Agencies place nannies 'without proper checks', claims Which?

Agencies are prepared to take on "unqualified, inexperienced" nannies without proper references or thorough police checks, according to a Which? survey out today.

Five agencies - a quarter of those contacted by Which?’s undercover agent - were prepared to take on a nanny with no experience, and some did not insist on references or proper criminal record checks, the investigation found.

Nannies and au-pairs are the only unregulated form of childcare in the UK, so many parents rely on agencies to vet potential nannies. But, some agencies are prepared to call anybody a nanny in return for their finder’s fee, the report claimed.

Which? has said that it will be sending the findings of its investigation to the DfES, and called for parents to get a comprehensive nanny registration scheme that insists on Criminal Records Bureau checks and a minimum level of qualifications or experience.

Which? editor Malcolm Coles said: “The results of our investigation will make worrying reading for parents. It’s nerve wracking enough leaving children in a stranger’s care, without the added worry that nanny agencies may not be making the checks they claim.

“While the government’s making up its mind about what form of registration it will adopt, nannies remain unregulated, and children in their care remain unprotected. We want to see a full national nanny registration scheme so parents can make an informed decision about who they employ.”

(gmcg/mb)