At Bubble, we trust the families and sitters who use the platform to look after each other. The single most important thing we suggest is that you're upfront about anything that might affect a sit, especially anything contagious, anything that could make caring for a child harder, or something the other person needs to know to keep everyone safe.
The basic principle
If something about someone in your household's health could affect a sit, share it before the sit starts. Give the other person enough information and time to make an informed choice. They might still want to go ahead, they might want to reschedule, or they might want to talk it through and put some measures in place to avoid picking up a bug.
For sitters:
Before starting a sit, let the parent know with as much notice as possible if:
You're feeling unwell, particularly with anything contagious (a cold, sore throat, stomach bug, cough, temperature, or anything that's been going around at home or at uni)
You believe you've been exposed to something contagious, such as while working with a different family (norovirus, flu, chickenpox, hand foot and mouth, conjunctivitis, COVID)
You have a medical condition the parent should know about so they can prepare appropriately, for example a severe nut allergy, asthma that needs an inhaler nearby, or anything that could affect how you'd be able to respond in an emergency
You're taking medication or have had a recent injury that might affect how you feel or act during a sit
We always recommend an open conversation early. You don't need to share your full medical history: just share what's relevant to safely caring for a child.
For parents/ families:
Before the sit starts, let the sitter know if:
Your child or someone at home is or has recently been unwell with something contagious
Your child has any allergies, medical conditions or medication needs (asthma, an adrenaline auto-injector/ EpiPen, food allergies, diabetes, etc)
You'd like the sitter to give any medication during the sit, what it is, the dose, and when
When to stay home
For specific guidance on when a child or adult should stay away from school, nursery or work because of illness, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes the most up-to-date advice which can be used as a reference point. It covers things like how long to stay off after a stomach bug, fevers, chickenpox, and childhood infections.
You can find the latest guidance on GOV.UK.
Any questions? Reach out to our team at support@joinbubble.com.