Thursday thought: Saying no

When it comes to charges, gently refusing is second nature. We accept they have to learn that certain behaviour is unacceptable, certain objects are out of bounds and that they are probably hungry because it’s nearly lunchtime and we aren’t going to let them have a biscuit.

Employers, on the other hand, are a totally different matter. For some reason we find ourselves saying ‘yes, of course’ when we really meant ‘it’s not terribly convenient’ or ‘I’d rather not’ or ‘I had something completely different planned for my evening’. Whether it’s coming in early, babysitting, running an extra errand or doing last night’s washing up we always seem to end up helping.

Of course this usually makes them grateful. It reflects well on us and references are peppered with ‘always will to go the extra mile’ and ‘really flexible’ but it also makes me personally feel like a bit of a mug.

I find it difficult to be assertive. I find it difficult to turn down an unreasonable request, let alone a reasonable one. I find it difficult to say ‘NO’ to anyone over the age of about 8.

And I’m realising that’s not terribly good for me.

So in future I’m going to think about myself before I say yes, and I’m going to practice saying no nicely. So next time we’re supposed to meet up and I’m asked to babysit at the last minute, I’ll see you at 8!

More Great Childcare?

Today the Government unveiled a report entitled ‘More Great Childcare’

BAPN applauds a thorough report which shows evidence of taking on board the concerns expressed by Professor Nutbrown however we are extremely disappointed by the lack of any reference to nannies, despite home based care being highlighted as meeting the parents’ needs for flexibility. We had hoped to see a provision for nannies, who are often highly qualified, to register to provide the Early Years funding which would ease the financial burden considerably for many parents. There needs to be a  focus on streamlining funding to ensure it reaches the front line and reducing costs for parents in a way that does not compromise quality. Children benefit from forming close bonds with carers and carers who are able to invest time in building relationships with them and relaxed ratios would be detrimental to this.

The report also ignores calls from within the sector for increased regulation of nannies or nanny agencies yet seeks to create childminding agencies which would be registered by OFSTED. We are concerned that a hard-headed focus on increasing quality in currently regulated sectors combined with the looser child:adult ratio will result in redundancy of less qualified staff, driving poorer quality providers to unregulated childcare work. BAPN works to raise the standard of professional nannies in line with other early years professionals. An influx of those considered no longer suitable to work in nurseries or as childminders would be detrimental to children and a real possibility if an entire sector of home based care continues to be unregulated.

The report rightly recognises there is an issue with parental confidence in the system. There is, however, no mention of the voluntary OFSTED register. Our recent consultation (report to be published) indicates that there is a significant amount of improvement to be made in this area. We fail to see how increasing the number of children per carer will inspire more confidence, even combined with more rigorous inspections and higher qualifications.

Overall we feel this report misses an opportunity to create a cohesive structure for the Early Years sector, or at the very least integrate on a voluntary professional nannies who have been marginalised by successive Governments. We call upon Ms Truss to take these issues into consideration when effecting legislative change.

Why when you’re looking for a job ISN’T the time to dust of your CV

Moving on happens to us all eventually, and it’s traditionally associated with the panicked search for where you saved your CV on your computer (or worse, the discovery that you lost it when your old laptop died a sudden death) and trying to describe your most recent job as accurately as possible so you can send it off to agencies and prospective employers. So it might seem counter-intuitive for us to say that the best time to work on your CV is when you’re settled in a job. Why, when you have no intention to leave?

The most important reason is that jobs evolve over time. Unless you keep detailed notes you may lost sight of important aspects that you no longer carry out, especially if you’re in a job long term. Refreshing your CV on a regular basis, or even better keeping a long version of your CV where you can note down exactly what new responsibilities you’ve taken on, means you’re always up to date and you’ve retained all the relevant information.

Another good reason is that it’s better to identify any gaps in your knowledge and experience, and act to correct them, while you have the flexibility to do so. Job-hunting makes it difficult to schedule attendance at courses – after all your prospective employer may not relish the idea of their new nanny having a day off two weeks after settling in – but your existing employer should be more accommodating in terms of arranging holiday. It makes good financial sense too, because if you don’t have a source of income you probably won’t be willing to pay out for a course even if it might improve your chances in the long run but saving up for a course is realistic if you budget your salary accordingly. This is doubly important if you know that your job will be coming to an end, for example your charges are starting at full time school, and you have some free time in your day. Check with your employers whether they mind you refreshing your experience with young babies by volunteering to help a local mum while your charges are at nursery or extending your skills with older children by going in to school and listening to them read.

Finally you can rest assured that when the moment comes you know that your CV is ready because you’ve had time to perfect it. This actually means your CV will be better as you won’t be doing it in a hurry, and it’s less likely to contain off-putting spelling or grammar mistakes. Creating a good nanny CV requires a substantial investment of your time to find a format and balance that works for you so use the time while you have it!

There’s a lot of generic guidance out there, which is excellent if you want an office job but nanny requires a more personal touch and parents often aren’t professional recruiters who are used to looking at CVs. Even when they are they may not know what a typical nanny does, so it’s important to make all the relevant information accessible. Here are some top tips from our professional development and CV advice service to get you started on your perfect nanny CV:

Make sure all the standard information is on there: name, contact details, education and training, professional experience

Take time to create a good personal profile which sets out your childcare style and what makes you unique as a nanny

Include a section on your interests because you never know which potential employers or charges might share one of your hobbies

Don’t over-complicate or use jargon. First time parents will be reassured by you spelling out exactly what nursery duties are and what you did on a day to day basis but….

Don’t be repetitive, because that may give parents the impression that you’re boring or stuck in a rut, even if many nanny jobs do have similar requirements

Emphasise your experience of caring for children as individuals. If you’re coming from a nursery or teaching background talk less about policies and paperwork and more about relationships with key children and their parents, supporting children’s individual development and times you’ve worked independently.

