Happy Nest are passionate about child safeguarding and placing the right nanny with the right family, which is why we’ve developed our own nanny vetting process which is one of the most rigorous and involved in our industry.
Not only do we thoroughly check the background of all the nannies and maternity carers that register with us we also perform personality tests and build detailed profiles to ensure that our nanny placements are successful with regards to fitting in with your family’s personality, ethics and parenting style.
There is simply nothing more important than the well-being and happiness of your children.
Every placement with Happy Nest will receive our NannyHire Check™ service as standard and this is included in our flat-rate fee.
Our NannyHire Check™ Service
1. Application Review
Here at Happy Nest we receive hundreds of applications a week. It’s always a busy day at the office, our team receive applications 24/7. We check in with every applicant individually, and provide feedback. If they meet our initial criteria (training and experience) we then get them booked in for the first stage of our 2 step interview.
2. Telephone Screening
We are experts at interviewing nannies, so this is where we initiate our comprehensive screening. Plenty of factual information is taken during this chat and it’s documented for cross checking later. This informal conversation is the first stage to our 2-step interview and a great opportunity to see what makes our nannies passionate about their profession, and what led them to apply. We take into account the information on their CV, their professionalism, and their empathy when talking about their previous employer(s), and also the children they cared for. If the applicant successfully passes this stage they then complete our full document registration phase, in advance of their final interview stage.
3. Professional Interview
This is the second stage of our 2-step interview, it’s a lot of paperwork and a lot of talking, which helps us get right to the bottom of every little detail. This professional interview takes about 45minutes – 1 hour, and allows us to ask some very in depth questions into areas about their career history. We discuss scenario based questions, and more technical topics such as paediatric first aid knowledge. It’s vitally important for us to understand their integrity and get to know more about them and their personality. After cross examining the paperwork, and piecing together the puzzles it’s often very clear to see those who are kind, caring, driven and hard-working.
4. Advanced Reference Checks
This area is often overlooked by so many when hiring a new nanny, but when it comes to providing care in your own home for the most loved and vulnerable little ones, it is a top priority for us here at Happy Nest. After so many years we understand the absolute importance of finding out all the details, we have an in-depth chat and gather even more by email when needed.
We get in touch with at least four previous employers or other relevant referees. We discuss; their attitude towards their work, their super nanny skills, and any concerns, attendance and their duties, plus much more. Each reference is documented in great detail, this extensive reference pack is provided for each nanny we shortlist to you. It really stands out when somebody speaking from the heart from someone saying what they feel we want to hear. We hope to capture this and do the hard work for you.
5. NannyHire Check™ Report
Our nanny screening report has been created specifically for Happy Nest, its unique in that it is tailored to assess child carers in a domestic setting, to identify those who confidently work independently, and who can react in the moment. We have had wonderful feedback from our families, who really value the accurate insight into each nanny’s suitability for sole child care.
Some call it ‘psychometric assessment’, however we see it more of a ‘best-fit assessment’. There are no wrong answers as every family is so different and so are our nannies, it’s all about connecting the best fit for you both.
All our shortlisted nannies complete our 3 assessments:
- Job Fit – Does their personality fit a role in care with children or babies?
- Attitudes – Are they a safeguarding risk?
- Job engagement – Were there any disputes with a previous employer?
This report helps us to make a much more ‘natural’ placement, it helps us with our ‘sixth sense’ feeling, you know when you get a really good feeling so far? It backs that up with the factual data every parent wants to read through.
6. Communication Skills Review (grammar / English Language)
We believe every child is a competent learner from birth, they are resilient, capable, confident and self assured. As such it is vitally important to us to work with nannies who are aligned with this. Right from the beginning we are observing and absorbing all the information provided to us, from the initial CV or job application, through to the later email communication. If we have concerns regarding their language or grammar skills this will be immediately addressed. Saving you the issue later down the line during the second interview after investing extensive time.
7. Vehicle & DVLA Evaluation
As part of our suitability check we ensure any nannies required to drive as part of their role must have a driving licence check, this is completed via the DVLA. We review the vehicles they can drive, any penalty points or disqualifications. This check is documented and attached to each applicant’s file.
In the instance where a nanny is required to use their own vehicle for work we provide a more extensive review. We gather evidence of their business motor insurance, and complete a vehicle check with the DVLA, checking if it has valid tax, MOT and SORN status. Details of their suitability as a driver are also discussed with previous employers as part of our reference checks.
8. Reliability Review
A nanny’s experience, background and education varies so much, but one thing that doesn’t differ with our rockstar nannies is their reliability!
We know that right from negotiating a time to telephone screen, interview, completing the necessary paperwork, it’s all about punctuality and seeing them own their career with the respect, and competence it deserves. Being a nanny is one of the hardest yet regarding careers, a professional nanny is in return looking for the same level of reliability from us as their agent and from a potential family. We discuss this at length with previous employers, look at potential issues such as location, transport options, commuting times, and feedback from our ‘best-fit report’.
9. Enhanced DBS & the Update Service
It goes without saying that every nanny should have a valid Fully Enhanced Disclosure Barring Service Check (DBS), previously known as a CRB. You would be shocked to know that most agencies in the UK do not do this included in their fee.
As standard we undertake this as part of our placement package, we ensure your nanny will be on the ‘Update Service’ with a valid DBS check, no extra cost for you.
By doing a DBS check for every nanny we place it helps us make safer recruitment decisions, giving you essential peace of mind. We are set up with the most thorough checking service also used by Ofsted, they obtain the following information for us:
- Is the candidate on an adult or child barring list.
- Do they have any spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings that are held on the Police National Computer.
- The certificate may also contain non-conviction information supplied by relevant police forces.
- The police provide information that is held locally, or on the Police National Computer.
The Update Service – This is an online subscription service and is offered directly by the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) to allow a DBS check to be checked by an employer ongoing online, as an extra to the original paper certificate.
10. Eligibility to work verification
With easily available technology and serious concern for data protection it’s all too easy for a candidate to use somebody else’s identity, provide people with some false references, or exaggerate their previous experience. According to some studies, as many as up to 55% of applicants who have applied for a job have lied on their application or CV. When it comes to finding someone qualified and skilled who will spend a significant amount of time with your children, we have to be entirely certain they are honest and trustworthy.
Original documents must be produced for the Happy Nest identity check to ensure their eligibility to work in the UK. We verify the applicant’s current address, and further validated documents such as original birth certificate, photo drivers licence, or passport will display the applicant’s date of birth. We take this documentation in line with the requirements for the DBS application, all the information is held securely on our system in line with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).