Childminder Registration Process ‘Ofsted’

You must register with Ofsted to become a childminder (look after children in your own home). To complete childminder registration, you need:

• To get DBS checks (and criminal record certificates for anyone aged 16 or older in the home)
• First aid training based on the child age group
• Childcare training (contact your local council)
• To provide the contact details of two (2) references
• To fill in the form in the Ofsted health declaration booklet

Extra requirements apply if the applicant lived abroad in the last five (5) years (or any of the adults living in the home). If so, you will need to get ‘Certificates of Good Character‘ issued by the relevant embassy.

---

Cost to Register with Ofsted

In most cases, the cost of Ofsted annual registration as a childminder is £35. But, there will be additional costs to take into consideration (e.g. ICO data protection fee).

---

Processing a Childminder Application

Filling in the online application form should take around 30 minutes to complete. Following that, it can take up to twelve (12) weeks to process an application.

Note: There is a difference between a childminder and a nanny. As a rule, childminders work in their own home. Whereas, nannies usually work in the home of the children they look after (e.g. for one family).

---

How to Register as a Nanny

As a nanny or an au pair, you can get registered with Ofsted to look after children while they are in the home of their family.

Ofsted allow registered nannies to look after children from one or two families together (at the same time). But, you would need childminder registration to look after children from more than two families at the same time.

To register as a nanny with Ofsted you are going to need:

• A current certification in first aid training
• Childcare training (usually provided by the local council authority)
• Public liability insurance
• UK criminal record certificate

Note: You would need ‘certificates of good conduct’ from any relevant embassies if you lived outside the United Kingdom in the last five years (use the link above).

---

---