Becoming a childminder

Yes, you will need to complete:

• A Paediatric First Aid training: the course contents must be compliant with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage Guidance and this must be kept up to date which means attending a course within three years. This course has to be completed before you can apply for registration.
• A Pre-registration course that enables you to understand and implement the requirements of The Early Years Foundation Stage Guidance (EYFS). This course has to be completed before you can apply for registration
• Safeguarding Children training: the registered person (childminder) must update this training within two years
• Level 3 in Safeguarding this is a requirement of the Doncaster Safeguarding Children’s Partnership and must be up dated every 3 years

Yes, you must have Public Liability insurance which can be obtained from specialist agencies that provide insurance for childcare settings such as PACEY, or you can make enquiries with other insurance providers.

Ofsted are the regulatory body responsible for the registration and inspection of childcare settings, including childminders, and their duties are set out in the 2006 Children’s Act. Ofsted’s role is to register applicants, conduct regular inspections, investigate concerns, and take enforcement action if necessary. 

Childminders can be registered by Ofsted on one of two registers, or on both of the following registers:

• The Early Years Register: to care for children aged 0 to 5 years. Providers on this register must follow the guidance in The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework
• The Childcare Register: this register has two categories:
  • The Compulsory Part of the Childcare Register - to care for children aged over 5 years to 7 years
  • The Voluntary Part of the Childcare Register – to care for children over 8 years, and for ‘home child-carers’

Information regarding the Ofsted Early Years Register and the Ofsted Childcare Register is available on the Ofsted website.

It is your responsibility as the registered childcare provider to ensure you are registered on the appropriate register for the ages of the children you will be caring for, and that you work within the guidelines and legal requirements for each register.

Home child-carers will be registered on the Voluntary part of the Childcare Register to care for children in the child’s own home, or to care for children over the age of 8 years to enable parents to access help with paying for childcare through Tax Credits or Universal Credit. You can visit gov.uk for more information about Tax Credits and Universal Credit.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Guidance (EYFS) is the statutory guidance which all childcare providers caring for children in the early years age group (0-5 years) must adhere to. The guidance covers the learning and development requirements, and safeguarding and welfare requirements for children in that age group. Inspectors will require evidence that childminders understand the EYFS and can put this guidance into practice. You must adhere to this guidance to become registered, and continue to adhere to this guidance to remain registered.

Yes, you will be asked to provide evidence of how you can identify children’s starting points and identify what progress has been made whilst the child is at your setting. You will plan activities and experiences for all children under the 7 areas of learning and development.

Yes, there is a non-refundable application fee, and then a yearly fee to remain registered. An application fee will be requested from Ofsted upon receipt of your application, and your application will not be processed until the payment has been. At the moment the application fee for the Early Years Register is £35, this enables you to be registered on both the Early Years Register, and the Compulsory Part of the Childcare Register. The application fee for the Voluntary Part of the Childcare Register is £103. These fees may change.

You will undertake a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check for yourself and anyone over 16 years of age that lives or works on the premises where childminding takes place. At present the fee for this is approximately £38. You may also want to register for the DBS up-dating service, the fee for this at present is £13, and you will pay a yearly fee for this. Ofsted will obtain information from Doncaster Councils Social Service’s Team to ensure you and other people linked with your application are suitable to care for children. As part of the application process you will ask your GP to complete a Health Declaration form to ensure your physical and emotional health enables you to care for children appropriately, there may be a fee payable to your GP for this service.

Yes you can employ assistants or work with another registered childminder. If you work with assistants you must ensure you have robust recruitment procedures, and the assistants are suitable for their role. You can leave your assistant unsupervised with minded children, for up to a maximum of 2 hours in any one day with written permission from parents, they would need to have an up to date Paediatric first aid certificate. Please be aware that if you employ assistants there are legal implications relating to employment.

Yes, Doncaster Council Planning Department advise all potential new childminders to submit a Permitted Development Enquiry (PDE) to enquire if they need planning permission. Apply for permitted development commercial. For additional advice, you can apply for a pre-application enquiry.

You may decide to apply for full Planning Permission by submitting a full Planning Application after the initial PDE. In this case you would submit the full planning application form, and plans as requested.

No, registered childminders are ‘self-employed’ and you will undertake the responsibility for:

• Running your business and completing appropriate paperwork
• Registering with Inland Revenue and completing Tax Returns
• Completing your accounts or consider employing an accountant to do so
• Completing observations and assessments and making plans for individual children’s learning and development
• Taking the lead responsibility for safeguarding children, yourself and your family
• Providing a high quality childcare setting
• Adhering to DMBC Planning requirements for running a business from your domestic premises
• Registering with the Information Commissioners Office for Data Protection
• Obtaining appropriate Public Liability Insurance
• Employing suitable assistants: undertaking supervisions and appraisals; team meetings and considering employee’s rights 
• Getting permission from your landlord to work from their premises (if applicable)
• Forming policies and procedures and sharing them with parents
• Undertaking risk assessments to help identify and address problem areas within your setting and on outings
• Providing a safe environment for children and adults
• Providing suitable healthy menu’s
• Providing challenging activities and experiences to help develop children’s learning and understanding, and to give the children the skills they need to grow up in today's society.