So can you just "be" a childminder or do you have to get registered, or do any training/police disclosures?

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

I have to go back to work in january and we're also moving to a small town with not many callcentres/similar within a 20 mile radius of it (my previous line of work) so my options are shopwork, waiting staff or some form of work from home such as doing people's ironing (but I absolutely can't and don't iron) or babysitting.

So this led on to me thinking about childminding. I have no childminding qualifications though, can you make informal arrangements with someone to mind their child while they work, or do you have to have training and be registered/police checked etc?

And if I did do it informally, what on earth would I charge?

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might be a good idea to post this in the Childminder/nanny/aupair section, there's loads of really knowledgeable people there who know all about this.

You have to register with OFSTED, your home will be inspected. You have to do ICP in childminding practice course and also your first aid. You cannot start minding until you have been inspected although you have 6 months to do the courses.

And also, just as importantly, you have to really want to be a childminder! Whereas I can conceive of doing e.g. waitressing or retail work without my heart being in it in order to make some money, I think I would have to really want to work with children in order to consider doing it.