Once you have decided to hire one of our nannies, Koru Kids will carry out an enhanced DBS check for them*. We will also invite your nanny to attend our Paediatric First Aid training course - you can read more about what is covered in first aid training here.

There is no additional charge for the DBS check** or First Aid training - they are covered as part of our service charge in the hourly rate.

The DBS check itself usually takes 5-10 days to complete. However, before we can begin the DBS check procedure, we need to see three of your nanny's identity documents. 

We will start processing the DBS check after we confirm your nanny’s documents via video call. We'll then let you know what documents they have provided as your nanny will need to present them at their first shift.  You can find out more about this process here.

Some DBS checks can be delayed if we are waiting for your nanny to book a video call to check their documents or they don’t show us the right documents on the call.

We provide an enhanced DBS check (which you can find out more about on the government website here). This check covers the UK only. If you would like to carry out a criminal records check for someone who has spent time overseas, you can find a country by country guide on how to go about this here. Overseas DBS checks are not covered by Koru Kids.

Because we only begin processing the DBS check once you have decided to hire a nanny, this means that when you meet nannies for interviews they may not be DBS-checked unless they have worked with a family through Koru Kids before or have one from a previous job.

If you decide to arrange a trial with a nanny, this does not count as a decision to hire, so we will not begin the DBS process at this stage. Therefore, we always recommend that you are present during the trial. Trials should be used as a chance to see your nanny performing the nanny routine to check their suitability for the role and to make sure they get on with the kids. They should NOT last for more than one or two shifts or be used as probation periods. Please note that during your trial, if your nanny hasn't had a previous DBS check in the past 12 months, then they may also not be covered by our Public Liability insurance. Find out more about insurance.

Our contracts begin with a two-week probation period as standard, during which time you only need to give your nanny 24 hours notice if you feel things aren't working out.

Some families prefer to skip the trial and use the probation period instead to make sure their nanny is the right fit. As soon as you progress to a contract with a probation period, we'll immediately begin the DBS check process for your nanny.

* If at the start of their employment your nanny has already had an enhanced DBS check completed within the previous 12 months, and Koru Kids has verified this is to be valid, they will not require a new check to be completed

**For short term contracts - defined as being contracted for fewer than 4 weeks in total - DBS checks are optional at your discretion and will cost £50. However, you may match with a nanny who already has one in place, which you can see from their profile during matching. Please note that, if you decide not to get a DBS check, and if your nanny hasn't had a previous DBS check in the past 12 months, then they may also not be covered by our Public Liability insurance. Find out more about insurance.