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If you want to be paid to look after children under 8, you might need to register with Ofsted or a childminder agency.

You must register as a childminder if all of the following apply:

• the children are under the age of 8
• you look after them for more than 2 hours a day
• you look after them in your own home
• you get paid to look after them - including payment in kind

You can register with Ofsted online. To register with a childminder agency, contact them directly.

You do not need to register if you鈥檙e:

• a nanny
• a tutor
• a babysitter and if you look after the children between 6pm and 2am
• a family friend and if you look after the children less than 3 hours a day

You can still choose to register if you鈥檙e a nanny or in other situations. This helps the child鈥檚 parents qualify for free childcare.

Check which register to join if you鈥檙e not sure.

Who cannot register

You cannot register if you:

• are under 18
• are related to all of the children you look after
• do not have the legal right to work in the UK
• are barred from working with children
• have been disqualified
• have been refused registration in the past or had your registration cancelled - unless it was because you did not pay your annual fee
• are childminding in a home where a disqualified person lives or works

If you鈥檝e been disqualified, you may be able to apply to waive your disqualification

There are 2 registers - the Early Years Register and the Childcare Register.

Which register you join depends on:

• the age of the children you鈥檙e looking after
• if you鈥檙e registering as a childminder or a nanny

Children up to the age of 5

If you鈥檙e a childminder and you look after children from birth to 5 years old you must join the Early Years Register. This lets you look after children up to 31 August after their fifth birthday.

驰辞耻鈥檒濒 get a registration visit from Ofsted when you apply.

If you apply through a childminder agency, you鈥檒l get a registration visit from the agency not Ofsted.

After you join the register you must follow the early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework.

Nannies cannot join the Early Years Register.

Children from 5 to 8 years old

If you鈥檙e a childminder and you look after children from 5 to 8 years old you must join the Childcare Register. This lets you look after children from 1 September after their fifth birthday up to their eighth birthday.

As a nanny you can choose to join the Childcare Register, regardless of the age of the children you鈥檙e looking after.

You may get a registration visit. You may also be inspected by Ofsted.

You need to pay an annual registration fee to Ofsted. 驰辞耻鈥檒濒 also have to pay for things like Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, training and insurance.

If you register with an agency instead, you鈥檒l need to discuss these costs directly with them.

Registration fee

驰辞耻鈥檒濒 have to pay the registration fee each year.

DBS checks and health checks

Training

Other costs

Public liability insurance costs approximately between 拢25 and 拢100.

It costs 拢40 to to keep digital records of children (childminders only).

You can register with Ofsted as a nanny or au pair to look after children in their own home.

A nanny can look after children from 1 or 2 families at the same time.

What you鈥檒l need

You will need:

• first aid training
• childcare training - speak to your local council
• public liability insurance
• a certificate of good character from an embassy - if you鈥檝e lived abroad in the past 5 years

You will also need an enhanced check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Depending on where you live, you鈥檒l need either:

• an enhanced check with barred lists for home-based workers, if you live in the home where you work
• an enhanced check with barred lists, if you do not live in the home where you work

If you鈥檙e helping someone else with their application

Data protection regulations mean we cannot share information about an application status with anyone except the nanny.

How much it costs

It costs 拢103 to register with Ofsted. This fee is not refundable.

Find out about other costs.

How long it takes

It usually takes up to 12 weeks to process your application.

Register online

It should take you about 15 minutes to fill in the form.

You must register with Ofsted or a childminder agency to look after children in your home. There鈥檚 a list of childminder agencies you can register with.

Registering as a childminder with Ofsted

You will need:

• an enhanced check with barred lists for home based workers from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
• first aid training for the age group you will look after
• a health declaration booklet
• contact details for 2 references
• a certificate of good character from an embassy - if you鈥檝e lived abroad in the past 5 years

Checks on other people in your home

You must tell Ofsted about new adults in the home where childcare takes place. This applies if they:

• move in
• start working there

This includes a child of yours already living in the home who turns 16.

If anyone aged 16 or over lives with you or works in your home regularly, they鈥檒l need to get an enhanced DBS check with barred lists.

The type of check they get depends on their role. For example, your partner would need to get a different check from someone who works in your home, such as a cleaner.

They鈥檒l also need to get a certificate of good character from an embassy if they鈥檝e lived abroad in the last 5 years.

If you鈥檙e helping someone else with their application

Data protection regulations mean we cannot share information about an application status with anyone except the childminder.

How much it costs

It usually costs 拢35 to register with Ofsted. This fee is not refundable.

Find out about other costs.

How long it takes

It usually takes up to 12 weeks to process your application.

Register online

It should take you about 30 minutes to fill in the form.

When you submit your application Ofsted will:

• do background checks with local councils
• check your references
• give you a reference number to use if you have questions about your application

If you鈥檙e a childminder

An inspector will visit you to check:

• your identity and qualifications - including first aid qualifications
• your house and garden are safe for children
• that you鈥檙e familiar with the early years foundation stage (EYFS) requirements and know how to put them into practice
• your level of English

Find out how to prepare for your registration visit.

If your application is approved

驰辞耻鈥檒濒 get a certificate of registration if your application is approved. You will need this to start work as a childminder.

Ofsted will publish your unique reference number (鈥楿RN鈥�) and inspection reports online. If you鈥檙e a childminder they will also publish your name and address - unless you tell them not to.

If your application is refused

Ofsted will send you a letter called a 鈥榥otice of intention鈥� which will tell you why you鈥檝e been turned down.

驰辞耻鈥檒濒 be disqualified from applying again in future.

Object to a decision

You can object to a decision if you鈥檝e been sent a 鈥榥otice of intention鈥�.

You must object within 14 days of the date on the notice.

Ofsted will consider your objection, then tell you if:

• you鈥檙e still refused registration
• you cannot look after children in a particular home
• your decision is overturned

If you do not object, or Ofsted does not change its decision, you鈥檒l get a second letter called a 鈥榥otice of decision鈥�. This is the final decision to refuse registration or approval of a certain premises.

Appeal a decision

If you disagree with Ofsted鈥檚 final decision, you can appeal to an independent tribunal.

You must appeal within 3 months of the date that you鈥檙e sent the notice of decision.

You must continue to meet the registration standards while you鈥檙e working as a childminder or nanny.

驰辞耻鈥檒濒 need to:

• pay the annual registration fee
• keep your details up to date
• report any major accidents or incidents

Ofsted will inspect childminders and some nannies.

Keep your details up to date

You must tell Ofsted if:

• you change where you鈥檙e working
• your contact details change
• you stop working as a childminder or nanny

If you鈥檙e a childminder

You must tell Ofsted if:

• anyone 16 or over moves into your home or leaves your home
• your childminding assistants change

Reporting accidents and incidents

Use the early years incident online form to report:

• a serious accident, injury or illness to a child, for example food poisoning
• allegations that someone living, working or looking after children in your household has committed serious harm or abuse
• anything that might affect the suitability of someone on the premises to look after children
• a child鈥檚 death

Providing other types of childcare

If you鈥檙e a childminder, you can apply to set up childcare on non-domestic premises (for example, a playgroup or after-school club). You can work here for up to half of your time.

If you want to work with 3 or more childminders or childminding assistants in your home, you鈥檒l need to register as a daycare organisation (this is known as 鈥榩roviding childcare on domestic premises鈥�).