Campaigners call for mandatory nanny checks and national register

Campaigners say a legal loophole in childcare is leaving nannies unchecked and putting children at risk. They argue that nannies do not face the same strict standards as nurseries and childminders. They want a compulsory national register for nannies, mandatory enhanced DBS checks, minimum training standards covering safe sleep and safeguarding, and a clear system for reporting concerns and enforcing standards. They accuse the government of being lazy about fixing the issue.

A former nanny, identified only as Izzy, describes how she entered the job without qualifications. She set up a profile on a childcare website to earn money between acting jobs. A family with an eight month old and a four year old hired her. She says she may have overstated how confident and capable she was, but the family knew about her lack of experience and, she believes, needed support.

Izzy says she soon felt out of her depth. After a bath, she laid the baby on a bed. When she turned around, the baby moved across the bed and fell off. The baby was okay, but she was in shock. She told the parents she would understand if they no longer wanted her to work for them. She thinks they were so in need that they had no other options. Izzy quit nannying a few weeks later. Campaigners fear not everyone would.

Two nannies have come together to lobby for change. They say some people wake up and decide to become a nanny, believing it is an easy job. They argue that this misunderstanding of the role and the skill set can lead to problems. When something goes wrong, they say, parents have nowhere to turn. There is no accountability, and nothing stops a person from going back on a platform or app and advertising themselves as a nanny.

The government says regulation is not the only answer. It argues that hiring a nanny is a private arrangement, and that parents should be responsible for checking who they hire. Nannies can voluntarily join the Ofsted register and get enhanced DBS checks. Many parents say the current system gives them the flexibility they need with their families.

Izzy wants to highlight what she believes could be a growing problem. She points to people who are in dire need of work, especially in this economy, and people who really need childcare. She says that when two desperate people are put together, there is a concern for the safety of children. Campaigners say that fear is pushing them on.