Nanny completely confused by qualifications

[NannyNat]

Hi everyone
I have posted before but not about this.
I am looking into college courses to help me broaden my horizons so to speak. Although the family i work with have never been worried about the fact I have no qualifications I am worried that when eventually I finish working with them that i will struggle to find work as a Nanny again.
I live right in the middle of Somerset so there aren't a great number of families looking for nannies.
Anyway the problem is i work full time and i want to be able to do something in the evenings that will help me in the future. Does anyone know of any distance learning options that i could look into. Preferably ones that would be recognised by Ofsted.
I know its complicated but any help would be really appreciated x

It seems to me that childcarers are being encouraged to do the Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce as it is suitable for a variety of different childcare related jobs. I don't know much about it but I think it's modular and you can do some units which are specialist to the area in which you work. See Level 3 Units which also mentions Pathways.

One of the units is CYPOP5 Understand how to set up a home based childcare
service. That unit appears to me to be replacing the ICP that Childminders used to do. So you may well find your local council runs a CYPOP5 course, which would be a starting point for you, then after that you could go on to do other units.

Bridgwater College runs the Level 2 CYPW course. So maybe get in touch with them to find out more about that - I can't see from the website if it's a daytime course, or evening based for example.

The DCYPW is indeed modular and there are 3 'pathways' that you can choose from.

MNT offer it via distance learning but you need to be working in a setting where you can be observed.

It is IMO a vast improvement on the previous range of qualifications and far, far superior to the DHC which was supposedly aimed at nannies. It's going back to the old school NNEBs I many ays and that's a good thing.

Thanks so much guys :) i have been looking online and i just can't seem to find anything thats actually any use.
Would me being a nanny be an ok environment to be observed or would it have to be a nursery or something? i am so new to all this, my sister has a level 3 NVQ in early years but she went to college for 2 years full time to get it and i'm really not in any kind of position to give up any work. I have seen a distance learning course www.childcarecollege.co.uk/child-care/course-overview/ but don't know whether thats the sort of thing i should be looking at
But seriously thanks both of you, I love doing the work i do and i just want to know that i will be able to take it a bit further x

As a nanny employer I would be happy with any relevant childcare qualification when it's combined with experience, any such qualification would give me confidence in my child's safety in your care.

Not the childcarecollege one. That's a perfect example of the money for old rope which has grown up because of the bewildering array of qualifications - it's easy to see 'childcare' and 'diploma' and assume its worth something. It isn't.

A nanny would be fine as placement as long as your employers were happy. Call MNT to talk it through.

MNT

Thanls Fraktious i had my reservations about it but its nice to be told its not a good idea.
I'll give MNT a ring and get some information. The only thing i worry about being observed at work is that they are about to have lots of work done to their house and i don't know how long we will be invaded by workmen for.
LCarbury thanks, its nice to know that as an employer you can see the benefit of a Nanny getting a qualification just to boost their ability :-) x

It doesn't have to be nannying AFAIK. A voluntary placement in a playgroup or similar would I believe be just as valid. Good luck with MNT and if you decide to go for it consider joining BAPN first because then you get a discount

red cross pediatric first aid course might also be worth doing?

The National Extension College www.nec.ac.uk offer recognised childcare qualifications via distance learning. I did my level 3 through them & they were very good (a while ago now though)

I rang MNT unfortunately they can't offer me a course as they don't assess in my area. so back on the lookout now. finding it very hard to find anything in somerset that works around work...NannyNat makes a sad face :(

Did you look at nec above as they are offering the new L3 Diploma for the Children & Young People Workforce including CYPOP5 which is the home based care unit