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Sitters - has anyone used this agency?

20 replies

Janus · 02/09/2001 21:22

Looking at the promotion on this site for Sitters I wondered if anyone had used them? We are living in London and do not have any family or friends we feel we can ask for babysitting but would like to get out once a fortnight or something. Have got Sitters literature and they sound pretty good but cannot guarantee that their staff are police checked which I feel is quite important. Am I over-reacting here? Has anyone else used them and thought they were great or crap? Any other ideas for London agencies (North London if that makes a difference).
Would love to hear anyones experience on how you choose an agency.
Thanks.

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Ems · 03/09/2001 09:53

Why can they not guarantee their staff are police checked?

I wouldnt use them on that basis then; as an agency surely this is something small for them to do, to ensure that people are going to feel safe useing them. In any other child-care environment they would be checked.

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Ems · 03/09/2001 09:54

PS: even the fact that it is a stranger coming into your home. My cleaner is police checked!

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Janus · 05/09/2001 20:13

Ems, they say they are trying to get round to police checking everyone but this won't be done until next year (or something like that) as they have so many on their books and they must have only recently thought about doing this. I think I'll keep on looking.
Thanks.

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Suew · 05/09/2001 20:37

Janus, have you tried Top Notch Nannies?

They say 'Our babysitters are nannies, teachers or doulas and have all been carefully interviewed, vetted and referenced by us.' Not sure if that means police checked but worth asking.

Good luck.

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Selja · 18/11/2001 19:12

Sitters - Have read this thread with interest as we desperately need to get out. So has anyone now used Sitters and what did they think?

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Janus · 18/11/2001 20:33

I have joined and hope to use them for the first time this week. After a bit of explaining that I wanted someone who had been police checked they agreed to only provide child minders as a sitter as they have to be as part of their job. If you can wait, I'll let you know later this week how it goes.

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Expatkat · 19/11/2001 10:55

I can recommend Childminders (020 7935 2049). They have a registration fee of about 50 pounds per year, which allows you to use their services as many times as you like for that year. You ring them a day or two in advance,and they find you a babysitter from your general area of London. Babysitters get the going rate of between 6 to 7 pounds an hour, depending upon the time of day or evening that you use them. Just about all of the babysitters they use are already in the profession of looking after childrenthey are nursery school teachers, or nursery nurses, or nannies or even mumslooking for some extra cash. And all are police checked. I have used them for two years, and have found them to be brilliant. I particuarly like being able to request a particular babysitter, once I've found someone my son and I really like.

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Bossykate · 24/11/2001 09:22

Hi Janus

Just wondering how the Sitters evening went? Dh and I are quite keen to get out on our own sometime soon!

Thanks very much.

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Babynick · 21/12/2001 00:39

I was just wondering what your thoughts are generally about paying an annual fee, plus then hourly rates, to get a sitter through an agency.
Reason I ask is due to being a Nursery Nurse who provides evening childcare services in West London - and I don't as yet charge my clients an annual fee. What is it that you feel you are getting for the annual fee payment? Peace of mind I expect... A police check seems important... though most people working with children can provide one of those.
Out of interest, does "Sitters" actually show you the police check? It really does not provide much information... just that the person is who they say they are, and don't have a criminal record.

Your thoughts much appreciated.
Nick

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Alli · 21/12/2001 10:03

I pay an agency fee for a year's membership - this goes to the agency, not the sitter. The sitter then gets the hourly fee that I pay (the agency takes a very small cut of that too). The agency I use seem to be able to supply a babysitter at short notice (quite often on the day) and I believe that paying a membership fee gives that kind of service, as well as being provided with nannies, childminders, nursery managers etc as babysitters. The babysitters are 21 and over and thoroughly referenced. Because I am a regular client, I don't pay the full annual membership which was a nice touch on the agency's part - and the people who run it are really nice.

I hope that my thoughts help.

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Janus · 21/12/2001 11:57

We finally got out last week and used a lady from Sitters. She was lovely, older (ie she has older kids herself), was extremely smart (looked hell of a lot better than me and I was the one going out!!). Our daughter is quite a good sleeper but does sometimes wake up before we go to bed. Therefore, as it was our first time, we went to the pub at the top of the road, took both mobiles and drummed in that we did not mind her calling about anything!
When we got back we discovered ours had woken but that she brought her downstairs gave her some milk and held her for about 20-30 minutes until fully asleep and then took her back upstairs. She was sleeping peacefully when we got in just after 11.00pm. I felt so much better knowing that she obviously dealt with her fine when she woke and held her for as long as it took for ours to be fast asleep again.
The lady lived relatively close and had her own car for transport. She didn't charge petrol which all other agencies I looked into did or for a cab ride home. The charge was £5 per hour for a weekday, £6 for weekend. We didn't give a tip because we were home 25 minutes early but paid to include that. We will give her some money for Xmas as she is infact coming to babysit again tonight. So the agency also try to get you the same babysitter each time, if you want.
I did insist that I wanted a police checked person which took some persistence with the agency but they finally did agree and I would recommend you do the same.
Overall then!, I feel this worked well for us. Hope this helps.

