OFSTED

Ofsted Registration

Ofsted registers and inspects childminders in England.

If you live in Scotland you will register with the Care Inspectorate, in Wales you will register with the Care and Social Services Inspectorate and in Northern Ireland you will register with the Health and Social Care Trust (HSCT). The requirements and conditions of registration are slightly different in these different parts of the UK. The links below will help you to find details of your registration requirements.

Scotland Childminding Association Register as a childminder in Scotland

Wales; Care and Social Services Inspectorate Register as a childminder in Wales

Northern Ireland Childminding Association Register as a childminder in Northern Ireland

Ofsted Registration Criteria

Coming Soon - From the 1st of November 2024 there will be a new registration available for Childminding without Domestic Premises. More details are going to be released but for the moment this Department for Education FAQ document will be useful. The new EYFS is now available to view.

Childminders must be registered with Ofsted in order to look after children under the age of 8 years old. In a childminding setting, up to 3 adults can work together. These can all be childminders, or a mixture of childminders and childminding assistants. If your childminding setting grows and you want more than 3 adults to work together, you will need to register as Childcare on Domestic Premises. This is a completely different registration and can be held alongside childminding registration. Read the guidance for Childcare on Domestic Premises

Childminders caring for "young children" (until the child has reached the end of the reception year in school) must register on the Early Years Register

Childminders caring for children aged 5-7 years must register on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register

Childminders caring only for children over 8 years may choose to register on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register

Childminders should display this [Ofsted parent poster] Updated November 23. (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/672a461a40f7da695c921ba3/Ofsted_poster_for_parents_childcare_2024.pdffbclid=IwY2xjawGZdK1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQudSbt639WV7Aqo8TxendNMZjfretENblMLC2dJ_oJrd-xriSxaislhTA_aem_39XP0WRiyVc_0_Mcqnxk1A)

Other Ofsted Information

Find out how to register with Ofsted as a childminder, and what you will need to tell us about.Becoming a childminder and running your business

Find out how to register with Ofsted as a nanny, and what you will need to tell us about. Becoming a nanny

Find out how you can still register for childcare with Ofsted if you do not meet the requirements of being a childminder, nanny, nursery or other daycare. Joining the Childcare Register and running the business

Most childminders register on all 3 parts of both the Early Years and Childcare Registers

Ofsted Inspections

There are two types of Ofsted Inspections. For pre-registration childminders, the registration inspection (usually called a registration visit) will determine the suitability of your home and yourself for the role of an Ofsted Registered Childminder.

Ofsted has produced a guide 'Ofsted inspections: what EY Providers and Practitioners need to know'. This guide contains frequently asked questions and reflects the changes in the EYFS for Childminders January 2024.

For childminders already registered, your inspection will be graded. Ofsted inspection of early years providers will focus on children’s education and their personal and emotional development and the progress children make in their learning. The results of the graded inspections are published on the Ofsted website. Inspectors will check a sample of your documentation as well as observing you working with minded children.

Childminders who are only registered on the Childcare Register will not all be routinely inspected, but Ofsted carry out inspections on 10% at random. However, if there is a concern about the care provided by a childminder on the Childcare Register, this will be investigated by Ofsted and may result in an inspection.

Inspection Grades

If you are on the Early Years Register you will be inspected by Ofsted and receive one of the following grades

• Outstanding
• Good
• Requires Improvement
• Inadequate

If you are not meeting all the EYFS requirements you will be given either an Inadequate or Requires Improvement grade and you will be issued actions to complete. You will be sent a form that will need completing and returning to Ofsted once you have completed the actions by the date given.

You may also be given recommendations which are good practice tips to help you to improve the practice you have.

If you are meeting all the EYFS requirements you will either be given a Good or Outstanding grade based on the quality of the environment and experiences you provide for the children in your care and the quality of interactions and information shared with parents and any other professionals who are involved with the children. You will be given recommendations which are designed to help you improve the service you offer and either progress to an outstanding grade or maintain the outstanding service you have created.

If you have no early years children on roll or present at the time of your Ofsted inspection, you will not receive a grade but will be awarded either a met outcome that means you meet all the EYFS requirements, or a not met outcome which means that you don't meet all EYFS requirements.

