Does anyone know what "childcare in a domestic premises" is actually going to mean??

[MrsPuddleduck]

I didn't really get much joy out of OFSTED.

I am becoming a childminder with a view to working with a friend of mine who is already registered to open up a small and friendly setting. I'm not sure whether or not by falling under this category we will be able to avoid becoming a nursery.

All I do know is that one person has got to be NVQ3 qualified, on the premises at all times and be labelled 'manager'.

Didn't get much joy from OFSTED and just wondered if anyone was in a similar position?

Well, domestic means 'home' surely?

No really - I'm going to be doing it - but they haven't told me what it is going to be

OFSTED aren't much help are they?

Katymac - are you going to continue as a 'childcare provider on domestic premises' until you can set up your nursery?

That is what we are planning to do - depending what it is 'CPODP' turns out to be.

I find it slightly farsical that you phone up and are told that you will be 'something' but they're not sure 'what' and they can't tell you what you are going to be or what you are going to need because they don't know themselves yet. It is only 3 months away .

I am waiting for some guy from our local planning department to phone me between 4 and 5 tonght to tell me what D1 planning constitutes, and whether we are likely to get it on a domestic premises. The world really has gone mad...

I'm doing both

My current parents chose childminding

Your council will want a planning fee (£220 here) to change the use - if they let you

this

Seems to suggest I am right & OFSTED are wrong

About 30 phone calls later........

Basically we are going to have to find a property and pray we can get D1 usage. Still waiting to hear from the planning officer as to the types of property which will be suitable.

We don't need to set up a 'day nursery' as such or call it a 'day nursery' as long as we meet the necessary criteria.

The problem is in a relatively populated area the neighbours may object.

Do be careful - are you going to rent or buy>

Would rather rent but may buy (only if sure we could get the necessary consent).

Friend knows someone with a house they can't sell whihc could be ideal. They may rent it to us for a while and then we could buy it later....as long as we didn't do any major works to it.

It is on a housing esate but is a link detached on a corner plot backing onto fields. Friend knows the person at the other side and so could ask if they would object before we comitted ourselves.

Still brainstorming re the property at the moment - it is the only stumbling block so far LOL!

Parking will be a major issue
You will need to have parking for staff & parents & visitors & disabled

There is usually a parking document for your council - try & google it

I needed 12.5 for my 30 space nursery

Plus noise wrt the neighbours

Do NOT try and get D1 planning on a domestic premises. If they grant it (which is very unlikely - it's extremely rare to get change of use from a house to D1), you will be stuck with a house you can't sell, as once you have got it, they won't change it back.

What is this new rule? Sounds to me like another attempt to shut private childcare businesses down.

I think we are definitely going to have to find somewhere to rent if possible. We now have a possible place in mind.

Thanks for the tip off bobbysmum - I can't believe you can't change back to residential use!

You definitely WON'T be able to rent if it means getting change of use to D1. No landlord would ever go for that in a million years. It would devalue their house.

I'd like to know more about this new law, but the reality to me sounds like a clever ploy to shut childminding businesses down.

Just been told by the council that it would be possible to put in an application for change of use back to a residential property.

Why did you think you couldn't bobbysmum?

It is possible, of course, insofar as everything is possible in theory.

But it's very very difficult to get change of use in the first place, and even more difficult to get it changed back.

That's why it's so bloody hard to open a nursery. It takes years to find premises where you're allowed to do it.

No landlord in their right mind would risk it. You could buy a house and hope for the best, but I wouldn't advise it really.

Far better to look for a church hall.