OFSTED registration as nanny or childminder???

[alysonpeaches]

I have advertised for a nanny or childcarer and had several replies.

I am interested in one girl who has completed year one of a degree in Early Childhood Studies and has also worked in nurseries and looked after children previously.

She isnt registered. IF she was the right candidate, I would be prepared to assist with registration and Im going to chat to her about this tomorrow.

Thing is, is it more appropriate for someone like this to be registered as a nanny on the voluntary register or could they be registered as a childminder? She would be caring for the children in my home, which is more in keeping with a nanny, and she would be doing the school run.

I have looked at the OFSTED guide to registration and it makes the distinction of caring for children on own premises or in childrens home.

Can someone else clarify the difference between childminder or nanny solely for registration purposes, please?

Does she need to be registered at all? Registration of nannies is only needed if the parents are going to part-pay salary using Childcare Vouchers, or using Childcare Element of Tax Credits.

I don't think completing one year of a degree course will be sufficient to register under the Ofsted scheme for nannies. They are now wanting Level 2 in childcare, or Common Core - see this factsheet. However to get on the degree course, I suspect she needed prior formal education, so may done a course in the past that Ofsted will recognise at Level 2. You can search for courses at CWDC which will show what level a course is and if it is valid. Note: There may be some faults with the system, as I can't find my qualification - CACHE Diploma in Nursery Nursing (NNEB) - on the list, yet can find it's predecessor - Diploma in Nursery Nursing NNEB. Hmm... I am hoping that is a database glitch.

As you say, a nanny is someone who cares for a child in the child's own home. A childminder cares for a children at their [the childminders] home. So your nanny registering as a childminder isn't an option.

Caring for kids in their own home = childminder. They must register with Ofsted as a childminder.

Caring for kids in someone else's home = nanny. Don't need to be registered with Ofsted.

Hope that helps.

I do need the OFSTED registration to claim back tax credits, otherwise this wont be viable.

Help Nannynick or anyone!

I have had an informal chat with the girl who is interested in being our nanny. She is OK with the registration process and told me the following:

She did a first aid course at School when she was in the 6th form, it was run by St John's Ambulance and she got a certificate. I asked her to look out the certificate and tell me what it says on it. Is the first aid certificate of any type or a particular one?

Secondly, in addition to completing year one of a degree in Early Childhood Studies, she also has Double Health and Social Care at A level. I wondered if this was equivalent to one of the NVQ courses? I tried that qualifications check but it didnt work for me.

What do you think?

She will have to register as a nanny on the voluntuary register and YOU will have to pay her tax and NI.

sorry - but any employer will always have to pay paye/nic regardless of ofsted registration or not - its my understanding that ofsted reg just allows you to use childcare vouchers to pay some of nanny wages which give the employer some ni benefit in their own pay packed.

but I may be way off beam here re the ofsted reg significance

re the first aid - for registration with Ofsted your nanny will need to do a 12hour paediatric first aid course. This also needs to be redone every 3 years as procedures change and are updated and also as a memory jog, as hopefully you will have needed to use very little of your training.

poppy34 - I need the OFSTED registration otherwise I wont get the childcare element on MY tax credits. I know I will have to do her tax and NI.

Does anyone know if the A level Double Award Health and Social Care is equivalent to the level 3 NVQ?

She did a first aid course at School when she was in the 6th form

Does she have the certificate, what is the full course title and the Year? They are valid for 3 years. As far as I am aware Ofsted now only accept a 12-hour course, not the shorter courses. The course must meet Ofsted's criteria, which many short courses a few years back didn't.

I doubt Ofsted will accept a non-completed degree, or a Health & Social Care A-Level.
Doing a distance learning course such as OCN Common Core Skills would be advisable.

I feel your candidate is a non-starter, as they just don't have the prior training needed for them to be registered reasonably quickly.
Do you have other candidates to see?

There are various courses that could match with Health & Social Care (Double Award). Do you have any additional details, such as the examination board, full course title, year of certificate etc?

• A GCSE course - this is a pre-NVQ course at the look of it, so def not NVQ2 or NVQ3 equivalent.

it may be a course like this which is AS/A2 level. Not sure that would suit Ofsted either but you never know it might.

Probably best to obtain a copy of the certificate and any additional info sheets (such as module grades) and then get in touch with Ofsted, to see if they can answer your query.

Yes I have another candidate. She has level 2 NVQ Childcare and Education, and has a first aid certificate which may need renewing. Her mum is a nanny too and her mum says that she can get a First Aid 12 hour course quite easily through preschool learning alliance.

I have also had another few replies today and one looks quite promising.

I think half of the problem will be finding someone, then figuring out how to pay them before their OFSTED comes in.

NVQ 2 in Childcare and Education is far more likely to suit Ofsted. example of a CACHE NVQ 2 Childcare and Education which has been evaluated as meeting the mandatory requirements.

12-Hour First Aid courses are run by a variety of organisations on a regular basis, so getting that updated should not be much of a problem.

As you say, your main issue is your ability to pay the person prior to them getting their Ofsted certificate. Therefore it may be wise to only consider candidates who are already Ofsted registered.

I don't know how the paying via tax credits part works, as I am part paid with Childcare Vouchers. I think I would be right in saying that Tax Credits needs you to employ someone who is Ofsted registered, so I can't see how you can employ them before they are Ofsted registered, unless you are paying that 100% yourself.

You are correct nanny nick. They ask you for the OFSTED number of the childcare provider that you pay.

I am starting to think this is a non starter unless I can find someone already registered.

Perhaps finding a childminder would be easier.
Would mean taking your children to someone else's home. There are pros and cons to it. But one bit PRO is that a Registered Childminder is already registered.