Speaking out

Nanny registration was the issue everyone kept returning to at the Professional Nanny conference on 4 October, though many topics were on the agenda. More than 100 nannies made their way to the Business Design Centre in London for the conference, which was opened with a letter of support sent by the Duchess of York - a.k.a. Fergie - saying 'As a full-time working mother and employer of nannies myself, I know all about their hard work, professionalism and dedication to their work.' Then it was the turn of the Sure Start minister, Baroness Catherine Ashton, who also said she was speaking 'as a mum who's employed nannies and childminders and used nursery provision'. But she disappointed many of those present when she said that the Government was 'nowhere near to thinking about' a nanny register. Nannies fired a barrage of challenges at the minister. There's already a system in place for registering childminders, so why not for nannies? Why talk about quality with childminders but not nannies? Why should a nanny have to lose children to a childminder or nursery where the parents can claim tax credits? Does the Government have any plans for recognising the training nannies have done? They felt Baroness Ashton left their questions unsatisfactorily answered, but she promised to listen, and she said, 'We don't want to lose you' - implying that the Government would prefer nannies to use their childcaring skills elsewhere.