How To Safely Hire a Nanny During Coronavirus Pandemic

It is important to keep our families and nannies safe and healthy and helping the public health authority fight the virus spread. Following official NHS advice is a must. For parents looking for advice on hiring a nanny during the pandemic, the tips below are going to help.

Can They Work Now?

Nannies can work provided there is no one in your household with COVID-19 symptoms or on self-isolation. This is applied to all alert levels including Very High and High.

Safely Travelling to Work

Nannies should try their best to avoid using public transport when coming to work. Some good options include walking, cycling, or driving to work. If there is no other option apart from public transport, it is important to follow social distancing rules. People are required by law to wear face coverings when using public transport. This helps in preventing the spread of the virus, especially when someone is asymptomatic.

Another option is driving the nanny by car. For families that cannot do anything without the help of a nanny and whose nannies have to spend a lot of time communities, they prefer having the nanny live temporarily with them. Some have succeeded with virtual nannying where they help parents work from home.

Working Safely in the Home

• Maintain a social distance (which is 2m) with members of the household you are not taking care of. This means you are not going to maintain a social distance from the kids.
• Washing hands regularly for at least 20 seconds
• Cleaning touched objects and surfaces regularly. Some of them include kitchen items, door handles, and toys. You can use normal cleaning products to do this.
• Leaving internal doors opens to minimise contact
• Maintaining good ventilation, keeping the doors and windows open, or spending as much time outside as possible.
• Use Payroll for Nannies to pay instead of physical money

You can wear a face-covering when working, but it isn’t required by law. The measures listed above are some of the best ways of managing the risk of coronavirus, and wearing a face-covering is not the only thing you need to rely on. It is important to keep in mind that children under the age of two should not wear face coverings. Others who should not use them include kids who you find difficult managing, like those with respiratory conditions or primary age children. If you feel like you have to wear a face-covering when working, make sure you do it right.

Clear communication with your family is very important because you get the chance of aligning on expectation on what needs to be done to manage the risk and the measures they are taking to protect themselves. If there are any concerns from either of you, raise them early.

If there is an emergency, for example, fire, an accident, or break-in, you don’t have to maintain social distancing if it is unsafe.

If you or someone you live with shows symptoms, even if mild, don’t go to work. Let the family know then start self-isolating for 14 days (this is when you have the symptoms) or 10 days (if someone close to you has the symptoms).

Those with symptoms need to get tested, and if the results come back negative, you don’t have to self-isolate anymore.

Advice on Interviewing

If you are going to meet the family at their home, then try maintaining a social distance if possible and also observe excellent hygiene:

• Washing hands regularly, especially when you arrive
• Clean touched surfaces regularly and keeping internal doors open.

Jasmine