Safety Guide for Carers

Details List your past experiences, skills and qualifications. Be honest. Transparency builds trust and increases your chances of finding the right job for you. Think about the type of job you’re looking for and tailor your profile to appeal to its duties and responsibilities.

Photos & documents Most care seekers want to have an initial visual impression of carers. Therefore, choose a suitable photo that looks clear, sensible and appealing to potential employers. You can also enhance your profile by uploading documents such as certificates, criminal record checks, qualifications and more. All documents are approved by our Customer Care Team before appearing on your profile as 'On File'. We strongly recommend bringing along hard copies for care seekers to review when meeting for the first time.

Verifications You can verify your contact details on your profile, including telephone number, email address and Facebook account. Verified contact details are highlighted on your profile and increase your trustworthiness to potential employers.

Reviews If you've previously found work through Care.com then ask your past employers to submit a review on your profile. Positive ratings and reviews also increase the trustworthiness of your profile to potential employers.

What to write Read the job details before applying to ensure you fully understand the care needs and requirements. Clearly state why it is that you’re the right person for the job by demonstrating how your skills, experience and qualifications fit the description.

How to send Contact potential employers through our messaging service instead of your personal email address. By doing so you stay in control of the contact information you share. In addition, our system filters all messages for spam, fraud and other inappropriate or unwanted content.

Search Conduct your own internet search on potential employers and check any social network accounts associated with them. This will help shape your opinion of their suitability as an employer.

Approval Jobs posted on Care.com are subject to an approval process from our customer service department. Trained agents check all jobs for inappropriate and inconsistent content. Only after the approval process will a job become live on the website.

Reporting We use the latest technology to filter out fraud and inappropriate content from our website. However, if you feel that a profile or a job is spam, fraud or inappropriate then please report it. Click on the ‘Report Member’ link in a job or message to automatically alert our customer service team. Care.com treats all member reports with the utmost priority.

Scams Always be aware of potential scams and frauds – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be aware of offers involving the sharing of bank account details, the exchanging of cheques for cash and other well-known internet frauds. Find out more about internet fraud here.

Interviews Before accepting any job offers have a face-to-face meeting with your potential employer to discuss the details and agree on the terms and conditions. Always choose a public place for your first meeting, such as a café.

Contracts It’s important to confirm all the job details and make them binding in a written contract. Ask your potential employer to draw up a contract that details pay, conditions, holidays and more. Be sure to read and discuss all aspects of the contract with the employer prior to signing it.

Registration Someone hiring a nanny, housekeeper or anyone else who works in their home is typically considered their employer when the employee is not self-employed. However, in some instances carers such as childminders are typically self-employed. To find out more about becoming self-employed visit the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department website.

First day We recommend compiling a list of important questions to cover on your first working day. Areas to include are medical issues, emergency contacts, house details and ground rules where relevant.