really really liked her more than any others, I would consider a trial, after you both talk about it. I'd probably keep a close eye on her for any booze smells or drunken giveaways. I would wonder why though that she's not driving anymore.

Why didn't you ask about it? Honestly OP I think you need to give your head a wobble. Are nannies in such short supply? If it had been an accidental infringement or something where there was a reasonable explanation - such as drinking the night before and being marginally over the limit in the morning or driving in an absolute emergency, she would have told you. Instead you both sat there and ignored the great big elephant in the room. Drink driving shows poor judgement at best, so the fact that you are still considering leaving her in charge of your children, speaks to your own judgment as well. There are too many unanswered questions that you didn't bother to ask. Not everyone is cut out to have a nanny, you sound like you're too nice and too accommodating. The interview is the time to ask hard questions but you didn't, you just 'like her as a person'. Don't wait until she makes another poor choice and your child pays the price.

No way. She’s probably an alcoholic.

She shouldn’t have driven if she was just over the limit.

thats the point the poster was making

Why would you trust her OP? Not only does she have a DUI but she is a bullshitter, she has obviously hoped you wouldn't look at her DBS in detail and instead of being transparent she has tried to make up excuses for not being able to have a car.

If she has only worked abroad, will you be able to check her references properly?

You most certainly can get a criminal conviction for DUI due to being under the influence of prescription drugs. 18 months is well within the 6m to 3yr window you mention. The ban still goes on your record exactly the same way. Driving under the influence even if it was not deliberate is still a criminal offence. As they say, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Thats why I would ask about the DUI. It isn’t necessarily alcohol related or deliberate.

I don’t think I would no, but it might depend on how serious the offence was and her attitude to it. If she got absolutely bladdered, got behind the wheel and was ten times the legal limit- absolutely not. If she had had a few drinks at night and failed a breathalyser due to poor judgement the next morning at 10am, I might view that a bit differently.
Also how remorseful she is and what changes she has made to make sure it never happens again. So obviously you need to talk to her about it. Anything else worrying on her criminal record? I also would be interested in why she isn’t driving now. Not because I necessarily think not driving is a dealbreaker (although might and that’s fine) but because it might be for a worrying reason that suggests she hasn’t improved her general judgement since the dui.

The whole point of the interview is for you to ask these questions, I would call her & ask her if she can come in for a 2nd interview & then ask questions.

people are being very black & white here which is so not helpful. You can’t make a judgement call without more information. Same with why has she never worked in the UK, why wasn’t this addressed? Is she planning more time abroad & so could leave you in the lurch, I mean not having a job & just coming back from abroad explains not having a car.

back to the black and white. I’m not the same person I was 9 yrs ago. Life changes us, we grow, mature, have life experiences etc. judging someone based just off the dbs & the fact that we are thinking people can’t be rehabilitated to me seems incredibly blinkered. I’m glad you don’t seem to be like that. You just need to ask the questions to get your comfort or not

Does she still drink ? If so, no I would not.

…perhaps she’s had a drink?

Lots of very judgemental comments on here. 9 years ago was a long time and I would have no problem in hiring some with with a spent conviction.

Lots of people have been impacted by the acts of others who were under the influence. DUI spent conviction is very different to shop lifting spent conviction, for example.

I would hire them for almost any job other than looking after my children, who are more important to me than anything in the world.