There are 700,000 people with autism in the UK so many nannies are likely to come across youngsters in their care with the condition, diagnosed or undiagnosed. CAROLINE HATTERSLEY, head of information, advice and advocacy at the National Autistic Society talks about how our sector can help give these children…

One in four children will experience bullying during their childhood, says CLAUDE KNIGHTS, ceo of anti-bullying charity Kidscape says. So what exactly do we mean by bullying and what role can nannies play in helping their charges and their families? Any anti-bullying policy needs to define bullying first. It can…

We talk to Gavin McKay, a 20-year old from Coleraine in Northern Ireland, who was named the InterExchange Au Pair USA au pair of the year. What childcare experience did you have before going to the US? I had volunteered in several church youth clubs, working with children aged from…

Feedback from our blogs revealed that nannies value tips and advice to help them in their work, so in this issue we bring a question-and-answer session with Dr Debby Watson focusing on playfulness and children with complex needs Dr Debby Watson is a researcher with special interest in playfulness and…

BAPN's policy and review officer has her say on the powers of social media and puts forward her new rules of engagement. Up until recently I was convinced by the positive power of social media, bringing nannies together, finding jobs and sharing information. Facebook groups and Twitter chats seemed, with…