What a trial day tells you that an interview cannot

A trial day is the single most useful hour you will spend on a placement. It tells you things an interview cannot: how your children take to somebody, how that person handles the bit of the afternoon where everything goes wrong at once, and whether the routines you described on paper survive contact with a real Tuesday.

What to set up beforehand

• Write down the routine as it actually runs, not as you would like it to run.
• Leave emergency contacts, allergies and medication somewhere obvious.
• Agree the hours and the rate for the day in advance, in writing.
• Be in the house for the first half hour, then get out of the way.

What to look for

Less the polish, more the recovery. Every trial day has a moment that does not go to plan. What you are watching for is what happens next.

Ask the children afterwards, separately, and take what they say seriously without treating it as the whole answer.