Preparing for your Registration Inspection/Visit

The Introductory Training you complete will help you to understand all you need to know about setting up and running an effective childminding business. In addition to this knowledge you can do the following:

• read the EYFS document There will be a childminder specific EYFS from January 4th 2024. The link will be uploaded to this page once it is available. There are no planned changes to requirements.
• read the Requirements for the Childcare Register; childcare providers on non-domestic or domestic premises
• Read what Ofsted say they want to see on your Registration Visit including documents they will need you to show them.
• risk assess your home and garden (if you have one), reduce any hazards and make sure you have any necessary safety equipment. We have created a choice of a blank risk assessment pro-forma which includes all the headings you should need and is ready for you to fill in with your own details of how you reduce the risk of hazards in your childminding practice, or we have a comprehensive risk assessment available to purchase which has most of the work done for you- you just need to take off parts that don't apply to you
• make sure you have all the resources that you need
• decide on what documentation you will be using. Consider if you would prefer to create your own documentation, purchase ready made products, or subscribe to an online record keeping system
• know how you are going to communicate with parents about your childminding service and share children's development

View our Youtube video about Preparing for your Registration Visit

Preparing for your Graded Inspection Visit

You will be inspected against the requirements of the EYFS. The following points will help you to ensure you are meeting these requirements.

• make sure that you have all necessary documentation in place. This will include your policies and procedures, risk assessments, consent forms etc.

• There is no requirement to show Ofsted observation records of children's learning, but you will need to demonstrate that you regularly do observe the children's learning and take steps to plan their future learning and development. If you wish to show observation records to Ofsted, you can do so. If you use an online recording system and want Ofsted to see this, you need to make sure you can log in to show the inspector the records you have created

• you will need to show Ofsted that you are aware of the local procedures you follow to help safeguard children

• you will need to demonstrate how you work with parents, sharing information about their child's development

• read the document Early Years Inspection Handbook which explains what the Ofsted inspector will look for during your inspection

• You could work through the Childminding UK Safeguarding and Welfare Checklist and the Learning Environment Checklists we have produced to help you check that you are meeting all the EYFS requirements and maximising the children's environment to foster their learning and development. These documents will help you show how you self-reflect on all aspects of your practice.

Recording Children's Development Online Training

This online course covers what you need to know about observing children, linking observations to the EYFS - including the Characteristics of Effective Learning and how to create a development file/learning journey for your minded children. It also covers information about the 2 year Progress Check.

Recording Children's Development

Module

£40

More information about DBS Checks once you are registered

It is not necessary to routinely re apply for DBS checks once you are registered. Ofsted explain this further below.

'We do not routinely repeat DBS checks on people who are already registered with us or we have agreed as suitable to work with children. We also do not need to carry out a DBS check on those people who are registered with us and have never had one, for example, because they were employed or registered before the DBS scheme began.

However, a new DBS is required when a person who is already known to Ofsted applies to register a new childcare provision, or to take on a new role with an existing registration where Ofsted decides on suitability, if any of the following criteria apply:

• The new role gives greater access to children or has more responsibility.

• There has been a break of more than three months between leaving the old post and taking up the new post.

• There are concerns about the person, which may affect his or her suitability.

• They have never had a DBS check.

If any of the above points apply, then the person will need a new DBS check and Ofsted recommends that they join the DBS update service. They may not start work until it has been received.

If a person’s DBS status changes or we receive information that suggests the person may no longer be suitable, we reserve the right to repeat any check – including the DBS. We accept DBS certificate for 3 months and this is a risk based approach.

Yes, we do share information with the police and vice-versa. Have a look here'

Written records

There are certain written records that you will be required to keep dependent on which registers you are on. The Early Years Register and the Childcare Register have different requirements. Childminders on both registers must meet the requirements for each of the registers. Your graded inspections will include checks to make sure that you are complying with statutory requirements of the EYFS or the Childcare Register.

