Sydney nanny Ashlee White undertakes special training to protect her ‘high profile’ family from possible terrorist attacks

ASHLEE White is among a new breed of Sydney nannies with boosted skills to protect their charges from attacks by terrorists or kidnappers.

Nanny Ashlee White showing off some of her recently learned martial arts skills. Picture: Adam Yip

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TERRORIST attacks around the world have prompted this nanny to arm herself with self-defence skills to tackle the bad guys.

Ashlee White works full time for a high profile family in Balmoral and recently took a security awareness training course to keep the children in her care safe.

The 42-year-old’s arsenal of skills include body language reading, martial arts-style self-defence­, situational awareness, being alert and being prepared for anything while having young children in tow.

Recent terrorist attacks in London have put the world on edge.

She said attacks such as last month’s suicide bombing in Manchester show that children are now targeted by terrorists and it is important to be aware of your surroundings in public places.

“I hope that I never have to use these skills,” she said. “But, if something ever happened, I’d be confident that I’d know what to do.

“I work with high profile families, so abductions and attacks have been something that’s been on the back of my mind. You are looking after someone’s precious cargo as a nanny, so I’d never forgive myself if something happened to them.”

Self-styled ‘super nanny’ Jo Frost talked about putting kids in the naughty corner — Sydney’s Ashlee White reserves that spot for bad guys.

During the course, Ms White said she and the other parents, nannies and guardians were shown real-life situations of attacks and abductions. They were then shown how to respond in different scenarios.

“I learnt how to read body movements and how to respond if someone is coming at you from different angles,” she said. “It was all about being aware at all times and using quick movements to give yourself an option to get away.

Ashlee White has the skills to protect her ‘high profile’ family if they face a physical threat.

“If someone comes at you from behind and pins you, you can elbow them to wind them, so they loosen their grip and you can run to a safer place, use your phone or scream to get help.”

The training and a defensive driving course is run by White Glove Services with Night Nannies. Other tips include keeping car keys and phones in pockets, not bags, being aware of cyber risks and contingency planning.

For more information on the course, visit www.whitegloveservicesaustralia.com

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