GovWire

Introduction

There are 2 types of domestic childcare registrations:

• childminder (up to and including 3 people providing care)
• childcare on domestic (4 or more people providing care)

Childminders can work alone or with other childminders and assistants. A separate childcare on domestic premises registration is required when the number of people providing care exceeds 3.

Domestic premises is somewhere used wholly or mainly as a private home. The premises includes any area and any vehicle where childcare is provided.

You must register as childcare on domestic premises provision if you are providing childcare with 4 or more other people unless you are exempt from registration. You can either register with Ofsted or a childminder agency.

For information on what happens once you have submitted your Ofsted application form, see: Childcare: Application review.

People providing or assisting with childcare

People providing, or assisting with providing, childcare on the premises could include:

• Ofsted-registered childminders
• agency-registered childminders
• childminding assistants
• apprentices
• students
• volunteers

You will still need to be registered to provide childcare on domestic premises if the total number of people providing or assisting with childcare is 4 or more, even if those assisting are not included in the ratios.

Household members, assistants and visitors

We must complete suitability checks on all people aged 16 years and older who live or work on the premises. This includes:

• anyone who lives on the premises where the childcare is provided (family or other household members)
• anyone who works on the premises where the childcare is provided during childcare hours, such as a cleaner or childminders assistant

You need to notify us of people that fit the above criteria and they must apply to join your registration.

People providing health care

Section 18 of the Childcare Act 2006 defines childcare. It excludes any form of health care for a child. If a medical professional attends the provision to provide health care only, they cannot be counted as somebody providing or assisting with childcare. The medical professional must not assist with or provide childcare, even for less than 2 hours a day. The provider must set out very clear expectations and role requirements to ensure that childcare is not provided by healthcare professionals.

Requirements

Childcare on domestic is defined as a group setting. You will need to follow all requirements for nurseries and other daycare rather than childminding, for example the ratio and staff qualification requirements.

If you also operate as a childminder, you will need to follow all requirements for childminders or childcare on domestic premises depending on which provision you are operating as at the time.

Planning permission

You should check with your local planning department whether you need planning permission to operate as childcare on domestic premises. The requirements for registration do not replace the other legal responsibilities that you must still meet.

Dual registration

You must make sure that the number of people assisting with your provision aligns with your registration type:

• childminder (up to, and including 3 people providing care)
• childcare on domestic (4 or more people providing care)

If you want to work part of your time as a childminder and part as childcare on domestic premises, you need to register separately as both provider types and pay 2 separate annual fees. You will need to meet the relevant requirements and clearly distinguish to parents and inspectors, if asked, what provision you are offering. You will also have separate inspections. The law does not permit you to act as a childminder and childcarer on domestic premises on the same premises at the same time.

If the number of people providing, or assisting with, the childcare on domestic provision occasionally falls below 4, the provision can continue to operate. However, it must continue to meet, and will be inspected against, the group requirements. If the number of people frequently or usually falls below 4, they may prefer to operate under a childminder registration. This would avoid having to meet the group requirements all the time.

Agency-registered providers and Ofsted

A registered childminder who also wants to register to provide childcare on domestic premises must hold both registrations, either with a childminder agency or with Ofsted.

For further information, see: agency-registered childminders and Ofsted.

Publishing your registration details

Once registered, we automatically publish the following information on Ofsteds find an inspection report website and in our official statistics:

• URN
• date of registration
• register type (for example, the Early Years Register)
• the care type (for example, childminder or home childcarer)
• conditions of registration
• available inspection reports

We will also publish your setting name and address, unless you ask us not to. If you change your mind about that, we can remove your details from the website later. To submit a request for us to remove this information, you will need to contact us from your registered email address and quote the URN for each setting affected.

Inspections

If you have joined the Early Years Register, we will inspect your provision. If you have joined the Childcare Register only, we may carry out a compliance inspection.

We will usually contact you before your childcare on domestic premises inspection. The inspector will ask about how you are operating. For further information, see: notification of inspection (for group provision).

We will carry out a no children on roll or present on the day inspection if you are not operating.

If you are operating as a childminder, we will decide whether to do a no children on roll or present on the day inspection or inspect your childminding provis

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