Check points

Having a 'gut feeling' that a particular nanny will be right for a job is no longer enough for many parents. Detailed references and police checks are now common items on the tick list at interviews - though perhaps it is the parents and agencies who don't thoroughly vet job candidates that have led to new laws being introduced for recruitment agencies (see box).

As nanny Gillian Barns points out, 'It is surprising that there are still some parents out there who are willing to hand over their children to someone they know very little about. I can think of a couple of occasions when the parents have asked me very few questions at the interview - not even things like my views on discipline or whether I smoke or not.' Gillian says she feels much more comfortable when employers scrutinise her CV throroughly and follow up all her references. 'It shows that they are approaching the care of their children in a responsible way, and these kinds of parents are more likely to value my position and place trust in me.'