The Childminding Support Team provide support for all home based childcare, not just those childminders working towards or attaining the QA award. The New Provider Team provides support for potential childcare providers. These teams are supported by the Project Support Team who provide monitoring and administrative support to various projects.
Childminding co-ordinators offer a range of services to childminders such as:
- Pre-inspection visits to support and advise childminders prior to their first Ofsted inspection
- Organising (when required) local Stay and Play sessions
- Better access to EYCP resources
- Locally based support groups where childminders can share good practice and find out what is happening locally and nationally
- Visits to childminders to support and advise on how ECM outcomes can be met or improved
- Organise local training as identified by childminders
- Help parents choose childcare for children with additional needs and offer support to childminders
- Enable childminders to work towards a nationally recognised quality assurance scheme
Contacts at South Square, Thornton
The EYCP are committed to providing an excellent service to registered home based childcare providers, teenage parents and potential childcare providers.
Key Contacts in Thornton (16kb)
Changes to Ofsted registrations for all childcare settings
All currently registered childcare settings (including schools), caring for children aged 0-8 years, will be affected by the implementation of new Ofsted childcare registers effective from September 2008.
For more information visit the Ofsted Website
The new Ofsted Registers will be:
- Early Years Register - 0-5 yr olds - settings will be required to meet the Early Years Foundation Stage. There will be a new definition of a 5 year old.
- Childcare Register made up of two parts:
- Compulsory part - for 5-7 yr olds, and
- Voluntary part - for childcare providers not legally required to register (nannies, age 8+ settings, under two hour settings, activity clubs).
Schools with ‘Governing body’ led childcare registrations will be exempt from compulsory registration (unless they care for children under three years old).The childcare will be assessed as part of the school inspection. Private providers will not be exempt.
Transfers and Exemptions
Ofsted has automatically transferred current registrations over to the relevant new registers. From 16 April 2007, unregistered providers who are currently exempt from registration (this also applies to nannies), can now apply to the Ofsted Voluntary Register - details on the Ofsted website, or contact the New Provider Team at the Early Years, Childcare & Play.
Ofsted starts assessing providers against the Early Years Foundation Stage from September 2008
What is a registered childminder?
Childminders are self employed professional child carers who work from their own homes. If they do so for more than 2 hours a day and/or for payment or other reward, and the children are under 8 years old, then by law they must be registered with the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).
Childminders are inspected to ensure that they and their house are safe and that the care they provide meets certain standards. They also check that they, or anyone age 16 or over assisting or living with them, have no criminal records that may affect children in their care.
Childminders are allowed to care for up to six children under 8 years old at a time, including their own children, but only three of those children can be under 5 years old. Many childminders continue to care for children up to the age of 14 and beyond, thus providing a continuation in care. Childminders can offer a flexible care service that may be difficult to find in other provision, and can often work outside normal working hours or provide emergency / overnight care.
Bradford Childminding Association
Childminders in Bradford are supported by the Bradford Childminding Association.
How to become a registered childminder
If you are currently a registered childminder you will need these forms and information
Quality Assurance for registered childminders
The childminding support team at Thornton offers childminders the opportunity to become Quality Assured - with extra support, training and resources to raise their status, giving parents added reassurance of a high quality service. Contact the Childminding Support Team on 01274 434317.
Children Come First (CCF)
CCF is a quality assurance scheme designed by NCMA and endorsed by Investors in Children. This scheme involves the registered childminder being assessed by a Bradford Childminding Co-ordinator to the criteria set out in the NCMA’s Quality Charter. Once assessed the childminder's quality of care is monitored regularly by their Co-ordinator. CCF registered childminders may also go on to become accredited to deliver nursery education to 3 and 4 year olds.
For more information about the CCF scheme see our get in touch page for contact details.
Network Plus
Network Plus aims to place children with a range of additional needs with specially trained childminders. This can offer parents the opportunity to return to work or training, pursue hobbies or spend time with other family members.
Teen Parent Childminding Network
Bradford Childminding Network works in partnership with the government initiative, Sure Start Plus, ensuring that pregnant teenagers and teenage parents can access services such as housing, benefits, health and education.
The Network aims to support young parents access to quality childcare for their children, to allow the young parent to return to school or start college.
NHS Childminder Scheme
Childcare is changing the NHS and changing the lives of many parents who work in the NHS. The NHS is a service that operates 24 hours a day, therefore it has proven very difficult for the workforce who have dependant children to find good quality childcare.
The aim of this service is to provide good quality childcare to NHS staff. Bradford Childminding Network is working in partnership with the NHS to provide quality assured childminders.
Childminders who want to be part of the NHS scheme have to be assessed onto the Children Come first Quality Assurance Scheme through the Bradford Early Years, Childcare & Play.
NHS staff need flexible childcare due to working shift patterns and long hours therefore choosing a registered childminder would be the most suitable childcare option to fulfil their needs. Childminders are able to offer personal service to all parents and meet children's individual needs.
Emergency Care Network
This service aims to offer care to young people aged 11-16 in crisis situations. These young people could be in a dispute with their parents or carers that can’t be resolved the same day. They could be young runaways who have returned, or been picked up by the police, and need a safe place to stay while social workers investigate a return home.
Training
BEYCP offers many training courses suitable for childminders. See the Training page on this website.
Children’s Information Link
The Children’s Information Link keeps up to date details on all childminders to provide to parents and carers who want lists of available childcare in their area. If you would like to update your information get in touch with the Children's Information Link.
The National Childminding Association
The National Childminding Association (NCMA) is the only national charity and membership organisation that speaks on behalf of registered childminders in England and Wales. NCMA promotes quality registered childminding so that children, families and communities can benefit from the best in childcare and education.
NCMA
8 Masons Hill,
Bromley,
Kent,
BR2 9EY
Tel 020 8464 6164
Fax 020 8290 6834
