Parents spy on nannies with secret cameras

Colin Blackstock on the families employing private eyes

THE USE of covert surveillance devices on nannies by British families has dramatically increased following the Louise Woodward trial and the broadcast of a television documentary Nannies from Hell.

As concern about standards of nannies has risen, private investigators have been asked to provide background checks and trail nannies as they go about their daily business.

Where cameras are installed in family homes, three out of 10 families viewing how their children were treated have taken action - including dismissal, according to private investigators.

In one case where a camera was installed in a microwave oven a nanny - hired through a reputable agency - was sacked after she was allegedly seen shaking a young girl in her care.

The private investigator who installed the micro-camera , in a home in southern England, said the mother of the girl was so distraught at what she saw she vowed never to leave her child with a stranger again. "She felt very guilty and said she will give up work. It is the third camera I have been asked to install."

Mark Cox, operations manager for Abbey Investigations, a nationwide firm, said that at the time of the Woodward case there had been a sharp increase in the number of enquiries about installing cameras. "I expect it will increase again when the Woodward appeal case is heard again. It is a service we offer if asked, but we don't advertise it."

Louise Woodward, the British au pair from Elton in Cheshire, was convicted of the involuntary manslaughter of baby Matthew Eappen after a televised trial. She has always denied shaking the baby.

Meanwhile, scenes from Yorkshire Television programme, Nannies from Hell, broadcast earlier this year, showed one babysitter hitting a baby with a telephone, eating nearly all of the infant's lunch and then ignoring it for most of the afternoon.

Such disturbing images have prompted the use of investigators with their hidden cameras and background checks, as well as following nannies as they go about their daily business.

With no qualifications needed to become a nanny and no British register of nannies or agencies, employers cannot be sure who they are taking on to look after their children.

Tricia Pritchard, professional officer for the Professional Association of Nursery Nannies and chair of Playpen, an organisation campaigning for registration, believes there is a shortage of qualified nannies.

"It's difficult to tell," she said "because they don't have to be qualified so there is no data to suggest how many there are out there at any one time.

"I think there's been a lot of 'nanny-bashing' going on for the past few years, and this is pushing the qualified nannies into education. Many of them have decided they were too vulnerable in their positions and turned to education instead."

Some London agencies are reporting shortages of up to 100 staff and believe the Louise Woodward trial has played a part in causing the scarcity.

Pamela Sinclair, a partner in the Au Pair Company, said: "I'm still surprised by the lack of caution of many families. They really are taking on a big risk employing a nanny or au pair."

Patrick Grayson, of CDR International, an investigative consultancy, said he can understand why parents resort to "nanny-cams" - miniature cameras often hidden in children's toys.

"Nannies are very important people," he said. "You are giving them your greatest asset - your kids. You are very wise to take sensible precautions and people very often don't. Proper reference-checking is vital. If you're going to take someone into your employ then due diligence is extremely important."

But not everyone agrees with the notion of surveillance, even if it is to protect children. As Alice Lewes, head of nursery training at Lucie Clayton College, said: "If I thought anyone was videotaping me with a camera hidden in a teddy bear I would leave immediately."