Interview questions for a nanny

Choosing the right nanny is important for both you and your child/ren. Interviewing effectively will give you peace of mind as a parent. Here we have gathered some questions for you in prepara-tion of finding the best nanny for your family.

Why did you choose this career path?

Finding out the reason as to why your nanny has chosen the path they have is important for you to have a clearer picture of their personality and what they want from the future going forward.

What are the qualities needed to be a good nanny?

Your nanny could list a few things here as to what makes a good nanny. However, be mindful that there is no right or wrong answer. This is simply the opinion of the nanny you’re interviewing.

What do you enjoy most about your job choice?

Being able to identify what parts of the job your nanny prefers over others, will give you an indi-cation of what you can expect from them.

What do you enjoy least about your job choice?

As above, once you’ve identified what your nanny least enjoys, you will have a clear indication of what is expected from them.

Do you have your references?

References are an important part of selecting your nanny. They will help you to determine whether they’re a good fit for the role by learning about the nanny through other people - including previ-ous employers and character references.

Is your police record up to date and clear?

An up to date DBS is important for you to make a safer recruitment decision and prevent unsuita-ble person from working with children.

What ages are you used to working with?

Your nanny may have only previously worked with older children, and so, if this is the case, it’s important to know whether the nanny will be comfortable working with other ages.

Are you okay with light work around the house?

You might expect your nanny to do some light work around the house, such as putting clothes away, dishes, hoovering, etc. It’s worthy asking your nanny if they’re okay with doing this so they’re aware of what is expected of them.

Do you have a driver's license?

It isn’t always essential for a nanny to have a driver’s license. However, if you need to travel to take your child to school/nursery, then it’s worth asking. You may want to consider whether they’d use their own vehicle or if you’re willing for them to use yours. If they have a driver’s li-cense, it’s important to talk about insurance.

What are your expected working hours?

Finding out what hours your nanny is expecting will give you a better idea of if your needs will be met. You may have advertised for a live-in position, if this is the case, the nanny will be aware of the hours. However, it’s always worth noting what hours you expect and comparing it with what they expect.

Are you alright with doing school pick-ups and drop-offs?

You may have children in school who need picking up and dropping off. If this is the case, you may want to consider asking your nanny if they’re comfortable with doing this.

Are you comfortable administering medication?

Some children require medication, and if your nanny has undergone a First Aid course, it’s im-portant to ask if they know how to administer medication and if they’re comfortable with giving required pain medication if your child needs it.

When looking at our children's ages, what areas of development would you concen-trate on, and what activities would you deem suitable?

Every child is different, and it’s important that your nanny knows this. However, identifying what actives they’d find suitable for your child/ren will be able to give you a clear identification if they’re right for the job.

How would you plan a typical day?

It will put your mind at rest knowing what your nanny has planned on a daily basis. Consider ask-ing what they’d plan if the weather wasn’t great - what indoor activities would they plan, along with outdoor activities.

What are your favourite activities to provide the children?

Knowing what activities will be planned for your child and what your nanny can enjoy too, is im-portant. It will give you insight into what your children will be doing daily.

What activities would you give our children during the day?

As above, this will give you insight into what your child is going to be doing most days.

What valuable equipment or materials would you need?

It may be a case of you having to bring some equipment or materials into your home for the nanny and your children to use. It’s great to ask your nanny if they have any ideas of additional materials etc. as it shows incentive of what your nanny is planning.

Have you had the experience of potty training, and how do you go about potty train-ing?

As your nanny may not have experienced a child potty training, it’s important to see if they’re open-minded in helping. If your child is potty training, discuss with your nanny what you expect from them so no routine is tarnished.

What kind of food would you cook?

You may have a specific menu for your nanny to stick to. However, if you’re open-minded, you may want to ask your nanny what types of foods they’d be cooking for your children. This would be the perfect time to discuss any allergies or specific requirements.

How would you think to approach meal planning and buying food?

You may decide to bring food in yourself, or you might ask your nanny to purchase the food off her own back while you provide the money. Which ever you decide, it’s important to know if your nanny is willing to meal plan and buy food for your children.

Have you prepared a baby's bottle before? Used a steriliser? Weaned a baby onto sol-id food?

If you have a young baby, it’s useful to ask your nanny if they’ve dealt with the preparation of bottles, sterilising and weaning. If your nanny hasn’t, it’s important to do a show and tell so they know exactly what they are doing.

Have you changed nappies before?

As above, if your nanny hasn’t changed nappies before, you might want to consider doing a show and tell for them to get to grasps with changing nappies.

Have you ever had a child with allergies?

If your child has an allergy, it’s important to know if your nanny will be able to do deal with the situation effectively. If your nanny has never dealt with allergies in a child, consider asking if they know what to do if the situation arises when your child has an allergic reaction - this should have been completed during the first aid course.

Do you know how to use an Epi-Pen?

An Epi-Pen is used when someone goes into anaphylactic shock. It’s important to know whether your nanny is able to use one and whether they’re comfortable in using it. If they are unsure what to do, consider talking them through it.

