Speaking at the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) conference in Harrogate, West Yorkshire, Deborah Lawson, chair of the Professional Association of Nursery Nurses (PANN) branch in Gloucestershire, called for nannies to be 'included in the regulation structure through which standards are maintained and raised' because this would mean that 'those who have harmed children can be struck off with confidence that they cannot work with children again'. She added, 'Until that time, the professional status of nannies, the quality of care and, most importantly, the safety and welfare of children are at risk.'
Ms Lawson was speaking on behalf of a motion she tabled that said, 'We believe that the Government has finally acknowledged that many working parents require flexible, out-of-hours childcare. Why then will it not acknowledge the 120,000-plus workforce already offering such childcare - namely nannies?'
She called on the Government to follow the example of its childcare recruitment campaign in England, with advertisements that have encouraged people to 'be (children's) inspiration' and become childcare workers. Ms Lawson said, 'I want the Government to reconsider the issue of nanny registration. After all, it has reconsidered the issue of smacking and smoking for childminders - so lobbying works.'
Ms Lawson said no-one knew the exact number of nannies working in the UK 'because most nannies find positions not through agencies but through local and national adverts, and most importantly, because they fall outside of the regulation that other childcare providers must comply with - so they are not on a register anywhere'.
Ms Lawson then pointed out that until nannies were registered then the parents who employed them to care for their children would be ineligible to claim part of their childcare costs through the working tax credit.
'Parents using nannies cannot claim this credit, so compounding the myth that nannies are for the rich,' she said.
Registration would also mean that nannies would have access to training through their local authority and Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, Ms Lawson said. She added that as a result those nannies without any qualifications would be 'encouraged to train and options to accredit prior learning and experience would be explored to build up a portfolio for NVQ assessment or a foundation degree'.
The motion was passed.
