Tips for Parents to find a Babysitter

What the home secretary said about the role of CRB.

"The role of the Criminal Records Bureau is to reduce the risk of abuse by ensuring that those who are unsuitable are not able to work with children and vulnerable adults"

What is the CRB?

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), an Executive Agency of the Home Office, provides wider access to criminal record information through its Checking service.

This service enables organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to make safer recruitment decisions by identifying candidates who may be unsuitable for certain work, especially that involve children or vulnerable adults.  The CRB was established under Part V of the Police Act 1997 and was launched in March 2002.

Successful job applicants can be ask to apply for one of two types of check.  The type of check required will depend upon the nature of the position.  These are called Enhanced and Standard Checks; both require a fee but are free of charge to volunteers.

A Standard check cannot reveal if a person is ISA- registered or barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.

Enhanced Check

An Enhanced Disclosure is available to anyone who works in what is known as a "prescribed position ". These are the positions which are in the ROA and have also been named in Police Act Regulations. Regulated Activity with Children or Vulnerable Adults, certain Judicial Appointments and Gambling Licence Applications are examples of prescribed positions.

Enhanced CRB checks contain the same information as the Standard Disclosure but with the addition of;

• Any relevant and proportionate information held by the local police forces.
• A check of the new Children and or Vulnerable Adults barred lists where requested.

The CRB recognises that the Standard and Enhanced Disclosure information can be extremely sensitive and personal, therefore it has published a Code of Practice and employers’ guidance for recipients of Disclosures to ensure they are handled fairly and used properly.
For more information please visit: www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk

SIX STEPS SCREENING PROCESS

Below we outline our six step screening process you can follow when recruiting a babysitter or nanny.  Never employ a babysitter, nanny or other household helps without screening them first.

• Step One: Read babysitter and nannies online profile and contact them when you are satisfied to take things to the next level.
• Step Two: Conduct a face-to-face interview with your favourite babysitter /nannies.
• Step Three: Check and cross check references and qualifications.
• Step Four: Request a police check or CRB disclosure.
• Step Five: Check Photo Identifications.
• Step Six:   Ask for contact numbers preferably LANDLINE telephone numbers.

GETTING THE RIGHT PERSON FOR YOUR CHILD

How do I choose a babysitter?

You need to find someone who has the right amount of maturity, but who can still have fun with children. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the NSPCC, no-one under 16 should be left to care for an infant or young child. However, there’s no current legislation in England, Scotland or Wales that gives a minimum age for babysitters, nor indeed what age children can be left at home alone.

Children mature at different ages, so you will have to decide whether you think a teenager has got the right skills. Ultimately, you are the best judge of an individual’s capabilities and the sort of person that your children need.

Age isn’t the only factor to consider. If you don’t know a potential babysitter well, ask them to provide you with references, and then contact those people. Your babysitter should ideally have first aid skills, or be prepared to take aid course. The British Red Cross offers a number of different courses, some of which would be suitable for teenagers who babysit. If you use a babysitter regularly, paying for his or her  first aid training could be a worthwhile investment for you. 

Your babysitter should be someone you trust to handle any emergency, or who will at least know whom to call and what procedures to follow.

Questions to ask potential babysitter:

The first thing that you should ask a babysitter is whether he or she has references that you can see (and which you should follow up on).
There are other questions you might want to ask:
[a]   Ask about any previous experience in looking after young children
[b]   Do you have any first aid training which you could use in an emergency on young children.
[c]   What do you like best about babysitting?
[d]   What would you do if you were unsure about how to handle a situation?
[e]   What sort of activities can you think of to keep the children occupied?

Parent-Babysitter Interview Checklist

The interview is an important step in the hiring process.  Sitters direct is here to help you in the process of  finding the right babysitter or nanny for your family by providing a list of  important questions to ask.

General Questions

• What do you like about babysitting?

• What do you look for in an employer/family?

• How much do you charge?

• Have you ever been arrested or convicted?

• Are you OK if a job runs later than planned?

• Do you have your own car?

• How soon will you let us know if you can't do a job?

• How many years experience do you have working with children?

• How many families have you cared for and how old were the children?

• Do you live local?

•  Do you have a full time job?

• Do you have any allergies to cats, dogs or other pets?

• Do you have any religious believes or affiliations?

• Do you know First Aid?

• What other qualification do you have?

• Can you swim?

• What would you do with the kids on a day like today?

• What do you do when a child refuses to go to sleep?

• What do you think is the best way to handle tantrums?

• What is your proudest moment in babysitting and why?

• What was your worst experience in child care, and how did you resolve it?

• Can you care for more kids if we have sleep over in the house?

• Are you OK assisting with homework, possibly making dinner and/or doing light housework?

• Can you travel with my family if we need you to?

• Are you comfortable sitting for newborns?

• Can you change a diaper?

• Can you properly carry and pick up a newborn?

• Are you comfortable driving children in the car?

• May I see your driver's license?

• How many years have you been driving?

• Do you have any marks against your driving record (speeding or accidents)?

How much should I pay?

Babysitting rates usually hourly depend on a lot of factors like where you live, to how old the babysitter is, and how many children to be looked after. A lot of babysitters state their own rates on the site, or her references could help you get a picture of what you should be offering.

How can I prepare my babysitter?

The first time a babysitter works for you, ask her to arrive well before you go out. This will give her time to get to know you, you house and of course, your child. You may also want to pay her to come over and play with your baby a few times while you’re at home. Use the time to take care of household jobs, so you’re in the background if you are needed. This is a particularly good approach if your sitter doesn’t have much experience of caring for young children.

Make sure that you leave all the information [Emergency Information Checklist] you can, from emergency phone number of your neighbours, your doctors, the accident and emergency unit of your local hospital) to what’s off-limit in the fridge. Let her know what time you want the children to be in bed. Tell her what your baby can and can’t do and what her usual routine is. Leave the address and the phone number of where you’ll be, just in case she can’t contact you on your mobile. Show her where everything that she will need is kept, including the first aid kit and your telephone.

How do I establish a good relationship with my sitter?

Treat your babysitter fairly. Don’t ask her to do anything else but babysitting, unless you want  to pay her extra for it. Her main task is to keep your baby safe and happy. On the other hand, she should tidy up so that she leaves your home as she found it.

Make sure that you treat your sitter as a mature person and listen to what is said to you. If he  or she is old enough to be left, unsupervised, with your children then you must take seriously any comments about bad behaviour on their part.

Finally, always remember to leave something to eat and drink for her especially if it’s going to be a long evening.

Kids Activities

These are activities for children that can help parents, nannies, babysitters, and  kids enjoy their time together. There are hundreds of ideas to entertain children. Here are just a few to get you started.

Indoor Activities for Children

.       Reading to each other, telling stories.

.       Singing along and changing lyrics

.       Dancing to different music, your choice, their choice!

.       Music with kitchen implements!

.       Cards and board games

.       Dress ups

.       Hide and seek

.       Play dough making

.       Bubble blowing

.       Teddy Bear Picnic

.        Bus rides using big boxes

.        Pretend camping with indoor tent

.        Ten pin bowling with plastic cups

.        Pretend school with rows of toy students.

Outdoor Activities for Children

.         Sand and water play

.         Treasure hunt

.         Getting muddy in the backyards

.         Painting outdoors, roller with water on the fence

.         Gardening with herbs, watering together

.         Visit parks, go for a stroll

.         Bike rides, scooter rides

.         Ball games

.         Teddy bears picnic at the park