Childminding - What you need to know

Before you start Required training and checks Registering with Ofsted After you have registered Continued professional development

Before you start

Are you thinking about becoming a childminder? Join us to find out more at one of our free Childminder Information Sessions. Delivered regularly online you will have a chance to have your questions answered and learn more about:

The role and responsibilities of a childminder
What qualifications and checks are required
What you will need to have in place before you start
How to register with Ofsted or a Childminder Agency
What free support is available to you to help you get started, and beyond!

Childminding is a hugely rewarding career that provides you with the opportunity to:

contribute to children’s development, learning and wellbeing
provide a valuable, professional childcare service for your community
develop new skills and qualifications
be your own boss, from your own home
support families back to work

The earning potential for childminders due to the expanding support being offered to working families by the Government can be vast. Demand for childcare is rising, meaning there is a good market for new childminders. You can find out more about these new entitlements on the Best Start in Life website.

Research

Before getting started, it is important you carry out your own research.

Read our latest Childcare Sufficiency Report this will help you understand the need for childcare in your area.
Have a look at the childcare directory to see how many childminders are in your area or speak to your local family centre.
CBIS offer free business support to help you explore how much you could earn as a childminder. Contact them via email or call them on 07887 833218 for general business advice.

Required training and checks

As a childminder on the compulsory register, you are expected to work within the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. You should familiarise yourself with this framework and carry out EYFS training, prior to registering with Ofsted.

You must also undertake training in both paediatric first aid and safeguarding. Courses must meet the criteria as outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. Some training providers may be able to offer a package, that covers all your essential training along with other benefits in one fee. Hertfordshire County Council may be able to offer some support with the costs of training. Please contact our Childminding Development Officer to discuss this.

You and anyone over the age of 16 in the household will need to complete an enhanced criminal check with Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). You will also need to complete a health declaration form.

If you intend to prepare/serve food for the children in your care you may wish to carry out a food hygiene course. Contact your local council for available courses. Please familiarise yourself with the EYFS nutritional guidance. The Department for Education have a webpage to help early years providers learn about hygiene and safe food preparation.

Current training opportunities

Step2Skills offer an Early Years Skills Bootcamp which can be a great place to start if you do not have much experience. The course is designed to equip you with the skills you need when starting a career in Early Years including:

Understanding child development stages
How to create educational activities
Safeguarding practices
Managing early years settings
How to support children with special educational needs
Paediatric First Aid.

To find out more please visit Step2Skills website or contact earlyyears@hertfordshire.gov.uk to discuss what training options would be best suited to you.

Registering with Ofsted

When you are ready, you can apply online to become a registered childminder by visiting Become a childminder or nanny (England): Register as a childminder - GOV.UK

Once you have submitted your registration, Ofsted will contact you to arrange a pre-registration visit. In preparation for your visit, please read this guidance: Childminders and childcare providers: register with Ofsted - The registration visit - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

After you have registered

Once the Ofsted registration is complete, Ofsted ask that childminders on the compulsory register meet certain requirements. More information about these requirements can be found on the Ofsted website.

Useful resources and links:

Familiarise yourself with our dedicated Early Years Provider webpage. We also have an Early Years page for parents www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/parents
Childminders can offer Childcare and Early Education Support to all eligible families with children from 9 months to 4 years. You can find more information on our provider pages and the Best Start in Life website.
We would recommend that you make yourself familiar with Tax Free Childcare as families may wish to use this. It’s free to sign up and simple to use.
Keep up to date with the latest news by signing up to our weekly Early Years professional newsletter Early Years News.
Register for our free childcare finder tool on the Hertfordshire Directory to advertise your business to families looking for childcare in your area. Register and update your listing to let parents know what you offer. You can add links to your social media or web page to help you stand out! All families applying for Childcare and Early Education Support will be signposted to our directory.
CBIS can provide free business support at any stage you need it! To find out what they can offer you view this useful guide, email contact@cbisengland.co.uk or call 07887 833218.
Contact our Childminding Development team by emailing earlyyears@hertfordshire.gov.uk for help, support and guidance. We can advise on all matters relating to childminding and provide signposting where necessary.
All registered childcare settings, including nurseries, pre-schools, childminders and nannies, are required by law to have public liability insurance (PLI) to cover them in their work with children. It makes sense, because accidents can happen in any setting, however well-run it might be.
Register with HMRC as self-employed. There’s lots of free support and guidance available to help you get started and maintain a successful business. HMRC have guidance on becoming self-employed and working for yourself.
Every organisation or sole trader who processes personal information needs to pay a data protection fee to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), unless they are exempt.

Continued professional development

As an Ofsted registered childminder your first aid certificate needs to be renewed every 3 years and your safeguarding certificate needs to be renewed every 2 years. The EYFS is continually being updated and you are responsible for keeping up to date with any changes.

Ofsted registered childminders are also required to engage in continued professional development (CPD). There are many organisations that offer training to childminders on a whole range of topics which can benefit both you as a childminder and the children you look after. To discuss training please contact earlyyears@hertfordshire.gov.uk