Nursery World - Words to the wise (1)

Should nannies be able to find out what a former employer has said about them? Or should it stay confidential for children's sake? That's the question that recruitment agency Tinies is disputing with the Information Commissioner. A nursery nurse on Tinies' books is demanding that it reveal a reference that she thinks could be stopping her from getting jobs. Tinies is refusing on the grounds that employers need to be able to speak freely if they're concerned about the quality of a jobseeker's childcare. In any case, says Helen Kewley of Huntingdon agency Nice Nannies Now, a nanny should never badmouth her employers when looking for work. 'At interviews she cannot paint herself as Mary Poppins working for Cruella de Vil. A sensible nanny will keep in touch with all her employers so she can call up a whole battery of good references to counterbalance a negative one.'

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