Dodgy nannies snapped in act

Picky parents are installing hidden cameras and ordering psychological testing to ensure they find suitable nannies.

Private investigator Danny Toreson said his company Paragon had installed two or three hidden cameras to spy on nannies in the past year, but suspected DIY versions were much more common.

Nanny agencies said an increasing number of families were using corporate-style personality testing on job applicants.

But agencies said dodgy nannies were rare and clients were sometimes to blame when things went wrong.

Toreson set up one hidden camera for the parents of two pre-schoolers concerned about their alcohol disappearing when the nanny was there.

"As soon as the parents left, she was straight into the whisky," said Toreson. The investigators confronted the young woman, who admitted an alcohol problem and resigned.

Julie Flavey, of Poppetts nanny agency, knew of only one case where some "very anxious parents" secretly filmed a nanny - using a camera concealed in a teddy bear.

Flavey said the parents told the agency and the nanny was later informed.

"She was fine with it and when they saw nothing was happening, the use of the teddy bear-cam lessened."

Katie Alder, of Tinies Nanny Agency, said several of her nannies had spotted hidden cameras in their clients' homes.

"It's quite daunting for the nannies. It's not a case of them doing anything untoward."

Relationship therapist Leanne French has helped many families find nannies - and uncovered some questionable behaviour in the process.

A Google search of one applicant's name revealed photos of her brandishing firearms dressed in skimpy clothing.

"Can you imagine that sort of person looking after your kids?" asked the incredulous client, who didn't want to be named. "She came through an agency but it was only after I sent her CV to Leanne and Leanne Googled her that she found all the sexy stuff."

French said Facebook pages were a good place to start delving into nannies' backgrounds.

"Drunken and druggy" photos posted on the social networking website could indicate that a nanny who comes across as wholesome is a long way from Mary Poppins.

"One of them had commented to a friend that she shouldn't go to work because she was so hungover," said French. "Sure, people can live their lives how they want, but if they're trying to pull the wool over your eyes in an interview by pretending to be a good girl, that's not honest."

French's clients are usually busy professionals who don't have time to look for a nanny, let alone do full background checks.

Once she has gone through CVs and narrowed down the list of candidates, French - who usually charges $200-$400 - helps her clients draft interview questions.

"I get clients to get clear on what kind of person they want in their house. Hiring somebody is really about personality - they need someone they don't clash with, someone who has similar values and similar morals."

French never meets the nannies herself but tells her clients to "trust their intuition".

Things to watch out for during interviews include flirtatious body language directed towards the husband or the nanny being too well-groomed.

"If she's got acrylic nails, she's never going to want to do the dishes."

Agencies say an increasing number of clients request psych testing of their nannies.

Geva Maher, of KiwiOz Nannies, said some had enlisted corporate recruitment agencies to do personality tests. "It got us thinking whether it was a service we should offer, but decided it wasn't worth it for the small proportion of parents who would want it. But maybe in 10 years every nanny will be doing it."

Alder said three of her clients had insisted prospective nannies were psychologically tested in the past year.

"It did seem a little bit strange but all the nannies were happy to do it. The results can come out very interesting. Some of them were quite the opposite of what we thought the nanny to be."

But Alder didn't think psych testing will become mainstream anytime soon. "I think it's more important the family interview the nanny and get to know them on a personality level instead of going through the psych tests."

All the agencies contacted by the Herald on Sunday said their nannies went through a screening process.

They were adamant dodgy nannies were rare, and said going through an agency was the best way to avoid bad apples.

Agencies said bad families were as common as bad nannies, and it was their job to screen both. "We try to dig as much as we can into family situations, making sure they're not dysfunctional," said Maher.

HOME CARE

Nannies usually care for children in the client's home and some live with the family.

Many nannies complete training courses or qualifications such as the NZQA-approved National Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (level 3 and level 5) and the level 5 New Zealand Certificate in Nanny Education.

There are several specialist nanny training organisations around the country, including the Ashton Warner Nanny Academy and The Nanny Centre in Auckland and the Wellington Nannies College.

Most nanny agencies only accept nannies with relevant qualifications or significant experience.

AU PAIRS 'ARE ANGELS'

Mother-of-four Minka Bodde-Phillips says she's "given up on nannies" after too many bad experiences.

"I got the impression that the nannies I had were doing it for a job to make money," said the founder of the MothersOnline website.

"They weren't particularly enthusiastic about the children. They thought they liked babies ... but found the reality of looking after children was a bit different."

Bodde-Phillip has been through five nannies since her first child, now eight, was a baby.

She now uses au pairs - young women from overseas who move to another country to live with a host family and care for their children.

Bodde-Phillips says she has had much more success with au pairs than she did with New Zealand nannies.

"They're angels. They just become part of the family and they get a lot more out of the experience as well - it's not just a job."

She says mothers should learn to trust their instincts more when choosing a nanny. "With one nanny I didn't trust my instinct when I interviewed her. I thought no, probably not, but I was quite desperate at the time so I took her on."