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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

doubts about the nanny?

29 replies

treaclebeetle · 10/01/2009 19:08

Hi, we recruited our Nanny through an agency.
She's young but had experience with young children and babies - no formal qualifications, not ofsted registered and doesn't have her first aid qualifications. She's signed up for a course though (the most basic) at the end of the month. In interview she was just so lovely and good with the children we were charmed. Only a week into the job I'm worried that she's embelished her experience... she reheated a bottle of formula for example (it may not have been clear that it wasn't old milk as it was nearly a full bottle) it was on the side of the sink, not in the fridge and the top was off. I dont't think a nanny should make that kind of mistake. It's made me doubtful on other counts too now. Am I being jumpy as it's my first week back at work or should I ask the agency to find me someone else??

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Quattrocento · 10/01/2009 19:15

Is this your first (nanny and baby)

Because this sounds like a massive overreaction tbh

Lauriefairycake · 10/01/2009 19:16

I would ask her bluntly if she knew that you couldn't re-heat formula (I didn't know btw).

How bad is it to reheat formula? Dangerous bad or just not that bad but we want you to buy more of the stuff?

xfabba · 10/01/2009 19:19

Maybe she has always previously dealt with babies who breastfed? I wouldnt know you cant rehear formula if I was looking after a friends baby and I am a very qualified, experienced and caring mother.

Blondeshavemorefun · 10/01/2009 19:25

tceh you can heat forumla once

so i normally put water in bottle, then reheat if need be, then add powder,so if i do need to reheat i could ( as milk hasnt be heated)but i dont

this is why i think all nannies should be qualified - it does piss me off that anyone can call their self a nanny and not have quals or first aid

why would you hire someone who doesnt have first aid?

did you check her ref - who/where was the exp with young children and babies?

NAB3lovelychildren · 10/01/2009 19:28

I think you are entitled to be annoyed that she just reheated a bottle of milk without checking.

I worked as a nanny without being qualified though I did have a first aid certificate and I was bloody good.

tankie · 10/01/2009 19:34

If that's the only mistake she's made then I wouldn't be too worried - what else are you doubting? Maybe she hasn't dealt with ff babies before, maybe she'd forgotten... could you go through the guidelines with her?

Did you check her references/experience yourself? I wouldn't rely on the agency, because some don't check very thoroughly! Also, get her on a proper 12 hour paediatric first aid course!

Bink · 10/01/2009 19:34

What are the other counts?

First baby, first nanny, is a really difficult one to get yourself comfortable with. One thing I did with ours (who turned out to be a gorgeous lovely gem) was ask her to do a little project for me - go round the house and assess safety and give me ideas for how to babyproof it all for when ds got mobile. She did a thorough careful job and seeing her effort and concern in that meant that accepting her then came naturally.

If, of course, she'd done a slack and thought-free job on the project, well that would have helped clarify things too - in the opposite direction!

How about you set up something like that for her?

frannikin · 10/01/2009 19:38

The most basic course probably won't cover the guidelines on FF either - it might, but it doesn't have an awful lot of time. If she has any sense she'll read about it to pass the test, but then why didn't she read about it before if she's serious?

How old is quite young? Under 20, early 20s?

How much experience does she have? And in what settings, for what periods of time? Is it possible, as people say that she might have not dealt with FF babies before?

If you have doubts now then definitely talk them through with her. If after that conversation you still have doubts then get onto the agency. You can't have a healthy working relationship with the person looking after your DCs if you don't trust them.

nbee84 · 10/01/2009 19:47

I 2nd tankie on the 1st aid course. FAR better to do a 12 hour paediatric first aid than a basic 2 hour one.

frannikin · 10/01/2009 19:56

Oops, I interpreted most basic course as most basic childcare course. Ignore that waffle about tests etc.

And get her on a 12hour paeds 1st course!

HaventSleptForAYear · 10/01/2009 19:56

Does it really matter if you have to tell her certain things?

The most important thing will be to see how she reacts when you bring something like this up.

Our Childminder had 0 experience of bf or washable nappies but happily read all the guidelines I got from the hospital about reheating/storing frozen bm etc.

She genuinely loves our kids, comes for birthdays, buys them presents, had DS1 while I was giving birth to DS2...

Depends if you think money buys you the fount of all knowledge or a stand-in for you (are YOU the fount of all knowledge? can you suggest some reading for her?)

fairimum · 10/01/2009 20:02

Just a thought if you want her to be ofsted registered in the future she will need to do the 12 hour 1st aid course!

Blondeshavemorefun · 10/01/2009 20:17

and have some kind of quals - think nick said its common core skills needed for ofstead

AtheneNoctua · 10/01/2009 22:33

I would explain to her that you can not reheat formula once baby has sucked on the bittle because of the risk of bacteria growing in the milk, and then I'd move on. I think contacting the agency and asking for a new nanny is a huge over reaction to this.

I'm sure I violated some of the sterilisation rules. For starters, I know I used bottle evian instead of sterilised water on more than one occasion. AndI couldn't really get too hung up on the whole sterilising thing once the kids started licking the kitchen floor anyway.

