Why Should I Request a Reference for My Prospective Childcarer?

When you are employing a childcarer for your child you are entrusting them with the most precious thing in your life – your child/children. It is therefore one of the most important decisions you will ever make as a parent.
 
Whilst the vast majority of people applying for childcare positions are genuine and caring, with a high level of experience and qualifications, unfortunately you cannot rely on your gut instinct alone from an interview situation, or what people write on their CV or application form. There will be people who lie in an interview or who stretch the truth a little on their CV, for instance. Whilst these are very much in the minority, it is important that you do not end up employing someone who is unreliable and untrustworthy.
 
You should make thorough checks before you offer a childcarer a position looking after your child/children – this includes asking them to bring their DBS (CRB) check which will check whether they have a criminal record, and also speaking to their referees (preferably previous employers). Through reference checking, you can truly get to know your applicant. Reference checks help verify that they are who they say they are, they have the experience and qualifications necessary, and most importantly, they are someone you can trust and who will be a good fit with your family.
 
We recommend that you speak with at least 2 referees, preferably 3, in order to get a true picture of the person you hope to employ. You should ask for contact details for up to 5 referees, and then choose the ones you wish to contact. In the case of childminders, they should be happy to put you in touch with current and past families. Often, a good conversation with a referee is just as valuable as an OFSTED report, which is not always written with families in mind.
 
It can be difficult and time consuming to get hold of referees, who are likely to be working parents like yourself, and unless you have recruitment experience it is sometimes hard to know exactly what to ask a referee to find out the right information about your prospective employee.