Babysitting Guidelines The guiding principle should be that looked after children and young people should as far as possible be granted the same permissions to take part in normal and acceptable age appropriate peer activities, as would reasonably be granted by the parents of their peers. With this in mind parents, carers and professionals need to make judgements on whether or not there are known risks, which would preclude a young person whether, looked after or not to be involved in babysitting While children who choose to work on newspaper delivery rounds, on farms or in retail jobs are covered and hopefully protected by general and specific health and safety law - notably the Health and Safety (Young Persons) Regulations 1997, but for those who choose babysitting as a means of earning money fall outside these laws. In the absence of legislation, both RoSPA and the NSPCC recommend that no one under 16 should be left to care for an infant. The British Red Cross, stipulate that participants of their training program for babysitters must have reached their 14th birthday by the time of their final assessment. Good Practice If as a parent or carer, you decide to take on a young babysitter under the age of sixteen, you must be prepared to take some responsibility for anything that should go wrong in your absence. Under some circumstances, the police will charge parents with negligence. You must also be prepared to take responsibility for the care and safety of your babysitter - including making arrangements in advance for the sitter’s safe return home if they are not being collected by a parent or sleeping over - Never let a young babysitter travel home alone late at night.

Remember that the majority of babysitters mean well and genuinely like children. However, these qualities might not be enough if difficulties should occur. You need to know that your babysitter is a competent person. Define the qualities you are looking for in a good babysitter: for

example; responsible, mature, reliable, honest, capable, tolerant, patient, kind but firm, has experience with young children, has first aid experience etc. Make sure the babysitter knows how and when to call the emergency

services if it should become necessary. Encourage your babysitter to visit your home and get to know the child

or children who will be left in their care. It will also help them understand the particular household and the children’s daytime and nighttime routines. Give an honest opinion when the question arises concerning your

babysitter having friends to sit with them (same sex or opposite sex). Use common sense and remember that babysitting can be a lonely business.

Make adequate preparations for your babysitter not only in terms of refreshments but also in giving them enough information to cover all eventualities. Make sure your sitter knows where everything is. Never take advantage of a babysitter by leaving them to cope with an

already sick or upset child who you know will not settle. Never leave a babysitter alone with several children for long periods of

time. Always return home as close to the time you agreed with your

babysitter as you can. If you are going to be late, inform the babysitter, if possible. Talk to your babysitter about the child’s progress and give them up-to-

date information, especially important if the sitter does not see your child regularly. If you feel unhappy about any aspect of the care of your child, talk it

over with the babysitters. Always ensure that the babysitter has your contact details, as well as

other people they can contact in the event that they are not able to reach you, in the event of any difficutlies or emergencies they encounter.

Choosing a babysitter When deciding to use a babysitter remember to:

• Follow your instincts - if in doubt don't use them. • Ask for at least two references and contact the referees yourself. • Choose a babysitter over 16 years old. • Listen to your child . Talk to your child about any issue of babysitting

that they are unhappy about. • If your child is unhappy about your use of a particular babysitter, find

someone else .

Guidance for young people Are you aged sixteen years and over and able to accept the

responsibilities of looking after one or more children? Why do you want to baby-sit? Is it for the love of children or to earn

some extra money? Hopefully, it is a combination of both. If it is simply to get away from your own house so that you can do what you like in someone else’s, think again. Take some basic training in the safe care of young children.

Remember that young children are not only prone to illness but also to having mishaps and accidents. It is essential that you can cope with such emergencies. If you can study child development and first aid at school, do so; otherwise, take a first aid course offered by the St John Ambulance or Red -Cross. A good working knowledge and understanding of safety in the home

environment is important so that you can recognise good and bad safety practices. You should be able to identify hazards and risks.

You ideally need some experience of dealing with and looking after small children and should spend some time with a family where there are small children present. Getting to know the child you will be caring for before you baby-sit is a good idea. Organise a suitable back-up system - such as having a near relative or

neighbour available whom you can call upon in an emergency or simply to ask advice about an uncertain situation. If you agree to baby-sit, always be prompt and arrive in good time. Try not to let the child’s parents leave the home before learning where

to contact them. Ask for other numbers, too - e.g.; family doctor, other relatives etc. You must feel safe, secure and happy to be left alone with the child or children before the parents depart for the evening. Know, in advance, exactly how you will be getting home after the sitting

session. You might also like to negotiate terms of payment and whether or not you are allowed to have a friend sit with you. Make sure you know what you can and cannot do in someone else’s home.

Additional areas of consideration When a LAC young person is considering whether they wish to be considered as a babysitter either within the fostering household or for a member of the foster carer social networks. The following aspects need to be considered in conjunction with the previous points:

Whether or not the parents of the LAC young person have been consulted and what their view is on the subject? Whether the history of the LAC young person makes babysitting a

suitable option, in terms of risk factors that could be posed to the children they would be caring for. If it is felt appropriate for a LAC young person to undertake the task of

babysitter for the fostering household, the views of the parents and professionals involved in relation to the other LAC children in placement need to be considered. LAC young people should be encouraged to access training schemes

specifically for undertaking the role of babysitter, these can often be accessed through youth services.

References RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) NSPCC (National Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children) The Red Cross