CioccolataCalda · 10/01/2009 22:41

I haven't got a first aid certificate and I have looked after my kids for the last 13 years OK, neither do I have a NNEB qualification.....
If the nanny is good and has a good rapor with the kids you can tweak the little things. I would be more worried about a qualified robot looking after my DCs.

nbee84 · 10/01/2009 22:59

cioccolatacalda - anyone with an ounce of sense would realise that first aid is well worth having. The course covers many things that you may or may not have to deal with - in day to day life as well as in a work situation. Obviously we all hope not to ever have to deal with a serious accident or choking/burns/epileptic fit/asthma attack/poisoning - I could go on and on.

Someone choking can die in less than 5 minutes - it takes an ambulance an average of 8 minutes to arrive - and that's after you've made the phone call. Most people may have a rough idea of what to do, but isn't it far better to actually know what to do?

And CPR - on a first aid course you get to practise on a dummy, so you have some practical experience too. It is not as easy as it looks if you see it on the tv. And there are different ways to do this to a babby, child or adult. If you did it the wrong way on a baby yu could seriously damage there lungs and cause them to die anyway!

I'm really at your suggestion that a first aid course is not neccessary. It is far better to be prepared for any eventuality.

Ebb · 10/01/2009 23:00

Did you check her references yourself or rely on the agency? If she's worked with babies before surely she should have some idea of 'milk safety'? I would insist she does a peadiatric first aid course and maybe basic food hygiene. I wouldn't nessecarily talk to the agency. Perhaps have a chat with your nanny and give some guidelines. Show her how you want things done and don't worry about pointing out things you're not happy about. Don't forget to be positive too though!

nbee84 · 10/01/2009 23:02

I'd even go so far as to say that they should have a first aid course in schools and everyone should be obliged to attend a course.

CioccolataCalda · 10/01/2009 23:04

what I am saying is that most mums will not have any formal first aid training so why should I expect this of a nanny?
I have only ever had one qualified nanny and a number of unqualified ones who I trusted to cope as they had common sense (as do I) to cope in a situation.
A certificate will not save a life.

Ebb · 10/01/2009 23:10

I think a nanny should have a relevant first aid certificate because they are childcare proffessionals and are being paid to look after your children. Of course parents don't tend to have first aid training but I think you can do what you want with your own children. If you are being paid to look after someone elses children you should at least know basic resus and how to deal with minor injuries.

nbee84 · 10/01/2009 23:14

To be an Ofsted registered nanny you need to do a 12 hour paediatric first aid course - so they obviously see it as essential.

Many health authorities offer pregnant/new mums the chance to do a fist aid course - so again obviously a good thing.

The majority of people will never need to deal with a life threatening situation in their lifetime - but what if they did? If a nanny is out with a child that choked and stopped breathing or a child that fell on some broken glass and cut an artery and her common sense wasn't enough to save that child she would feel so guilty and the parents may very well feel a tremendous guilt for not employing a nanny with a 1st aid qualification/getting their nanny to do a course.

And yes. I realise that whatever you have learnt there may be situations where the actions you take may not be enough - but surely everyone would want to feel that they had done everything they could.

Sorry, will get off my soapbox now , but as you can tell it is something I feel quite strongly about.

skramblenotdieting · 10/01/2009 23:27

I would ask her about what she knows about FF and all that and see how she reacts, time to sit down and have a bit of a debrief of her first week, go over any matters that need to be clarified, make it a two way thing where she has the chance to ask questions and clarify things for herself to. Good to have regular sit down meetings where things can be discused properly.

As for the first aid I think it is commendable that she has signed herself up for a course, but as her employer I would want to enrol her on a child specific first aid course, but saying that any good first aid course should relate methods for CPR and dealing with choking to children and babies as well as adults. Most other first aid methods are fairly similar for adults and children really.

My first nanny job I dealt with my charge choking, I had no training and was as inexperienced as they come, but instinct and a bit or ER and Casualty meant I reacted correctly and child was fine, dealt with it the same way as a lot of mums would have done themselves who have never had first aid training.

patriciawentworthheroine · 11/01/2009 07:59

I completely understand why you were unnerved by the Formula incident. As a Formula-feeding mum I know how anxious the zillions of instructions on the tin make you. I follow them to the letter and would expect someone else caring for my baby to do so.

For what it's worth, I would expect someone who calls themselves a nanny to know the details about Formula-feeding to babies - and also to have the initiative to question whether they should re-heat an open bottle and check the tin/a babycare book if not sure, before doing it.

However, as others have said, she IS young and inexperienced and if this was her only error and she copes well with you explaining what went wrong, it's probably nothing to worry about.

It sounds as though there are other incidents/issues you're concerned about though (other than first aid). Are there any other examples you can tell us about?

Blondeshavemorefun · 11/01/2009 11:49

"I think a nanny should have a relevant first aid certificate because they are childcare proffessionals and are being paid to look after your children. Of course parents don't tend to have first aid training but I think you can do what you want with your own children. If you are being paid to look after someone elses children you should at least know basic resus and how to deal with minor injuries."

beautifully explained ebb

CioccolataCalda - thats as you are a mum and not a trained childcare professional

athene - very true about the floor - once crawling/moving no point in sterlising imo - dishwashers are just as good

Blondeshavemorefun · 11/01/2009 11:50

forgot to add, thinks mums should do a fist sid cousre if possible

our local school did one in the evening a few months ago, and i told mb and db to go while i babysat

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