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| The importance of background checks when hiring a nann |
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The recent news released by the Courier Mail, where newborn twins in Queensland were hospitalised after being left in the care of a nanny who had been working without a Blue Card, has again brought to light the need for parents to be vigilant about performing background checks on their child care providers.
A Working with Children Check is mandatory in Australia and early childhood providers must fulfil the requirements of the state/territory they are employed in. Reputable babysitting agencies will have policies in place to ensure employees undergo WWCCs and background checks – which protect both the children in care and the agency from future issues.
In the Courier Mail article, president of the Australian Nanny Association said,
"It is standard industry practice that nannies hold current first aid and CPR, have undertaken professional development training in child care and can also provide recent contactable professional child care related referees.
"People working with children in all states and territories either require a Working with Children Check or Working With Vulnerable People Check."
What is a Working with Children Check?
A Working with Children Check (WWCC), or Blue Card in Queensland, is a child-related background check for anyone who works or volunteers in child-related work. It varies slightly from state to state, but it usually includes a national criminal history check and a review of workplace misconduct. Even once cleared, applicants must have their WWCC monitored and updated regularly.
Knowing your child is in safe hands, and being cared for by a fully qualified professional is the most important part of the decision-making process when choosing a child care provider and these background checks are a vital piece of that security.
But due to the increasing costs of child care, a growing number of parents are turning to unvetted babysitting websites as sources for child care providers, which offer free postings and cheaper rates for babysitters and nannies. In the recent Queensland case, the nanny in question was found via a parents’ Facebook page. However, these sources don't always perform background checks, or ensure the care providers on their books are legally allowed to work with children.
As a parent, if you are sourcing an independent nanny or babysitter, it is vital to sight the carer’s WWCC before engaging their services. Even if the carer claims to have a WWCC, a parent should still physically sight a copy of the WWCC before engaging any independent child care service.
Agencies or registered babysitting websites will perform these checks, so when using a registered organisation, you can rest assured that the relevant background checks have been done and your child is being left in the care of a qualified nanny.
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