Ofsted's failure to check nannies 'puts children at risk', says REC

REC has accused Ofsted of registering nannies who have inadequate or even false documentation to support their application, and in some cases nannies who do not even have the right to work in the UK.

It highlighted a survey of 1,000 mothers, conducted by REC and 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 Criminal Records Bureau check. Nine out of ten of the mothers think that Ofsted-registered nannies are regularly inspected, whereas Ofsted's own figures indicate that only around 10 per cent of voluntarily registered nannies undergo inspections.
 
REC has warned that parents could unknowingly be hiring unsuitable nannies and putting their children at risk.

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.’

Karen Dixon, managing director of the London Nanny Company in Kensington, applied to join the VCR in a bid to expose the flaws in the current system. With no experience as a professional childcarer and none of the required qualifications, such as public liability insurance and a first-aid certificate, Ms Dixon applied to become an approved nanny herself.

Ms Dixon managed to obtain approval from Ofsted despite having provided it with very little of the essential documentation required. She received Ofsted certification and became listed on the VCR.

Ms Dixon has since made Ofsted aware of this mistake and has been taken off the register, but still has her certificate, which says that she is an Ofsted-registered nanny.

Ofsted’s response

‘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.'