Opening up a creche

[Lifeinagoldfishbowl]

Hi I have been approached about opening up a creche and wondered what I should be thinking about as a priority.

So far I have thought about

• Days and timings - when the space offered is avaiable and whether it would be veasible to open at weekends(?)
• Registering with Ofsted unless I only open less than 2 hours a day then I wouldn't need to be registered
• Staffing - how many qualified staff I need next to unqualified and first aiders etc. Could I work as a qualified member in charge of 4 mums (who are not qualified)
• Age range of children vs ratio
• Payment (parents/staff)

Anything else?

Holidays & sickness of staff - cost plus replacement

Who is keeping the accounts doing the payroll

Risk assessments & policies

Insurance (PL, employers, contents)

Size of area vs number of children

Who will be the registered person

Food/drinks/snacks

I'll get back to you with more later

Knew you would have the answers Katy

TBH Someone mentioned opening the creche to me on Tues and I thought (Nah, can't be bothered with all that) but now am wondering whether it would be a good thing to do etc - however they have no idea about setting one up and I also have worked in childcare but as a nursery room leader and nanny so not had to put together a nursery as such.

You need NannyNick for the regs - I really don't understand them any more

Planning permission

Business Rates

Utility bills including connection of services.

Creche Regs... hmm, used to be much easier under the old way Ofsted did things with National Standards for each category.

You don't need to register with Ofsted

• If you provide care where a child does not stay with you for more than two hours a day, even if your childcare service is open for longer than two hours.

• If you care for children under eight for four hours or less each day and the care is for the convenience of parents who plan to stay on the premises where you are providing care or within the immediate area. This type of provision has no long-term commitment to provide care for children ? for example, a shoppers? crèche, a crèche attached to a sports centre or adult learning centre, or an exhibition ? and covers services where children do not necessarily attend every day.

(Source)

Even if either of the above situations is the case, you can still register... you just don't have to do it.

I think it would mean you being on the Voluntary part of the Childcare Register as a provider on Non-Domestic Premises.

I think this is the appropriate factsheet.

I knew Nick would know

might www.outofschoolalliance.co.uk/sett-ofsted.php be usefull to have a look at, some useful pointers on setting stuff up.

I don't know for sure... I'm just logically guessing

Lifeinagoldfishbowl avoid having the children for too long a time... as then you would need to register as if you were a Nursery. Aim to fit it to the things I wrote earlier, so either the 2 hour limit, or the 4 hour limit depending on the situation.

If the children are over 3yrs old, you could do the 4 hr day thing if the main focus was not care, ie: music, art, sport club.

Ratio for that is 1:8 (reccommended), you will still need planning permission, fire service, environmental health checks etc, basically everything but your Ofsted cert (although you will get one to say you dont need to register, which they reccommend that you display LOL)

Just read your post it sounds like you have been offered a site?, if so then I would work on the basis of what the site is suitable for, such as ages of children, days opening and times (check with local planning as these may be restricted on the regs), toilet's (you need 1 sink and loo for every 10 children over the age of 2) disabled access, is it near a school, could you do some wrap around kind of thing.

Look at cost of rent / ameneties / waste disposal / heat / light etc. Get your basic running costs, then work back over to see how many paying users you need and the cost of staff.

You will need a first aider on site at all times and someone with food hygeine (ideally all staff should have these) Quals will need a Level 3 at least (depending on which register if any you are on with ofsted) and at least 1/2 staff are required to have a relevant qual (again depends on what reg you end up with)

All sounds exciting. good luck

Staff cannot use the same loo as the children

& over a certain age you need girls & boys loo but I can't remember which age

Umm disabled access & disabled loos are a big issue currently (& as a new provision you must comply)

Statutory training for your staff (safeguarding, first aid & food hygiene) but be renewed 3 yearly so allow for that in your budget

What you do when a member of staff or manager is off or ill

Maternity provision

Good point mentioning Waste Disposal. Nappies I think are classed as a different type of waste to normal business waste.

NatRegs.gov.uk : Sanitary Waste

Your local council might be able to offer help. Ours is very proactive and offers training/courses/advice for those wanting to offer childcare in the Borough.

Good luck.

I run creches but they are mobile so not a permanent site or I hold them at children centres. The staff I use are all childminders as the ncma childminder insurance covers them for public liability as a creche worker and then they can be classed and paid as self employed.
I use mm creche insurance, I think I paid £278 and it covers me for employers liability and up to 50 creches a year. You can add on to it for buildings and equipment.