Top tips on hiring a nanny or babysitter

Hiring quality care for your children is one of the most important purchasing decisions you'll make as a parent. It doesn't matter if it's a long term daily care or intermittent occasional care you want to make sure your child is in safe and competent hands.

Safety First
If you're inviting someone you don't know into your home and your children's lives it's a good idea to undertake a basic security check. Before you shortlist a nanny or carer make sure they know you require them to have a Working with Children's Check (WWC, or known as a Blue Card in Queensland).

A WWC is more targeted and more extensive than a Police Check because its objective is to make an assessment of the level of risk an individual poses to the safety of children. A WWC is easily obtainable by child care workers for a small fee.

Save time & screen
Telephone screening will save you a lot of time in the long run. Use it to verify each nanny or carer's experience & qualifications, discuss commencement date, required days and hours, specific duties and rates of pay.

Try and get a feel for the nanny's personality. If you like them, ask them to send their CV and arrange a face to face interview.

It's all summarised in the CV
A good CV (Curriculum Vitae) will detail the nanny or carer’s education, skills and experience - it's important for you to familiarise yourself with it. Check qualifications (do they have a child care diploma?) and certifications (First Aid training?) and identify the areas you'd like to ask questions about.

Face to face interviews
Face to face interviews are essential. No matter how great a CV or personal recommendation, you need to meet the nanny or carer to ensure that you feel comfortable and confident having them looking after your children.

Plan questions in advance and ask open ended questions to get more than a 'yes/no' answer. Ask your prospective nanny or carer 'what would/did you do?' scenario questions. Listen carefully to their answers and ask follow up questions if you need more information.

Ask for 2 written references in advance and make sure you follow them up. Plan questions for referees that focus on areas such as trust, honesty, quality of care, and whether they would rehire the carer.

Meet & greet
Always have the prospective nanny or carer meet your kids before you make a decision. If they can't handle your kids when you are there, they have no chance when you are not! Watch everyone's body language and let your kids ask questions to see how the nanny or carer interacts with them.

Finally
Keep in mind that a CV and interview are really only an introduction to a nanny or carer. It's a first impression.

Focus on the issues that are most important such as experience, ability to cope in an emergency and compatibility (both with your kids and your parenting style).

Thanks to our guest editor; Kate Christie from Babysitters and More. Babysitters and More is an online service that connects families with babysitters, nannies, carers and other home help services.