What should a babysitter know before looking after my child?

A kind, familiar babysitter can still be unsafe if essential information lives only in the parent's head. A highly experienced sitter can also struggle when the words "he gets overwhelmed" are expected to explain what they should notice and do.

Prepare for the moment when the child cannot explain, the parent does not answer immediately and the sitter has to act.

Start with the sitter, not the evening out

Ask about relevant experience and how they would respond to likely situations:

• a child who will not speak;
• refusal at bedtime;
• running towards an exit;
• a sibling becoming frightened;
• a medication question;
• vomiting or an allergic reaction; and
• a parent returning later than planned.

Listen for willingness to follow the child's plan, not confidence alone. "I am good with difficult children" tells you less than "Show me how she signals no and when you want me to call."

Introduce the sitter to the child before the first full sit. Let the child contribute a question, preference or refusal in their available communication. A short supported trial can show whether the arrangement works without making the child endure a whole evening to prove it.

Put urgent information first

The top of the page should include:

• child's full name and date of birth;
• home address;
• parent's location, return time and contact numbers;
• a nearby backup adult who has agreed to be available;
• GP or specialist contact only where relevant to the plan;
• allergies and emergency action;
• current health needs;
• prescribed medication and written instructions;
• when to call the parent;
• when to use NHS 111; and
• when to call 999.

The NSPCC advises leaving babysitters with parent, emergency and specialist support numbers where required, along with allergies, medical information and the location of medicine.¹

Do not write "meds as usual". Record the medicine, dose, time, route, storage and who is allowed and competent to give it. If the sitter is not to administer medicine, say what they do if a dose is due or the child becomes unwell.

The NHS lists situations needing 999, including severe breathing difficulty, choking, unconsciousness, a seizure and a serious allergic reaction.² The child's own clinical emergency plan takes priority where one exists.

Describe communication that can be seen

Write how the child:

• answers yes and no;
• asks for food, drink, toilet or help;
• communicates pain;
• shows they have not understood;
• signals they need a break;
• uses speech, gesture, symbols, signing or AAC; and
• changes when overwhelmed.

Avoid "won't communicate". The child may move away, cover their ears, repeat a phrase, bring an object, use a device or become still.

Give the sitter exact actions:

Ask one question, wait at least ten seconds and show the two picture choices. Keep the communication device with her.

If he says "go home" while already at home, it usually means the demand or room is too much. Stop the task and offer the quiet room card.

Do not invent meaning for every action. Include a contact point for uncertainty.

Write the evening as a short sequence

Use the minimum needed:

1. Food and drink.
2. Chosen activity.
3. Medicine or personal care if applicable.
4. Bedtime or agreed late-evening plan.
5. What the sitter does if sleep does not happen.

Show where items are. A sitter should not have to search for an inhaler, continence product, accepted food, charger or communication book while supervising children.

Name what can flex. If bedtime is the usual pressure point, say whether the child may read, listen to audio or remain in a safe room instead of expecting the sitter to enforce sleep through escalating demands.

Make safety concrete

Cover only risks that apply, but make them explicit:

• doors, windows and keys;
• leaving the house or garden;
• roads and vehicles;
• water, bath and toilet supervision;
• cooking and accepted foods;
• choking or eating non-food items;
• pets;
• online contact and purchases;
• aggressive or self-injurious behaviour;
• other children's safety; and
• visitors or answering the door.

Write what the sitter must not do. This may include holding the child down, blocking a room without a safe exit, removing AAC, forcing food, demanding touch or using a punishment that is not part of the plan.

If the child may run, a locked external door may be part of a risk-managed home plan, but fire safety and the sitter's ability to leave quickly also matter. Show the actual arrangement rather than giving a vague instruction to "watch him closely".

Explain overload and recovery

List early signs, likely triggers and the first response. National Autistic Society guidance stresses that sensory patterns vary and that observation can help identify what increases or reduces overload.³

For example:

• turn off overlapping sound;
• reduce speech;
• move a sibling to the agreed safe space;
• offer the familiar item or communication card;
• remain nearby without repeated questions;
• delay a non-urgent task; and
• call the parent at the stated threshold.

Do not ask the sitter to diagnose a meltdown, panic, pain or illness. If the pattern is unusual, there is injury or they are unsure about medical risk, use the contact and health plan.

Check the sitter can use the page

Before leaving, ask them to show you:

• the emergency contacts;
• medicine and instructions;
• the child's communication support;
• the safe exit route;
• the agreed place for another child;
• which decisions they can make; and
• the point at which they call.

This is not an exam. It catches missing information while the parent is still present.

Tell the sitter any change since the page was written. Date the handover and remove old copies. A previous dose, address or phone number can be more dangerous than no document because it looks trustworthy.

Agree what happens if the parent is delayed. Give a latest return time, the person who can take over and the practical point at which the sitter must call rather than continue waiting. Make sure they can travel home safely afterwards. A clear end to the sitter's responsibility protects them as well as the child.

Debrief without questioning the child for evidence

Ask the sitter what happened, what they noticed, which step was unclear and whether they felt able to keep everyone safe. Ask the child how the arrangement felt through their preferred communication.

Do not require either account to defeat the other. A child may have been distressed while the sitter believed the evening was calm. Compare the actual sequence and make the next plan clearer.

The handover is ready when another adult can find the right information, act within their competence and know when the task has moved beyond them. Trust matters. Usable detail is what lets trust become safe care.

Footnotes

1. NSPCC advice is general safeguarding guidance and does not establish that a sitter is suitable for a particular child or complex care task. ↩

2. NHS accident guidance gives general emergency indicators. Follow the child's specific clinical plan and current NHS advice where these apply. ↩

3. National Autistic Society sensory information is autism-specific and describes varied experiences. New or unusual changes may need medical assessment. ↩