Nursery World - All childcarers need to be checked

I am a former nanny who now works as a childcare development officer in Coventry, where I am responsible for developing childcare and a nanny network. I am often contacted by parents wanting to check out a prospective nanny and by nannies who want to reassure parents that they are trustworthy professionals. Perhaps the home secretary, David Blunkett, needs to be aware that, as the law currently stands, if Ian Huntley, the Soham Primary School caretaker who murdered Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, or his girlfriend Maxine Carr, should ever become free agents again, it is possible that they could walk into a post as a nanny for a family that does not wish to use a nanny agency or has not got access to one.

Perhaps the home secretary, David Blunkett, needs to be aware that, as the law currently stands, if Ian Huntley, the Soham Primary School caretaker who murdered Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, or his girlfriend Maxine Carr, should ever become free agents again, it is possible that they could walk into a post as a nanny for a family that does not wish to use a nanny agency or has not got access to one.

It is ridiculous that nannies are exempt from the same checks as other childcare professionals. There must be a review of how nannies are monitored in order to stop harm coming to children being looked after by them. The home carers scheme in England does not meet this need, as many nannies are unwilling to complete a six-week childminding introduction course after completing a nursery nurse's or other childcare qualification, and the scheme is very unclear about how home childcarers are to be inspected.

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