The task of finding your perfect childminder, dog sitter, housekeeper or tutor can be a tough one. That’s why we at Care.com are dedicated to providing you with a powerful online platform providing the tools to find the right carer for you and your family.
Carers aren’t just employees – they are individuals you bring into your home and trust with those most precious to you. Therefore, safety should be the top feature in any hiring checklist. Here are 6 steps to a better and safer recruitment process to help you in your hunt for a new carer:
- Check Out The Safety Centre
Our Safety Centre provides a range of information covering candidate selection, conducting interviews and running background checks to help you make the absolute best decision for your family.
- Review Candidates Reference Checks
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks have replaced the old Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks (note there are difference rules in Northern Ireland and Scotland.Carers can indicate in their profiles whether or not they’ve completed a DBS check and you can preliminarily screen only those candidates with DBS checks to narrow your list. Care.com does not verify DBS checks, so be sure to ask carers to bring copies along to their interviews for review.
- Connect with References
Before you hire a carer, check at least three references. Put together a list of questions to ask previous employers — including things that will be relevant to the job you’re hiring for. For ideas on what to ask check out our Reference Checking guide >>
- Third-Party Checks
Perform your own independent search on your candidates to narrow your search. Search the web for their name to see if there are any news articles about them. Contact your local council’s children’s services team to obtain publicly held lists or information which may include your candidates’ details and work history. You should also try to locate them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social networks.
- Ask about Health and Substance Abuse
When you interview your potential hire, see what their feelings are about alcohol and drugs. Consider requesting that they get a drug test from a hospital before they start. Ask the carer to provide a letter from their doctor verifying that they have had a recent physical examination and can perform the tasks of a carer job.
- Trust Yourself
If you feel uncomfortable with the way a candidate answers a question, probe further and ask follow-up questions. Maybe have the person spend more time with your family, so you can observe them interacting with your child. But if something doesn’t feel quite right, there very well may be a reason. If you’re uncomfortable with a potential carer, don’t ignore your instincts.
Once you’ve hired a carer for your family, your work still isn’t finished. Keep the Safety Guide handy for more information on how to proactively manage and monitor your carer, as well as for providing you with peace of mind.