Written records required for Childcare Register

If you are registered on either the Compulsory part of the Childcare Register - to care for children from the first of September after their 5th Birthday to 8 years - or the Voluntary part of the Childcare Register - to care for children over 8 years, you will need to keep the following written records:

personal information about each child

• full name, home address and telephone number of a parent/carer/guardian for each child who is looked after on the premises
• information about any other person who has parental responsibility for the children
• register of attendance including actual hours of attendance
• record of accidents which occur on the premises where childcare is provided
• record of medication administered to a child while in your care, including the date, circumstances, and who administered it, including medicine which the child is permitted to self administer
• written permission from parent/carer to administer medication
• name, address and telephone number of every person living or working on the premises where childcare is provided
• written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard the children being cared for from abuse or neglect
• written complaints procedure
• record of any complaints made including the outcome and shown to Ofsted on request.

Written records required for the Early Years Register

The Early Years Foundation Stage specifies that certain records need to be kept in writing. While it suggests that childminders do not need to have their policies in writing, and that the childminder can decide if risk assessments are recorded or not, it is deemed good practice to have these documents in writing too. This will demonstrate how you pass information to parents and others who need to know. It is a requirement that you maintain the records you need and share with parents, carers and other professionals including the police, social services and Ofsted as appropriate.

• Personal information about each child including full name, date of birth, name and address of every parent and/or carer who is known to the provider (and anyone else who is known to have parental responsibility for the child)
• Parents/carers' contact details and details about which parents/carers the child normally lives with
• Name, home address and telephone number of anyone else who will regularly be in unsupervised contact with the children attending
• A daily record of when the child attends including actual times and name of key person
• Records about vehicles used to transport children - including insurance, driving licence and MOT if applicable
• Emergency contact details for parents/carers
• Information about a child's need for medication and permission from parents to authorise the childminder for each and every medicine before any medication is given
• A record of any medication given while the child is in your care, including information about the medicine, the dosage given and who administered it
• A record of any accidents/ injury that happen while the child is in your care and any first aid treatment administered
• Record of any physical intervention used when managing children's behaviour
• Record of any complaints made and their outcome
• Information about each child's development, likes and dislikes before you start caring for them
• 2 year progress check
• Details of any assistants you employ along with evidence of their suitability for the role.

Other written records you may wish to consider

• Observations of young children's learning and development
• Records of fire drills carried out
• Emergency evacuation plan
• Written permission about which adults are authorised to collect the child
• Details of who has legal contact with the child if applicable
• Permission to seek emergency advice or treatment
• Permission for child to be included in outings
• Written policies and procedures
• Written risk assessments
• Written contracts with parents stating hours, conditions and payment terms agreed
• It is important to explain how you self-evaluate your practice. You may choose to produce a record showing how you reflect and improve your practice
• Visitors' book. Some childminders choose to have a visitors' book to show how they keep the children safe from unvetted visitors
• Written permission to take photographs of children
• Details about any assistants training records and any training you agree will be completed while they are working with you
• Details about supervision and appraisal meetings you hold with any assistants

There is no set way of recording any of the information mentioned above. It is perfectly acceptable to produce your own way of recording, providing the information is accurate and legible.

We have noticed that some childminders who employ others have been given Ofsted actions to carry out and record supervision and appraisal meetings for their assistants and/or to ensure their assistants are given opportunity to undertake continuous training

Notifying Ofsted of Changes

Once you are registered, there is a legal requirement to let Ofsted know of certain changes and situations.

This webpage

Gives links for the following:

• Report a serious childcare incident
• Report children' accidents and injuries
• Report new adults in the home
• Tell Ofsted about adults leaving the home
• Get a background check if you live or work with a childminder
• Pay your childcare invoice
• Pay your annual fee by Direct Debit
• Applying to work for up to 50% of the time on non-domestic premises (EYA)

Significant events to notify Ofsted about

Once you are registered, you are required to inform Ofsted about significant events that are "likely to affect an individual’s continued suitability to care for or be in regular contact with children".

Determining what counts as a significant event depends on many factors, including who the event involved and how much contact any individual involved may have with children.

As the registered provider, you should use your judgement to determine whether you should notify Ofsted. The greater the risk to children posed by the significant event, the more likely it is that you should notify.

Ofsted also need to know about anything significant that is likely to affect the suitability of individuals to care for, or be in regular contact with, children. We need to know about these events, even if they happen when you are not working with children.

You can read the full Guidance here.

Ofsted's Enforcement Policy

Ofsted’s policy on how they regulate childcare providers explains what we may do if a provider is not following the regulations. You can read the full informationhere