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Ems · 21/12/2001 14:32

Great positive story Janus.

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Pat · 21/12/2001 16:23

Thanks for the posting - I've been dithering about what to do for babysitters (my MIL and sister have both moved recently so we have GOT to find someone!) . Your message has given me the confidence I need to explore using this agency. Thanks!
My New Years resolution (along with giving up smoking and losing weight!) is to find a babysitter!

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Babynick · 04/01/2002 19:56

Hi all... thank you for your comments.
I have decided (following your positive comments) to apply to Sitters as a babysitter. If you would like, I will post comments here regarding progress of my application and how Sitters go about checking on my references etc. I am sure Sitters will do a great job at that... and I am sure some of you may like to know how thoroghly they actually check applicants.
I'm also interested (from a personal perspective) in seeing how they handle having a Male applicant - as most nanny agencies I have been with previously have had some difficulty in finding parents who are willing to use a male babysitter/nanny.
For those of you who have used Sitters... did they offer you a choice of having a male sitter or female sitter? If Sitters do not yet have any male sitters, I wonder if they will offer parents the choice between having a Female sitter or Male sitter once they do have male sitters available.
Nick

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Babynick · 04/01/2002 20:20

Janus wrote:
"I did insist that I wanted a police checked person which took some persistence with the agency but they finally did agree and I would recommend you do the same."

This is interesting... anyone who works with children should have been police checked at somepoint during their career. However, if working in a family home, there is no requirement to have the police check redone on a regular basis. Therefore, while the sitter did not have a criminal record at the time of the check... what is there to say that they still don't have a criminal record?

While I agree with you that it is good to insist on having a sitter who has been police checked, I would like to point out that having a police checked person does not provide any guarentee that the person does not have a criminal record.

So please don't rely on a police check to say that the person is suitable. Rely far more on references they can supply from current employers - especially verbal references.

Note: Sitters.co.uk, ask applicants for 2 contact details for current childcare employers, in addition to at least one written reference. This is GOOD, as it can reassure you that they have checked out the person's suitablilty in caring for children.

Nick

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Babynick · 04/01/2002 20:47

Janus wrote:
"I did insist that I wanted a police checked person which took some persistence with the agency but they finally did agree and I would recommend you do the same."

This is interesting... anyone who works with children should have been police checked at somepoint during their career. However, if working in a family home, there is no requirement to have the police check redone on a regular basis. Therefore, while the sitter did not have a criminal record at the time of the check... what is there to say that they still don't have a criminal record?

While I agree with you that it is good to insist on having a sitter who has been police checked, I would like to point out that having a police checked person does not provide any guarentee that the person does not have a criminal record.

So please don't rely on a police check to say that the person is suitable. Rely far more on references they can supply from current employers - especially verbal references.

Note: Sitters.co.uk, ask applicants for 2 contact details for current childcare employers, in addition to at least one written reference. This is GOOD, as it can reassure you that they have checked out the person's suitablilty in caring for children.

Nick

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Babynick · 16/02/2002 09:56

Well, I was going to write and say that Sitters are great in the way they checkout childcarers who work for them... that is, until this morning when I heard from one of the parents I provided as a reference.
The Sitters rep, had been told specifically not to mention that she was from Sitters when checking my references - as I did not want Sitters selling their services to my existing childcare customers. The rep said that was fine... but when calling - told my clients she was from Sitters.
At the moment, I fairly cross with Sitters... and feel that I should write no more here, until I carm down. I just hope it's not the usual way Sitters operates. Nick.

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SAB · 03/03/2002 21:43

So how have you got on with sitters and why didn't you want your other employers to know they were from Sitters?

Hope you have managed to calm down ............ I know it is hard to find a good agency who really listen to what you say.
Sally

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Babynick · 06/03/2002 18:19

Hi Sally and all.

So how have you got on with sitters

Well... they have decided that they do not want me on their books. Maybe it's due to me being male... maybe it's because I didn't like their interview process... whatever, I don't see it as being a big loss - as having gone through their interview process, I don't want to work for them.

why didn't you want your other employers to know they were from Sitters?

I did not feel it was relevant. I also consider that Sitters is now a widely recognised trade name, and thus saying it was a form of advertising.

The person interviewing me was not someone from sitters headoffice, she was a childminder. She was responsible for following up my references, and thus my reference were told to expect a call from her - not from an agency.

Hope you have managed to calm down ............ I know it is hard to find a good agency who really listen to what you say.

Oh yes... now that I know what they are like... I'd certainly NEVER use them to care for my 4 year old step son.

Nick.

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Rhiannon · 18/05/2002 09:42

I decided to apply to Sitters as am started to get desperate! The forms came this morning unfortunately as well as the £5.50 an hour it will cost at weekends, they charge and extra £4 for each booking and £12 something per quarter. At this rate I won't be able to afford to go out! R

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