If a child threw a tantrum in the middle of a shop, what would you do?

It’s important to know how your nanny would deal with the inevitable chance that a child would have a tantrum in the middle of the shop and how they go towards disciplining.

How do you implement good manners to children?

Good manners are important and it’s good to start young, so knowing how your nanny will im-plement these good manners into your child’s life is important. Consider discussing how you implement them too.

What is your opinion on showing child-appropriate affection?

You may or may not be happy with the nanny showing your child affection. However, if you de-cide that affection is good for your child, it’s important to know the limits and what is appropriate.

What would you do if a child didn't listen or rebelled?

As above, it’s important to know what your nanny would do if your child didn’t listen or rebelled against them.

How do you resolve disputes between children?

If you have multiple children, it’s useful to know how your nanny would handle a dispute between them. If they’re unsure, maybe because they haven’t looked after multiple children at one time, consider discussing what you do in those circumstances.

State your mobile policy - allowed/not allowed/limited

It’s important for you to discuss mobile policies with your nanny. If your allow your nanny to have a mobile phone, discuss the risks, such as taking your eye away from the child which would cause accidents. If you don’t want your nanny using her phone, explain why. If there is limited time for your nanny is use her phone, explain these times.

A child locks themselves inside the car; what would you do?

It’s important to know what your nanny would do in this circumstance, and how they would deal with the situation. Whether they would try to negotiate or if they decide to call the police for as-sistance.

If a child began choking, what would you do?

Knowing what your nanny would do in the circumstance of your child choking is very important. Your nanny should have training on this from the first aid course.

3. Are you first aid trained?

It’s a requirement for nanny’s to be first aid trained when entering a childcare setting. It’s im-portant for your to know that your child is in safe hands.

Is your first aid up to date? When is your next update due?

First aid certificates are valid for up to 3 years. After this period, your nanny should undergo fur-ther training. Ensure asking your nanny if the first aid is up to date and when the next is due.

If a child fell on their head, what would you do?

Knowing what your nanny will do in this circumstance is important. Even though your nanny should have training on this, it’s vital for you to know if your nanny will inform you.

What would you do if a child had a fever?

A fever can be kept down by giving paracetamol. If your nanny is happy with administering this, it’s important to know what your nanny will do if the fever doesn’t go down, such as call 111 or 999 in severe circumstances.

Are you trained in CPR?

During the first aid course, your nanny should be trained in CPR. Consider asking your nanny if this is the case and if needed, whether they’re happy to administer CPR until an ambulance arrives.

As with any formal employee hiring process, you have legal guidelines about the questions you ask. Even though hiring a nanny is a personal decision, you cannot ask a candidate about their:

Once you've asked the questions you'd like to ask, encourage the nanny to ask questions about you, your family, and the setup. Your nanny may come armed with questions, and this is a great thing.

After they've asked their questions, it's time to bring the interview to a close. It would be best if you let the nanny know precisely what the next steps are. If you're thinking of offering her the job, it's worth making it clear now so she won't attend any further interviews with other potential em-ployers. If she accepts the position, then you could arrange a separate time for her to come back to meet your children.

However, if you are unsure, explain that you'll contact her once you've completed all interviews.

When finding a nanny, it's essential to do all of the checks, including DBS, registration, first aid, vehicle documents, proof of identity, qualification checks, and references.

Parents must check that their potential nanny has a DBS check in place. Checks are not usually updated by Ofsted but are renewed every three years in Wales. It is recommended that any person working with children should hold an Enhanced DBS check rather than just a standard DBS check. A DBS can check: spent and unspent convictions, cautions, warnings, and reprimands via a search on the national police database, notification if the person is listed on the children's or vulnerable adults' barred its, information held by police or SAAFA if the childcarer has been in the army and social services concerns relating to the childcarer children or family history.

In England, Ofsted must have all childminders registered. However, nannies might be registered with the Ofsted as a Home Childcarer or Voluntary Childcare Register. It isn't a requirement for a nanny to be registered. However, they need to be if the parents need to claim any help with child-care costs through government schemes.

It's recommended for all childcare providers to undertake face-to-face Paediatric First Aid. Regis-tered childminders and Ofsted registered childminders should be trained as a legal requirement. Once the nanny has completed the course, the provider will issue them with certification. The training should be repeated every three years.

If the childcare provider is going to transport your child in their vehicle, ensure they have the cor-rect documentation in place. This will include: Insurance, class 1 business insurance is required for transporting children, and the childcare providers insurance certificate should state that the insured is cover to drive the vehicle, up-to-date tax, MOT certificate, driving license, and car breakdown cover.

Parents should ask the nanny to see two sets of proof of ID. One of these should feature the child-carer's photo and one with their address. Proof of identity might include; a passport, utility bill, driving license, birth certificate, visa, or work permit.

Parents must find out as much as they can about their nanny before leaving them alone with their children. Every childcare provider should be able to provide references. If they are newly regis-tered, a character reference rather than a job-based reference plus a reference from, for example, a tutor or parent of a child they once looked after. Parents should take the time to phone all referees and ask relevant questions.