Good
Practice
There are no legislations or regulations which govern the practices of nannies within the home environment. However, we at Caleeda believe, like any professional and supportive work environment, it is important to put policies and procedures into place to ensure that the welfare and interests of both the children and nanny are protected.
When a nanny is placed with a family through Caleeda, we provide all our nannies and parents with a comprehensive starter pack which ensures the nanny has all the information required to conduct his/her job to the best of their ability and that the parent has been made fully aware of all the matters relating to employing a nanny. Caleeda provides templates of the forms required for all issues highlighted in this section.
As part of our “Good Practice within the home” policy, a Caleeda nanny will complete the following paperwork with you before she/he starts their post:
There are no legislations or regulations which govern the practices of nannies within the home environment. However, we at Caleeda believe, like any professional and supportive work environment, it is important to put policies and procedures into place to ensure that the welfare and interests of both the children and nanny are protected.
When a nanny is placed with a family through Caleeda, we provide all our nannies and parents with a comprehensive starter pack which ensures the nanny has all the information required to conduct his/her job to the best of their ability and that the parent has been made fully aware of all the matters relating to employing a nanny. Caleeda provides templates of the forms required for all issues highlighted in this section.
As part of our “Good Practice within the home” policy, a Caleeda nanny will complete the following paperwork with you before she/he starts their post:
>> Parental Permission Forms
There are no legal requirements for parents to give written
permission related to such things as: taking photographs of
children; taking the children on outings etc. At Caleeda we
consider it Good Practice for the nanny to gain permission from
parents relating to his/her conduct when dealing with sensitive
matters such as respecting the child’s and family’s privacy- hence
only taking photographs with prior consent. Each family is
individual and will want each situation to be handled in a manner
reflective of their beliefs and lifestyle.
>> Essential Contacts Form
It is important for the nanny to have full contact details for you
whilst you are out of the home. The nanny will also need to have
contact details for other professionals and organisations so that
should any query or emergency arise she/he can deal with it
effectively, these contacts may include doctors, dentist, school
teacher, local police station etc. It is vital that the nanny has
all the required contact details before he/she is left in sole
charge of the children.
>> Health & Safety - Risk Assessments
Health and safety should always play a vital part in every aspect
of a nanny’s daily life in the home. It is important that when a
nanny starts in a new home that they conduct a risk assessment to
ensure they are able to assess and manage any risks.
At Caleeda we provide all nannies with a written risk assessment checklist and recommend that this be carried out and documented. It is recommended that once a nanny is appointed she/he has the opportunity to conduct a risk assessment before being responsible for taking sole charge of the children.
Once a nanny has conducted the risk assessment, it is important that the nanny is given an opportunity to discuss his/her concerns, and agrees with you actions they wish to take in order to minimise the risk. Most changes required will be within the nanny’s capabilities, such as introducing colour coded cleaning cloths to ensure appropriate cloths are used for appropriate surfaces to prevent any danger of cross contamination. However, there may be some risks which the nanny may identify but can only be actioned by you, such as repairing a broken garden fence, which requires the attention of a workman, which you may need to organise.
At Caleeda we provide all nannies with a written risk assessment checklist and recommend that this be carried out and documented. It is recommended that once a nanny is appointed she/he has the opportunity to conduct a risk assessment before being responsible for taking sole charge of the children.
Once a nanny has conducted the risk assessment, it is important that the nanny is given an opportunity to discuss his/her concerns, and agrees with you actions they wish to take in order to minimise the risk. Most changes required will be within the nanny’s capabilities, such as introducing colour coded cleaning cloths to ensure appropriate cloths are used for appropriate surfaces to prevent any danger of cross contamination. However, there may be some risks which the nanny may identify but can only be actioned by you, such as repairing a broken garden fence, which requires the attention of a workman, which you may need to organise.
>> A Medical Form
During the nanny’s employment with you, you may require them to
give the child/ren medication on an ongoing basis or over a short
term period. It is of paramount importance that you and your nanny
keep written records of the details of the treatments and
medication which are administered to avoid the risk of mis-dosage.
If you do not require the nanny to give medication during his/her
working hours, but you are yourself giving treatment or medication
to the child/ren it is of equal importance to share this
information with the nanny. This ensures that should the nanny need
to take the children to the doctors or hospital and share this
information with a health professional during his/ her course of
employment, they are able to do so.
>> Accident / Incident Form
Children have accidents whilst playing, learning to walk etc. It is
important that both nanny and parent keep details of any accidents
or incidents of injury the child/ren suffers no matter how minor.
If an accident occurs whilst the child is in the care of a nanny,
she/he should make the parents aware of the nature of the accident
and how it was dealt with. The nanny should request the parent to
sign the accident form to confirm the parent has received the
information.
Equally, if the child has an accident whilst in your care it is important that the nanny is made aware of this and you should complete an accident form and ask the nanny to sign it to confirm she/he has received the information. This will then ensure that the nanny is fully aware of the child’s wellbeing, and should any symptoms result from the accident whilst you are away from the home, they will be in a position to deal with the situation and provide any vital information to healthcare professionals.
Equally, if the child has an accident whilst in your care it is important that the nanny is made aware of this and you should complete an accident form and ask the nanny to sign it to confirm she/he has received the information. This will then ensure that the nanny is fully aware of the child’s wellbeing, and should any symptoms result from the accident whilst you are away from the home, they will be in a position to deal with the situation and provide any vital information to healthcare professionals.
>> Action Plan - In the event of an emergency
We recommend that you and your nanny take some time to devise an
action plan of what should happen in the event of an emergency,
should you, the nanny or the child/ren be involved in an emergency.
Is your Nanny a member of the NCMA?
The NCMA is a leading organisation specialising in providing support for registered childminders and a tailored membership package for nannies in England and Wales. Providing continual information, support and services in order for nannies to provide high quality childcare in line with current regulations and legislations and what is considered by childcare professionals “Good Practice”.
Membership with the NCMA is optional, however, Caleeda recommends to all its nannies to gain membership to promote “Best Practice” at all times. An NCMA nanny must meet the following criteria in order to gain membership, all criteria are set to promote the well being of the children in his/he care including:
- Take a professional approach to caring for children in the Home
- Positively Manage children’s behaviour
- Promote equality
- Respect confidentiality
- Promote children’s learning and development
- Work in partnership with parents
- Keep children safe
- Know about nutrition
- Have good professional practices
- Seek Support
At Caleeda we believe that the NCMA will provide your nanny with the support she needs in order to provide a professional service with the quality of care you should expect, which will enable you to leave your children, confident that they are being well cared for.
To find out more please visit the NCMA website or visit one of our consultants.
What type of
childcarer are you looking for?
Please view one of the links below to see a more in-depth job description:
>> Live-In Nanny
>> Live-Out Nanny
>> Maternity Nurse
>> Mother's Help
Please view one of the links below to see a more in-depth job description:
>> Live-In Nanny
>> Live-Out Nanny
>> Maternity Nurse
>> Mother's Help
