How exactly do annual Ofsted registration fees work?

[Yanka]

We have had a nanny for the past year and have paid all of her Ofsted registration fees, courses, insurance, etc. This registration is about to expire next month. She will be leaving us in 2 months so we don't really need her to be Ofsted registered anymore, as we don't get any benefit from her next year's registration. She prefers to wait for what her next job will be before re-registering (she is also taking some time off to travel between jobs)
However, apparently ofsted are pressurising her into paying the ~£100 fee immediately, stating that the payment is for the past year (so the nanny believes we should be paying it) - surely that cannot be, as we have paid the £100 fee upfront last year?
I have tried searching the Ofsted site but couldn't find the info on this - so any advice appreciated! Thanks.

Why not give Ofsted a ring.

Well, our nanny did that tonight, wanting to inform Ofsted that she no longer wishes to be registered - and was told that she still needs to pay the next £103, otherwise she will be accumulating penalties for non-payment. This is directly against what I was explained by Ofsted when we were registering our nanny (i.e. if the nanny no longer wishes to be registered, she informs Ofsted and is removed from the register). So, before I ring them tomorrow, I thought I would get other people's experience of this - seems like every person who you speak to gives you a different info - and I really don't want to pay £103 for something I don't get any benefit of...

The fee is initially charged during the application process, so I feel it covers a one year period commencing as of the date on the certificate. Ofsted of course may feel differently - but it would be interesting to find out what a court thinks... wonder if Ofsted has 'bullied' someone for non-payment and it has got to court level - doubt it, but you never know.

Ofsted's own guide to Registration on the Childcare Register says "An annual fee is payable on the anniversary of the date you were registered."

Childcare Act 2006 says that the Chief Inspector can cancel someone's registration "(e) in any case, that he has failed to pay a prescribed fee."
So I feel your nanny needs to notify Ofsted in writing that they wish to be removed from the register, prior to the fee becoming due. If the due date passes, then Ofsted could de-register them as a Cancellation of Registration, which may then prevent them from re-registering.
Section 70 of Childcare Act 2006 covers Voluntary De-Registration.

Have found an SI that looks relevant
The Childcare (Fees) Regulations 2008 Having a quick scan of that document, looks like it does not say anything new... fee payable on renewal date - or put the legal way "the day in each year which is the anniversary of the date on which the person became registered under section 64(1) of the 2006 Act." (quote from The Childcare (Fees) Regulations 2008).

If your nanny does not pay the fee, then you CAN NOT continue to use Childcare Vouchers (assuming you are using those). Your voucher provider may permit you to 'hold' vouchers for a while, so you still get them each month but 'spend' them at a later date. I would advise discussing this with the voucher administrator.

Thanks a lot Nannynick - I will post what I was told, because my understanding is exactly the same as yours - you pay and you get one year registration, so all this talk about 'this fee is for the past year' seems like a way to try to get more money out of people. I am aware we won't be able to use vouchers with her anymore, but that's not an issue as she is finishing soon and moving on as I go on maternity leave.

Keep in mind that The Childcare Act 2006 and The Childcare (Fees) Regulation 2008 are LAW. Ofsted does not make the law, it is part of the enforcement. So if Ofsted do tell you something different to what is written in Law, then a complaint can be made to Ofsted with regard to incorrect procedural policy.

It is always better to write/e-mail (e-mail has to include a digital signature, such as your signature scanned as a JPG) than to phone Ofsted. They take longer to respond to e-mail, but they have to respond to it in a given time period (can't recall exact period) and I have found that e-mail tends to be answered better, as it could be subsequently be used to challenge Ofsted policy.