Safety Guide for Care Seekers

Approval When members join Care.com their profile is subject to an approval process from our customer service department. Trained agents check all profiles for inappropriate and inconsistent content. Only after the approval process will a profile become live on the website.

Details Carers can highlight their qualifications, experience, services and availability on their profile. Think about the characteristics your ideal carer would have and use this as your checklist when browsing for suitable candidates.

Verifications Cares can also verify their contact details, including telephone number, email address and Facebook account. Successful verifications are highlighted in their profile. Before contacting carers, make sure they've verified their contact details to help validate their identity.

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 message is spam, fraud or inappropriate then please report it. Click on the ‘Report Member’ link in a profile or message to automatically alert our customer service team. Care.com treats all member reports with the utmost priority.

Documents Within a carer’s profile you can see those documents that they have on file, including certificates, ID’s, references, qualifications, criminal record checks and more. All documents are approved by our Customer Care Team before appearing on a profile. We do not, however, guarantee the authenticity of these documents. We strongly recommend that when you meet candidates for the first time you ask them to bring along hard copies to review.

Reviews Care seekers can submit reviews on those carers they have previously hired. Take the time to consider any reviews your candidate may have to help inform your decision making process.

Search Conduct your own internet search on potential candidates and check any social network accounts associated with them. This will further help shape your opinion of their suitability for the job.

Messaging Contact carers 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.

Phone Before offering to meet candidates for a face-to-face interview you should first hold a brief telephone interview with them. This will allow you to screen your candidates to give you a better feeling for their personality and suitability. Additionally, an initial phone call allows you to confirm such details as their availability and salary.

Face-to-face Do you have a clear favourite from your initial telephone interviews? If so, invite them to a face-to-face interview to learn more about their skills and experience. This is the perfect opportunity to determine how well suited they will be to your job. If possible, ask them to bring along copies of their documents, references and certificates.

References Have you found the one? At this point you should ask the candidate for references with whom you can contact prior making a job offer.

Contracts It’s important to confirm all the job details and make them binding by drawing up a written contract. Contracts should include details such as pay, conditions, holidays and more. Be sure to discuss all aspects of the contract with the carer prior to presenting copies to be signed by you both.

Probation If you are interested in a using probationary period then be sure to notify your carer at the earliest opportunity and include it in the contract. Probationary periods typically last between 4-6 weeks and can be an great way to ensure you’ve found the right person.

Registration You’re usually considered the employer of a nanny, housekeeper or anyone else who works in your home when they are not self-employed. Find out more information about employing someone to work in your home here.

First day We recommend compiling a list of important points to cover on your carer’s first working day. Include things such as medical issues, emergency contacts, house details and ground rules where relevant.