Remember that this is your CV and it needs to showcase your strengths. If you’re the kind of nanny who always does creative activities with your charges, talk about it!

BAPN’s professional development service is free to members, and because they tell us it’s so great we’re opening it up to non-members to. You just send in your CV – no need for personal data but do indicate where your name and address would go – and it will be looked over by someone who knows what nannies do and what parents want to know. For more information, including the details of the different services on offer, pricing and credentials, e-mail info@bapn.org.uk

Should nannies be registered?

Should nannies be registered ?

It would be very easy to simply say “yes, of course” to this question. The benefits of registration are clear to many:

• Standards would be consistent across the industry and nannies, parents and agencies would be clear on the minimum standards a nanny must reach and currently anyone can call themselves a nanny, so registration would ideally clearly define what being a nanny means
• Nannies would be accountable and it would make it harder for bad apples to remain caring for children
• Nannies could access support and training provided by local authorities in the same way that childminders can
• Registration on the Early Years register could potentially enable nannies delivering the EYFS to access funding, as some childminders can

Yet one of the biggest advantages of a nanny is the flexibility that they can provide, not purely in terms of hours worked but also in the style of care. Some parents don’t want a carer who is obliged to deliver the EYFS and deal with copious amounts of paperwork, ready for inspection at any moment. Registering all home-based childcare without thinking it through risks turning us into a “nanny-state” (if you’ll forgive the pun, it was irresistible!).

The first and most obvious consideration is what form this registration would take. Would it be modeled on the current approach, with the same requirements for the voluntary register? Would the checks that are carried out be the same? And would this prevent cases such as this failure to carry out proper checks? Or the anecdotal evidence of many nannies who say they have been allowed to register without holding a common core qualification or insurance? If registration were implemented without these problems being addressed, we believe this would seriously undermine the credibility of a compulsory register.

Alternatively, if the voluntary register were abolished and all nannies were required to register on the compulsory register would they be required to deliver the EYFS and inspected on their ability to do so? Where does this leave parental choice? What happens to nannies who work for families who only have older children? Nannies and childminders offer different types of childcare – a nanny is an employee of the family and contracted to do as the parents wish, whereas a childminder as a self-employed person can set their own agenda. A one-size-fits-all approach would risk losing the distinction between these fundamentally different types of care.

Secondly how far would this compulsory register extend? What about young people who are working in an ‘au pair’ role? In the absence of an official immigration category (with the exception of A2 nationals) when is the distinction made between an au pair and a nanny for purposes of registration? Some au pairs are registered with OFSTED, having taken the necessary steps, so they can be paid with childcare vouchers. Tightening registration may mean removing this financial assistance from parents who need wraparound childcare, remembering that accessing childcare vouchers is the principle reason many nannies are registered with OFSTED.

Thirdly what would happen about inspections? Inspection for a nanny is currently very different from inspection for a childminder. Crucially it does not take place until after the nanny has registered and only a fraction of nannies are inspected annually.The quality of inspection also varies from a cursory check of documentation to an in depth interview covering grey areas of record keeping, as OFSTED are yet to publish detailed guidelines of what exactly nannies do and do not need to have in writing. Should nannies be inspected to the same level as childminders? Would parents be happy to have an inspector entering their private property when they are not present? How would a nanny store confidential information safely? How would this be handled where a nanny works in different homes for different families throughout the week, who each have different expectations and requirements? Thorough and consistent inspections by appropriately trained, specialist inspectors would be a positive step but these need to take place at the time of registration, following a similar format to the childminder pre-registration inspection, to ensure that every nanny is of a suitable standard before they work in the door. This does not preclude spot checks/inspections to ensure that all nannies do indeed have a valid First Aid certificate and appropriate insurance at all times

Finally the question of ratios rears its head. At the moment a family with 4 children under 5 would find it impossible to find a childminder, and in any case a nanny would be a more economical option. If nannies were required to register, large families would find it impossible to find childcare for their needs and could be forced to employ 2 nannies simultaneously to fit in with Government guidelines.

Treating nannies like childminders, and nurseries, by forcing everyone into the same framework is not the answer. One workable option could be to create a system where home based childcarers wishing to deliver the EYFS could register one one part and those childminders and nannies who don’t want to, or who don’t need to, could register on a different part. Another solution would be to create a register for nannies similar to the current register with clearly defined requirements, stringent checks and consistent inspections. Forcing every childcare provider into the same framework is not the way forward.

Registration should result in workforce recognized as being competent and professional, and it is worth doing right.

New school year…..new blog!

BAPN is the membership organisation for professional nannies, dedicated to raising the profile of nannies and promoting quality childcare. We provide information, support and training to members, set industry standards which employers and recruitment agencies can refer to and represent nannies to the Government and the media on issues affecting the profession.

Nannies working in the UK and qualified to level 2 or above, who hold a Paediatric First Aid certificate, Enhanced CRB and public liability insurance are welcome to join as Full Members. For students studying a recognised childcare qualification or qualified nannies working overseas we have specialised memberships.

Members are able to access  exclusive discounts with insurance and training providers, including industry leaders such as Morton Michel, MNT Training and Educare NSPCC, regular newsletters, a members only area on the website (including a forum), local networks headed by a coordinator, specialist workshops and events, and a free CV and professional development service. We are constantly expanding the range of services available to members and appreciate any feedback on how we can make the organisation more beneficial to nannies.

BAPN also provides free factsheets and information to parents on recruiting and employing a nanny. We will be expanding the range of information available to employers and agencies in the near future.

We’ll be using this blog to keep you up to date with our new initiatives, comment on issues related to nannying and childcare/early years education in general and inform you of our work with other organisations and the Government.