> Family life
Working as a home based childcare will often affect your family lives to, as your own children will not be able to have your undivided attention once they get home from school or activities as you will have other children to care for. All toys and activities have to be freely accessible to all children. Often your own children will be required to co-operatively share meal times with the other children you care for.
There is however a perk to becoming a home based childcare, that your own children will have a constant stream of others to play with and your home or the rooms which you use to care for others children, may mean your children have an increased selection of play toys and other resources.
> Contact your local authority or local Family Information Service
Once your have successfully completed your discussion with your immediate family and friends affected, you must contact your local Family Information Service or local you council and register for a briefing mini session. Briefing mini sessions are often called slightly different names depending upon the local council however they each have the same purpose, to inform you as a new home based childcare.The exact amount of mini sessions will depend upon where you are based (your local council regulations), although there is usually a high amount of data passed out and the convenience of asking enquiries.
The briefing mini sessions usually also give useful information about how to successfully register with the correct regulatory body such as Ofsted.
> Training
In the briefing mini sessions, there will information passed out about pre registration training required. Pre registration training is compulsory, irrespective of previous training certifications. While it may be amazing background knowledge, a degree, NNEB, DNN, BTEC Diploma or NVQ Level 3 or any other childcare qualification at another level, you are not at all excluded from the pre registration training needed to become a home based child-carer.
Mandatory training includes but not limited to: safeguarding children, paediatric first aid, your local authority-approved pre registration course. The training necessary may be completed online or within a face to face environment. The training necessary for pre registration often takes place on a variety of time within the day. Sometimes you may find you qualify for help towards the costs of completing these pre registration requirements, however you may have to be inclined to pay something towards these fundamental costs.
Any other relevant training, must be applicable to current legislation and education frameworks.
> Vetting
Anyone who cares for children, works or comes into contact with children is called for to undertake a criminal record check (currently known as DBS), these people however must be aged 16 or over. Anyone also living in the home based childcare setting and aged above 16 is also demanded to undertake a criminal record check. Criminal record checks are initiated through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
The previous criminal record check were not portable, therefore if you were working within a nursery or school before becoming a home based child-carer, you are unable to use these checks. After September 2014, it is a legally necessary for everyone working with children to reapply for a DBS check. You will be barred from caring for others children within your home, unless you have a current up to date DBS check.
Within England, a DBS check is performed by Ofsted or a agency, on the side of the Disclosure and Barring Service. Your DBS certification however does not have a limited availability, however it recommended to rechecked every three years. It is however mandatory to inform Ofsted or a childminder/ nanny agency, if any circumstances, or anyone within your household or assistant, change such as:
> if your teenage son/daughter is arrested for a drug misdemeanour
> if your assistant's partner is arrested for crimes against children
> if your partner is arrested for domestic abuse or bodily harm against another person
This list however is not complete, therefore if you ever have a concern, contact Ofsted or an childminder/nanny agency directly.
DBS checks are usually carried out online via the Ofsted website, www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you have any questions, you can always contact customerservices@dbs.gsi.gov.uk . From September 2014, a DBS check cost a childminder/ or nanny £44. When you attend briefing mini session, you will receive all applicable forms, if you wish to apply via paper form instead of online.
> References and health checks
Before you become registered, you will asked to provide character references, these are usually from a previous employer, they should not however be made by family or personal friends. You will also be asked to complete a health check declaration from, which your doctor may charge an additional cost for this service. All information concerning these will be passed out when you attend the briefing mini sessions or any other pre registration sessions.
> Transport
If your planning on using your personal vehicle for transporting the children within your care, it is mandatory to have a valid driving licence. an MOT (which depends upon vehicle age) and an up to date road tax. It is also highly recommend that as a precaution you join a motoring institution which offers car rescue cover therefore you and the children your transporting will never become stranded if your car breaks down.
> Contracts
You must ensure that you do not start caring for another person's child until you have an agreed contract between yourself and the child's parents/carers. A contract is a legally binding document, which covers the child/ and their parents/carers personal details, fees to be charged, when and how the child/children will be collected, the hours of childcare, holiday and sickness arraignments as a minimum. If you decide to join PACEY, you will have the option to purchase contract documentation which has already been check by legal teams.
Details concerning the contact should be discussed in the initial meeting and co-operatively signed by both the childcare provider and the child/children's parents/carers before the settling in period. It will take a considerable amount of time to successfully complete a contract which includes benefits for the childcare provider and the parents/carers co optatively and therefore should not be rushed. It is not recommend practise to meet the child and their parents/carers and also complete the contract all in the initial meeting session.
Contracts are crucial and therefore must be regularly up dated every time the child's circumstances change, including but not limiting to, different days of care or hours they will be attending your childcare setting. Again, these contacts must be resigned by yourself and the child's parents/carers. You must always securely file one copy in the child's file and also give the child's parents/carers a copy to.
> Join a professional organisation
A professional organisation will give you a high level of support and access to large amounts of knowledge. In England, the most well know professional organisation is the Professional Association for Children and Early Years (PACEY). PACEY offers aid in relation to insurance and other conditions of the home based childcare business. You also have the opportunities to purchase your contracts, child record forms, accident record books, attendance records and other very useful business equipment/ resources. PACEY members also have unlimited online access to a wider variety of resources including online videos, free online training, and advice phone lines including legal, health and well being and early years and childcare guidance.