Setting up your childminding business

Introduction

When you set up your childminding business there are a number of steps you need to follow to make sure you have done everything you need to do to be legal and qualified to work with young children.

I have based this list on requirements for English Childminders who are registering with Ofsted. However it is very similar for Scottish and Welsh childminders registering with the Care Inspectorate and CSSIW. Here is a plan to help you.

Download a printable PDF version of this guide.

At the start of the registration process…

Before you contact Ofsted / local early years about registration advice you should consider the following…

Find out about the different childcare registers 

Early Years Register – the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2012) is the statutory register for all children until they start Year 1 at school (well the end of August before Year 1 if you want to be precise). This means that all children who are in Reception class are still within the remit of the EYFS. However once they start full time, 10 sessions a week school they are classed as 5 (regardless of their age) for the purposes of your ratios.

Childcare Register – this covers older children from Year 1 upwards and is split into 2 parts –

• For children aged 5 – 7 years you will be expected to show you are complying with the regulations contained in the Compulsory Childcare Register
• For children aged 8 ­plus, you will be expected to show you are complying with the regulations contained in the Voluntary Childcare Register

Decide what register(s) you want to apply for – most childminders are on all the registers and registration on all of them does not cost any extra money.

However the registers are slightly different and you will need to understand the differences and be ready to discuss them when your Ofsted inspector visits.

Work your way through the registration process

Now you have decided you want to start on your childminding journey you will need to…

How am I getting on?

The DBS checks are back… my health check has been completed and signed off by Ofsted… my pre-registration course has finished…

I should be well on the way to competing the required paperwork so I am ready to work with children such as -

Required policies and procedures;

Required documents used for the children...

Now is the time to plan for running my childminding business from my home.

What I need to do next…

In order to legally run a childminding business from your home you need to do the following…

If I intend to childmind in Scotland I need to comply with the National Care Standards regulated by the Care Commission. I can become a member of the Scottish Childminding Association - http://www.childminding.org/ (see e-book 36 for more advice).

In Wales I need to comply with the National Minimum Standards (see e-book 33 for more information)

When I am registered as a childminder I need to…

Have fun and enjoy my work and the children who attend each day!

Useful contact details

Doctor –

Landlord –

Mortgage Company –

House / buildings insurance –

Car insurance –

Local contacts -

Local school(s) –

Other childminders –

Childminding support coordinator –

Local early years –

Sure Start centre –

Environmental Health Department –

First aid provider –

Government / national bodies and agencies

• Ofsted – 0300 123 1231 / www.ofsted.gov.uk

• EYFS and Childcare Registers – www.education.gov.uk

• Childminding insurance – Childcare.co.uk/insurance

• National insurance – http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/working/intro/selfemployed.htm

• Tax for self employment – http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/selfemployed/

• Benefits advice – http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DoItOnlineByCategory/DG_172666

Other help and advice

• Childminder advertising – www.childcare.co.uk

• Knutsford Childminding free advice and information about childminding, the EYFS and much more – www.eyfsforchildminders.webnode.com

• Childminding forum – www.childmindingforum.co.uk

References

• Early Years Foundation Stage (DfE, 2012) and related documents

• The Childcare Register (Crown Copyright, 2012)

• E-books 56 ‘Preparing for your registration inspection’, 33 ‘Childminding in Wales’ and 36 ‘Childminding in Scotland’ (© 2009 – 2012) from Knutsford Childminding and the references therein

About websites used in this information guide

In places this information guide links to other websites. The author and distributor cannot be held responsible for the content or availability of these sites.

Disclaimer

However carefully researched the material in this information guide might be it is not possible to guarantee its accuracy or completeness. The author and distributor therefore accept no liability for any inaccuracies or any loss or damage arising from the use of or reliance on details obtained from this information guide. Individual Ofsted (England), CSSIW (Wales) and Care Inspectorate (Scotland) inspectors might expect different ways of doing things from others and the ideas contained in this information guide are indicators of best practice only.

About information taken from EYFS statutory documents

Information for this guide to the learning and development requirements of the EYFS has been taken from the following source – www.foundationyears.org.uk.

Information sourced from the Department for Education has been reproduced as per the Open Government Licence for Public Sector Information, which can be viewed on the following website – http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence. The source of the information is acknowledged as EYFS © Crown Copyright 2012.