How do you vet each sitter?
Please read our About our sitters page and this will give you full information on our vetting procedure.

How much notice is needed to book a sitter?
Whatever notice you are able to give us. Some parents book well in advance while others give a couple of days notice. We also get requests with sometimes only a few hours notice and we will always try and organise a sitter for you.

Can I meet the sitter beforehand?
Some of our new parents ask if this is possible before leaving their children, especially for the first time. In these circumstances we would recommend that you request the sitter to arrive at your property 30 minutes earlier. This allows you to meet them (which will need to be paid for), run through any routine and meet the children. Please remember each sitter has been carefully selected and interviewed before joining the agency.

What is the earliest and latest I can have a sitter?
As a rule, the earliest for a sitter to start is 7pm. This is due to either the sitter having day time jobs or having their own family commitments. However, if you do need a sitter earlier sometimes given enough notice, we may be able to help. With regards to a finish time, we do appreciate an approx finish time for two main reasons. Firstly, for security purposes the sitter can tell their own family what time they are due home. Secondly some sitters with young children themselves are only happy to sit up until midnight. However other sitters are quite happy to stay out as late as you wish.

Do I need to drive the sitter home or pay extra for travelling?
No, each sitter has their own transport and can make their way to and from your property.

Can I have the same sitter when I book?
We will always attempt to arrange the same sitter for you. The more notice you can give us for bookings, the easier it is to secure your requested sitter.

How do I pay the agency and the sitter?
You can pay the agency either by cheque or via paypal's secure site. You do not need a paypal account and can use any major debit/credit card. Booking fees will be invoiced on a monthly basis. The sitter will be paid cash direct from you at the end of the evening.

Is there a cancellation fee?
There is no cancellation fee if a sitter has to be cancelled within office hours .(Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm). Any cancellations made out side these hours will incur a cancellation fee of £10.00 which will be paid to the sitter.
Please note that the booking fee is non refundable once a sitter has been allocated to you and you have been advised that this has been done

When is the office open?
The office is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (closed Bank Holidays) however if I am out of the office during these times there is an answer machine which is checked regularly.
When I am on holiday a lady named Maria Hawkins runs the agency for me, Maria is a valued sitter who has been with the agency since 2004. The agency will continue in exactly the same way without any inconvenience to sitters or parents.

How do I make a booking through the agency?
You can call, email or text us, whichever is best for you.
When you make a booking it is helpful for you to advise us of the date required, start time and approx finish time. I will then allocate a sitter and advise you who it will be. One or two days before the booking the sitter will call you direct to introduce themselves and confirm the start time etc.