Some alarming news came to my attention in the past week which sparked this post. A babysitter was not who they said they were and two little babies unfortunately were at the forefront of this (thankfully, they are ok). As we are starting our very own way for parents, families, nannies, babysitters, tutors and more to connect I feel it only necessary that we address the issue at hand.
Below are some helpful lists to help those on the ‘search’ - and we will have plenty more helpful tips coming to the blog, so stay tuned!
(The website is getting closer everyday! If you haven’t yet signed up to be notified when we officially launch, you can do so here. We will have so many more handy resources and checklists there when we are done!)
We provide you with a few helpful resources for all the information you didn't know. You are not expected to know what to do when hiring someone for your home or family however it is your responsibly to ensure you do the proper research before making any advancements.
Whether you are hiring someone to work as a nanny or a cleaner, you need to carry out the relevant checks. If you were going through an agency they would be doing the same so you need to be sure to protect yourself and your full house.
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CVs and References
First things first, you must thoroughly check the CV of the person you want to hire and their references.
Check the following;
- How long have they stayed in previous positions
- Most relevant experience for your available position
- References, ensure you contact them. It would be unsafe to invite someone into your home before conducting your own background check.
When conducting checks on the candidate’s references, ensure you are speaking to the real person; make a phone call, it is much more reliable. Of course not all references are job related however the below questions are some of the most important in any regard. Keep in mind it is dependant on the job you are hiring for, if you are hiring a cleaner you want to ask about the quality of their work and if it is a live in nanny you want to know that they will be able to successfully live with you. Remembering also you will learn a lot from the interview process with the candidate yourself.
Reference check must asks;
- How long did they work for you for and in what capacity?
- How would you best describe him/her?
- Would you consider him/her punctual and reliable?
- Do you feel *JOB DESCRIPTION* would suit him/her, are they capable of this?
Official background check:
Next you want to check their criminal record status. All people working with children or in the presence of children at any time must hold a current and clear police check, blue card or working with children's check. Each state is different in this regard, simply ask the person for their card number or certificate/notice number and look it up online to ensure it is still valid. You should also keep a copy of this for your own records. If this expires while the person is still working with you, they must renew and provide you with the details again. Remind them if necessary, it is unsafe not to have this up to date. It costs anywhere between $30-$80 depending on state and checks required.
Queensland go by the Blue card system and the remainder of our states follow the Working with children system (for easy googling of forms).
*Note if the person you are hiring has lived in another state for a long period of time ensure you see clearance in both states - a national police check can help clear this up. They will need a valid 'card' for the state they are not working in and a police check nationwide.
First Aid and CPR
This is a non negotiable when working with or in the presence of children. If the applicant has not completed their first aid and you want them to have this, suggest to them to use an ambulance service such as St John's, the Red Cross or Australia Wide First Aid for a range of course options. It is also helpful for parents to stay up to date with the latest in CPR in the case of an emergency. This usually costs $60-$190 for a full course and refreshers courses can be less. CPR should be renewed yearly and first aid every 3 years, ask the instructor for details as the regulations are subject to change.
Qualifications and other certificates
Some candidates will have qualifications and some may not, in that case they may have completed some short course or learnt from another platform so be aware to ask about this. Collect a copy of anything you wish to have on hand, for example if you have a child with anaphylaxis you may want to keep a copy of their certificate of training completed in relation to this.
Your children and their needs
Every child is different and every family has different rules. It is important to be as clear as possible to someone coming into your home whether it be to clean, to care for your children or to tutor them. Allergies and personal preferences are the first big items to disclose, specifically religious beliefs or practices that you would require the candidate to work with. Anything that may be detrimental to the partnership, or determine whether or not someone is comfortable working for you, needs to be discussed upfront. After this outline things such as safety, routine, do's and don’ts, discipline etc.
Work cover and public liability
Both parties need to look into insurance for in-home work. You need to be covered for anything that happens to them while in your home and if they are working with your children they need to be covered if anything was to happen to your children while in their care. There are multiple companies that provide nanny insurance such as Nanny Sure, an Australian based company - www.nannysure.com.au (for public liability)
Car: Insurance and Licence
If you need the candidate to drive your children whether it be in their car or your car you need to ensure both cars are full comprehensively insured for the drivers, particularly if the new driver is under 25. Secondly you need to be aware of the driver’s licence status. Find out what type of licence they have and how many points they have accrued and take a copy of their licence for proof of identity. Thirdly check the car they have is safe for children (wheels, airbags etc) including having a road worthy and registration. If you are not comfortable with any of these circumstances I suggest providing a car to be used during work hours or find an alternative form of transport. If the candidate is using their own car they need to be compensated for this and keep a log book to record kms used during work hours.
Pay and benefits
Paying your employees can be tricky when it is an in home arrangement. The most common way for this to occur is that the candidate for whichever job in your home has an ABN (Australian Business Number) and you can pay them direct. They will then of course be responsible for taxes, holidays, sick days and super. Other options are to use a payroll agency which will run the show including tax and super. However if you choose to set this up just be aware that you need to discuss this in detail to ensure everyone is covered for all aspects of pay and benefits. Any allowances and benefits also need to be discussed in detail such as car, fuel and spending money.
*Note*: If you are going to pay them effectively as a contractor with an ABN the pay needs to reflect a casual hourly rate to ensure the candidate is still left with the award hourly rate at a minimum after covering super, tax etc. Super should always be paid separate and be stated in a pay slip regardless of the arrangement.
Contracts and confidentiality
A contract protects both parties so ensure you put one in place before the first day of official employment. Below is a list of some items that need to be covered in this process;
- Start date
- Length of contract
- Hours per week
- Rate of pay
- Pay period
- Method of pay
- Extra pay/over time and holiday entitlements (sick pay included)
- Allowances and benefit
- Spending money or kitty
- Car use
- Super (9.25% legally)
- Number of children if any, duties, requirements etc
- Confidentiality
- Notice period
- Ground for termination
- Trial period
- Location of workplace
- Social media policy/ images of children or home
- Contract and performance review schedule
We hope this helps you out in your search for suitable, and safe, help for your full house. If you have any queries or thoughts or stories to share, please leave us comment below, or send us an email. We love to hear from you!
C x
