FIS: How to Become a Childminder

This page will help you decide if you want to become an Ofsted registered childminder and will tell you how to register with Ofsted.  

The benefits of becoming an Ofsted registered childminder include:

As a registered childminder you will be able to:

• Work from your own home
• Care for your own children at the same time as you care for minded children
• Choose the days and time you work to suit you and your family
• Provide excellent care and education for children in a home environment
• Gain childcare qualifications
• Parents using your service will be able to claim childcare tax credits.

To help you become registered you will receive the following support:

• Three, 3-hour pre-registration briefing sessions to help you decide if childminding is for you. These sessions are offered four times a year and take place weekly over 4 evenings/mornings at the Professional Excellence Centre, Acre Lane, Bromborough.
• A 10 week Introduction to Childminding Practice Course held weekly @ 12 Quays, this is subsidised and the cost to the delegate is £40. This is a mandatory course. There is also a £10 charge payable to Wirral Met.
• A 12 hr Paediatric First Aid course, this also is a mandatory course.
• 12 hr Early Years Foundation Stage training course
• A Common core skills training course
• Support from a Childcare Development Worker including home visit.

The support will continue once you are registered.

You will also be offered:

• Support in developing your childcare practice and in delivering the Early  Years Foundation Stage. This takes the form of termly support groups, Childminder drop in sessions and continuing support from your Childcare Development Worker.
• A wide variety of training and development opportunities
• The opportunity to gain a level 3 NVQ in Children’s Care, Learning and Development - Please note, you may have to pay a contribution towards this training or possibly have to self-fund.
• The opportunity to take an Early Years Foundation Degree - Please note, you may have to pay a contribution towards this training or possibly have to self-fund.

Registration with Ofsted

You can choose which age group of children you wish to be registered to care for.

• If you wish to care for children aged from birth to the 31st August following their 5th birthday you must register on the Early Years Register
• If you wish to care for children aged 6 and 7, you must register on the ofsted Compulsory Childcare Register
• If you wish to care for children aged 8 and over or children in their own home, you may register on the Ofsted Voluntary Childcare Register.

Almost all childminders want to care for children from birth to 17 and will register on all 3 registers

Under current Wirral planning legislation if you care for more than four children in your home on a commercial basis, will need to obtain planning permission as this is classed a change of use. The cost of this is £335. 

What does a registered childminder do?

A childminder may care for up to six children aged under 8 at any one time. Three of these children may be under school age and one of those may be a baby under one.

A childminder is a self-employed business person. No two days are alike for a childminder.

A typical day may include:

• Taking children to and from schools or nurseries
• Providing meals and snacks for the children, involving them in food preparation.
• Visits to a park, library or childminder drop-in group
• Planning and delivering fun and stimulating learning activities according to each child’s interests and needs
• Observing and recording the children’s learning and development.

How do I find out more?

Call the Family Information Service on Freephone 0800 0858 743. Let the team know which area of Wirral you live in and they will put you in touch with your local childcare development worker. They will discuss all your needs, options and support including details of up and coming childminder pre-registration briefings and training opportunities.

What happens next?

At the briefing sessions you will be given the opportunity to book onto a paediatric first aid course and the Introduction to Childminding Practice (ICP) course. Also during the last briefing session you will be given an Ofsted application pack.

Applying to Ofsted

• When Ofsted have received your completed application and health check forms, you will be sent         Criminal Records Bureau disclosure forms, for yourself and anyone else aged over 16 in your home, to complete and return.
• An Inspector will contact you to arrange a registration visit
• Checks will be carried out on you and anyone else aged over 16 in your home
• When the checks have been satisfactorily completed you will receive your registration certificate
• You will be able to begin childminding once you have received your insurance and registration certificate.