I just received an email from a placement agency I applied to for a nanny position, and unfortunately, they informed me that they can't move forward with my application due to a negative reference I received within the last five years. I've been working as a nanny for six years, so this news was quite a shock to me. I'm considering reaching out to the agency to ask who provided the negative reference, as I want to address any issues and avoid using someone who might be speaking poorly of me. However, I'm not sure if it's acceptable to ask them directly. I’ve never encountered this kind of feedback before, and I’m feeling a bit lost about how to proceed.