Baby Sitting - looking after younger children

A baby sitter is someone who cares for your child/children within your home when you are out, perhaps for an evening.

Any family may choose to use a baby sitter to suit their individual needs. This is not the same as using a registered child minder or childcare provider. It is therefore the responsibility of the family and is not a service that is regulated by the local authority.

Does a baby-sitter need to be registered?

To date there are no specific regulations governing baby-sitters. It is therefore the parent's responsibility to decide on the suitability of prospective baby-sitters. Leaving your child/children to the care of someone else is a big responsibility. If the baby-sitter is under 16 years old, you should be aware that you take full responsibility should anything happen to the children left in the babysitter's care.

What should you look out for in a baby-sitter?

You should address:

• their maturity and competence
• their ability to cope in emergency situations
• their ideas on house rules, unknown visitors etc
• their attitudes to coping with unacceptable behaviour in young children
• what television programmes they consider suitable for young children
• their ideas on consistency of care

What do baby-sitters need to know?

• The address and telephone number where you can be contacted
• The approximate time you can be expected home
• How they will be getting home
• What to do in an emergency, the contact number of a neighbour or close friend who may give you help and assistance quickly
• Your child/children's routine - do they usually have a bedtime story?
• Any allergies or illnesses your child may suffer from and what to do in these situations
• What to do if your child/children play up or are distressed
• What your child/children are allowed/not allowed to do
• What television programmes, if any, they are allowed to watch
• What time they go to bed

What do you need to provide for the baby-sitter?

• You may provide a snack or supper for the baby-sitter
• You may be asked if a friend of the baby-sitter may keep them company or not
• Payment. Be clear what you will be paying the baby-sitter and for how many hours.

Parents are recommended to choose people who take their responsibilities as a baby-sitter seriously. The care of your child/children is in their hands and the least you can do is to acknowledge their commitment to being prepared for all possible occurrences.

Websites

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPa)

Useful contacts

Head of Protective Services
Directorate for Children, Young People and Families 
Telephone: 01226 772519