Bubble was created by parents, for parents, and trust and safety are of paramount importance to us and the thousands of parents and babysitters that make up the Bubble community. Bubble is not a babysitting or nanny agency, but a marketplace, giving all of us as parents the ability to view the profiles of local babysitters around us, before choosing which ones we’d like to look after our kids.

We know, that the needs of our kids, the specifics of the sit and even our own sensibilities as parents will determine which babysitter is right for us. It’s really important that parents using the platform understand that Bubble does not recommend babysitters to parents and ultimately the sitter chosen is at the discretion of the Mum or Dad hiring them.

Transparency about what Bubble is (and what it is not), and the steps the platform takes to build trust and security is hugely important to us, and in keeping with this, you can read below - in plain English - what Bubble is, what it is not, and the safety measures in place on the platform.

Bubble’s core principle is that parents want to book the babysitters that their friends and community know, use and trust. And our unique social validation tools in the app allow parents to tap into this trusted network quickly and easily via the following methods:

Parent Reviews: When viewing a babysitter’s profile on the app, a parent is able to read the reviews left on that babysitter by other parents on Bubble - and they can choose to message those parents as well in-app if they’d like further information.

Mutual Friends: When viewing a babysitter’s profile on the app, a parent will be shown whether they have any mutual friends in common with that babysitter. E.g. mutual friends on Facebook or whether other parents at school have used the same sitter before.

On top of these social validation tools, below are the other security measures in place on Bubble:

ID Verification: Every babysitter on the platform is cleared through an online identity check, performed by our Partner GB Group. These checks, look to pair the personal details the sitter has input into Bubble (Name, Address etc…) with matching details on various public databases like the electoral roll. This check helps ensure that the babysitter is who they say they are. If a babysitter fails this check, they are required to send identity documents (e.g. passport) to help prove their identity and put their profile live.

Background Check: Every babysitter on the platform is cleared through an online background check before their profile goes live, performed by our Partner Comply Advantage. This check cross-references the babysitter’s name against various criminal watchlists and an adverse media check that scans millions of published articles, searching for negative behaviour and news about the person in question. This background check is not the same thing as a DBS/CRB.

DBS Verification: Having a DBS certificate is not a pre-requisite for babysitters on the app, however many sitters on Bubble do have one, and they’re able to send it in to the Bubble team for verification. A parent can clearly see when the sitter’s DBS has been verified by Bubble. Likewise, if a sitter has not had their DBS verified by Bubble, their profile will clearly state this and a parent will be free to ask them to bring it with them to the sit if they wish.

Insurance on every sit: We give every babysitter on Bubble £1m public liability insurance as standard, for all of the sits they do on the Bubble app. The insurance covers babysitters for any accidental injury or damage they cause to a third party whilst on a sit. Neither parents nor babysitters have to pay for this insurance, it’s an additional benefit to bring further peace of mind to the members of our community. You can read more about this here.

Facebook & SMS Verification: As part of registration, every babysitter must integrate with their Facebook account, provide their name, address and date of birth - and verify their Mobile phone number via an SMS verification code.

Interviews: As well as all of the above, babysitters who have been interviewed by a member of the Bubble team will also have the “Interviewed” badge on their profile.

What Bubble is not

Bubble is not a babysitting or nanny agency, and the babysitters on the app are not vetted or employed by the platform. The app aims to provide parents with the information and utility they need to find great babysitters quickly and easily however the decision to select and book a babysitter is the decision made solely at the discretion of the parent themselves.

For tips on staying safe on Bubble, please check out a guide we’ve written here.

For a blog on this subject, written by Ari our Co Founder, go here.

And if you’ve any questions at all, do not hesitate to get in touch with us at support@joinbubble.com.