Louise could still be a nanny

LOUISE WOODWARD could still legally work as a nanny in this country despite her conviction for manslaughter.

At the moment there is no regulation of nannies in Britain, although the Government announced when it published its Green Paper on child care that it was considering compulsory registration for all nannies.

Although it carries no legal weight, in their dissenting opinion published on Tuesday three of the judges of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court said that Woodward stood convicted of "a grave act of child abuse" and "should not in the future be entrusted with the care of children of others".

Roy Paylor, president of the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS), said yesterday that Woodward would not able to be a child minder as strict regulation governs this area. "If someone in her position applied to be a child minder we could not take them on because of the conviction.

"If, however, she wished to become a nanny she could because they are not regulated at present. The ADSS has been pressing for regulation,"

Mr Paylor added that if Louise herself were to have a child her local social services would immediately set up a risk assessment meeting with her and the baby's father, but the child would not automatically be put on the at-risk register. "When and if she has a child there would have to be a meeting because of her conviction for manslaughter," he said.

A spokeswoman for the Daycare Trust said they would urge the Government to make "every effort" to regulate nannies. "There are a range of advantages in doing so - to ensure quality of service, to offer support to nannies and to give confidence to parents."