Changing who you are registered with

Guidance for childminders on what to do when changing the regulatory body you are registered with.

Childminders can choose to change who regulates them. You might move from Ofsted to a childminder agency, from a childminder agency to Ofsted, or from one childminder agency to another. The information below tells you what you need to do, who you need to inform and what happens if you offer the Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE).

Why you must tell us

As a childminder, you must tell the local authority if you change the regulatory body you are registered with because:

  • you can only register with one regulatory body at a time
  • you will get a new unique reference number (URN) when you move
  • West Sussex County Council needs to update its records so information for families stays correct
  • if you offer EYFE, you must sign up again using your new URN
  • telling us as early as possible helps us put any support you need in place sooner

If you offer EYFE

Not all childminders offer Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE), but if you do, changing your regulator will affect this.

When your unique reference number (URN) changes, you must sign up again to offer EYFE under your new URN. The EYFE sign-up process can take up to 6 weeks so you must tell us as early as possible. You can start your EYFE sign-up before your new registration becomes active.

If you tell us early, we can check your documents in advance so that we can set up your EYFE access as soon as your new URN becomes active.

You can find full details about how to apply to offer Early Years Funded Entitlement.

Changing your regulatory body (Ofsted or childminder agency)

The steps you need to take are the same whether you move from Ofsted to a childminder agency, from a childminder agency to Ofsted, or from one childminder agency to another.

You need to:

  • tell us as early as possible about the change to your setting
  • complete registration with your new regulatory body and wait for approval, after which you will receive a new URN
  • re‑sign up for EYFE using your new URN if you offer EYFE
  • tell families about the change so they understand what is happening

You need to know:

  • you cannot be registered with more than one regulatory body at the same time
  • your old registration must end when your new registration starts
  • you can only offer EYFE under a current URN
  • you can start your EYFE re‑sign‑up before your new registration becomes active, and we strongly recommend that you do this
  • in some situations, such as when a childminder agency closes, Ofsted may temporarily treat you as registered, but you must still complete full registration within 6 months

Contacting us about the change

If you make changes to your setting, you must contact both the Family Information Service and the Early Years Funded Entitlement teams.

When you contact us, tell us:

  • who you are currently registered with
  • who you will be registered with next
  • when you expect the change to happen

This helps us keep your records up to date and set them up correctly. It also allows us to send you the right information to support you to sign up again to offer EYFE. This includes sharing relevant policies for us to review and asking you to sign a new provider declaration.

You can find more information about applying to offer EYFE on the Apply to offer Early Years Funded Entitlement.