Skip to main content

By Hessel Group

Follow along on social  ::  Website  ::  Facebook  ::  Instagram

You may often be left in need of a babysitter, nanny or carer – but finding the right person to look after your children can be a nightmare.

Most parents would have experienced a hint of anxiety when leaving their children with somebody else, which is natural – after all, the health and happiness of your children is your number one priority.

Whether you welcome a carer into your home as a casual babysitter, a part-time or full-time nanny, hiring someone that you and your children trust provides you with significant peace of mind, which is why selecting the right person for your family, is essential.

Here are some of the most common child care nightmare situations, and how you can avoid them…

NOT QUITE THE ‘BABYSITTER’S CLUB’

Ever organised a babysitter from an ad on the internet or social media? Sounds familiar?

Realising three minutes into the introductions that they have absolutely no idea what they’re doing?

Whether they’re constantly texting their friends, don’t know how to use the stove, or have never changed a nappy, a parent’s intuition can pick a novice a mile away.

While it might seem easy enough to heat up dinner and put your children to bed, every parent knows that it’s the unknown hiccups that can turn a seemingly simple night in, into a nightmare!

The “I want my mum” tears that seem to go all night, the cut knee that might need stitches, or the “Dad lets us have ice cream” pleas that lead to a swell of hyperactivity and sleepless nights.

While you could trust many to look after your kids safely, the resilience needed to deal with unforeseen circumstances comes from experience – and it is hard to tell any of this based on a Gumtree ad.

Now you’re faced with the nightmare – do you leave your children with this stranger you may not be able to trust, or do you cancel your plans sending them home on the spot?

How to avoid this: It’s important to evaluate the skills and experience of anyone before trusting them to look after your children.

When you’re looking to hire the services of a babysitter or nanny, agencies such as Hessel Group can make the process faster, smoother, and provide much needed peace of mind.

When you go through an agency you know that the carer has been vetted before their name is put forward or they enter your home so that you can avoid any nasty surprises.

An agency will meet them face-to-face, confirm their identity, references and qualifications such as first aid and child safe environments, and make sure police and working with children checks are all clear and in place for you. Hessel Group employ their babysitters and nannies and throughout their employment will ensure that qualifications remain up to date, so you will never have to worry about this.

You can also advise the agency of your requirements. For example, you can request a non-smoker, someone who likes pets, or a person who has a current drivers’ license. The agency pre-screens so you don’t have to!

LAST MINUTE CANCELLATIONS

You have a job interview and have organised your friend’s teenage daughter to look after the children while you’re out – but two hours before you leave the house, she calls to say she’s sick!

You frantically call around to find a replacement, but your parents are at their beach house and your sister is out at lunch for her bestie’s birthday.

So you have no other option but to call, cancel the interview and hope that they are understanding and willing to reschedule. Nightmare!

How to avoid this: If you use an agency, like Hessel Group, the agency will organise a replacement if the carer cannot fulfil their shift.

If the babysitter is unwell, they let the agency know and you will be notified to ensure you’re happy for them to organise a replacement.

The agency will then find someone to suit your needs – so that you’ll never be left in the lurch again.

INJURED ON THE JOB

Your children and nanny love playing inside on a cold wintery day. It’s fun and it’s harmless. Right?

But let’s face it as parents we know that accidents can happen anywhere! One afternoon you return home from work to discover your nanny has tripped over the corner of the rug falling through the coffee table, shattering the glass and giving herself a large number of deep cuts, which have led to large blood stains throughout your living room.

You know she’s a kind person and wouldn’t blame you or the children for her injury, but you feel responsible and are also concerned about the legal implications of such a serious accident happening in your home. To add to that, you are now going to have to replace that piece of furniture and possibly floor coverings. Nightmare!

How to avoid this: If a nanny engaged by an agency like Hessel is injured in your home while on a shift, they are covered by Workcover, and the agency’s Public Liability Insurance covers them for accidental damage.

This can help take the stress out of a very painful and upsetting situation for both yourself and the carer. As the agency can assist your nanny in getting back to full health, find a replacement to cover her so that your family isn’t left without care and even cover the cost of the damage to your property that is caused.

WORKING OUT CONTRACTS

You’ve finally found a nanny that you and the children love, but you’re not quite sure how to go about drawing up a contract of employment.

You’ve been told that if you hire a nanny privately, it’s a legal requirement to provide pay advice records and PAYG payment summaries, as well as submit PAYG tax on behalf of your employee.

And if they work more than 30 hours a week, they are also entitled to superannuation.

But as a busy working parent, you haven’t had any experience in writing employment contracts, negotiating pay rates, or paying salaries and superannuation before. Where do you even start?

How to avoid this: When using Hessel we have taken care of this step, as your carer is our employee. That means we deal with all of the logistics including contracts, salary, hours and leave entitlements.

Organising PAYG payment summaries and the correct amount of superannuation is also taken out of your hands when engaging with an agency, so you can focus on what is really important.

Finding a carer privately to look after your children can be a time consuming, stressful and difficult process. For these reasons and many more, turn to an agency for assistance.

Speak to Hessel Group today to make the process faster and smoother,  providing priceless peace of mind.

:: Sponsored ::

Millie Looker

Millie Looker

Writer, Content Creator, Events Manager and Operations sensation, she’s the backbone to ensuring Adelady runs like clockwork.

Leave a Reply