Practice support for new childminders

Practice, policies and procedures you must implement within your setting.

Food safety

Once registered with Ofsted or a childminder agency, your local district or borough council may contact you directly with regard to food provision and tell you if you need to register with them.

Food hygiene regulations say that childminders have to keep records to show what they do to keep food safe. The Food Standards Agency pack safer food, better business for childminders enables you to do this with as little paperwork as possible.

First aid

Every childminder needs to be paediatric first aid trained. Paediatric first aid is for childminders working with children aged from birth to 8 years. You must choose a training provider whose course satisfies the requirements of the Ofsted registration.

Check this with the training provider before you enrol to ensure you are compliant. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework for childminders (Annex A) explains what the course should cover.

Paediatric first aid training must be renewed every 3 years.

The county council provides local courses at competitive prices. Check the early years and childcare brochure for the latest dates and booking information.

Contact early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk if you have questions.

Policies and Procedures

Childminders are not required to have written policies and procedures. However, they must be able to explain their policies and procedures to parents, carers, and others (for example Ofsted inspectors or the childminder agency with which they are registered) and ensure any assistants follow them.

For further information, refer to section 3 of the EYFS statutory framework.

The following policies are compulsory to have in writing if you are also registered on the childcare register:

  • safeguarding children
  • complaints procedure
  • a staff behaviour policy if you employ others

PACEY (Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years) has a helpful beginner's guide for policies and procedures.

Safeguarding

Childminders must attend a child protection training course taking account of any advice from the local safeguarding partnership or local authority on appropriate training courses that helps them to identify, understand and respond appropriately to signs of possible abuse and neglect at the earliest opportunity. (EYFS; 3.27)

The West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures include all the procedures you are expected to follow in West Sussex. Every childcare practitioner has a duty to report all concerns regarding the welfare of any aged child. This must be reported to Children’s Services, in line with the Childcare Act 2006 and PAN Sussex child Protection and Safeguarding procedures.

The county council provides the following local courses at competitive prices:

  • safeguarding and child protection for early years and childcare practitioners
  • safeguarding and child protection designated refresher training for childminders (if you have previously completed a safeguarding course)

Check the early years and childcare brochure for the latest dates and booking information.

Contact early.years.training@westsussex.gov.uk if you have questions.

Supporting children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

All early years providers in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors that are funded by the local authority must ‘have regard to the SEND code of practice 2015’.

Chapter 5 of the code of practice explains the actions early years providers should take to meet their duties in relation to identifying and supporting all children with SEND, whether they have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) in place or not.

The majority of children with additional or special educational needs will not require special resources or enhanced staffing to be successfully included. Most early years and childcare providers will meet the additional needs of their children well using reasonable adjustments and Ordinarily Available Inclusive Practice (OAIP).

Childminders are able to receive support both with practice and additional funding to support children identified with SEND. Read more about support available to you in our diversity and inclusion webpage.

Quality of provision

As well as being financially viable, you will also need to consider how you will ensure you are providing high quality, inclusive education and childcare. Research is clear that high quality education in the early years improves outcomes for all children in their early years and has a particularly positive impact for the most vulnerable children.

The EYFS statutory framework for childminders sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old. All Ofsted registered early years and childcare providers must follow the EYFS.

Our information for childcare web pages offer support and guidance which will be of use both prior to opening and as an on-going resource to help you. They include information on quality improvement, practice support and a comprehensive training programme.