The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has published the results of a survey of 1,000 mothers, in conjunction with mumsnet, which found that two-thirds of mothers see Ofsted registration for nannies as a stamp of approval, believing that the inspectorate would have verified their ID and eligibility to work in the UK and carried out a CRB check.
REC has warned that parents could unknowingly be hiring unsuitable nannies and putting their children at risk.
Karen Dixon (pictured), the owner of The London Nanny Company and Family Match, applied to join the VCR in a bid to highlight flaws in the system. She was approved to join the register despite her having no childcare qualifications, no first aid training and no nanny insurance.
She then wrote to Christine Gilbert, Ofsted's chief inspector in December 2008 to explain what she had done (see pdf attachment top right). While she received a reply from Ms Gilbert within four weeks, her Ofsted registration was not cancelled until August 2009 and she still has a certificate that says that she is an Ofsted approved nanny.
Judith Ivers, chair of REC’s childcare section, said, ‘We don’t want to have to wait for a child to be harmed before Ofsted acts on the flaws in its current system. Despite recruiters turning these nannies away, they are still able to work and independently advertise their services online and could still pose a threat to child safety.’
In a statement Ofsted said, ‘Some childcare providers, such as nannies, are not required to register with Ofsted but may choose to register with us through the Voluntary Childcare Register.
‘Registration requires the applicant to make a formal declaration to confirm that they will meet the requirements of registration. In addition, nannies and other providers wishing to register voluntarily must undergo an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check obtained by Ofsted, which, in line with the CRB’s procedures, includes a photo identification check. Ofsted also ensures that the applicant or other person who is to work in the setting has a valid First Aid certificate.
‘We take very seriously any allegations that someone has obtained registration with Ofsted through fraudulent means. Any organisation that believes this is the case, and that children may be put at risk, has a duty to inform us about the individual circumstances of their allegations so we can investigate them thoroughly.’
VCR does not include CRB checks
Ms Dixon has also highlighted flaws in the renewal system for membership of the VCR. Nannies who wish to remain on the VCR must pay around £100 every year to renew their membership. However, no CRB is carried out on candidates before their membership is renewed.
Ms Dixon added, 'Recently a nanny came in to my agency who had just renewed her Ofsted registration but her CRB check was more than three years old. She had just paid Ofsted £100 to renew her registration, but it had not even carried out another CRB check. Parents see the Ofsted certificate and take if for granted that these checks are being made. How would a family feel if they found out their nanny had a recent conviction yet had recently renewed their Ofsted registration?'
However, Ofsted said that the registration fee and the annual fee for continued registration with Ofsted, which are set by the DCSF, do not include the cost of a CRB check. The DCSF either requires providers to pay for checks or subsidises it for some groups, such as nannies.
A spokesperson for Ofsted said, ‘All nannies applying for registration on the Childcare Register must have a CRB check. Nannies on the register are not normally required to have a new check each year but Ofsted may require a new check when we have concerns. It is important to remember that our inspection of complaints against providers, and our arrangements with police forces to notify Ofsted of new criminal activities of those in childcare occupations, provide a better means of determining someone’s current criminal records history than routinely repeating CRB checks. The new Vetting and Barring Scheme, which will allow Ofsted to register an interest in registered childcare providers and be told if their barred status changes, will further enhance the current arrangements.’
