Careers Hub
All Job CategoriesChildminder
Childminder
Childminders care for babies, toddlers and children in their own home, supporting their learning and development.
Average salary (a year)
£0
Starter
£0
Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
0.0 to 0.0 hours
variable
Work Hours
evenings / weekends
as customers demand
Explore future careers!
Explore career paths and plan your journey with insights into future professions.
Explore by job categories
AdministrationAnimal careBeauty and wellbeingBusiness and financeComputing, technology and digitalConstruction and tradesCreative and mediaDelivery and storageEmergency and uniform servicesEngineering and maintenanceEnvironment and landGovernment servicesHealthcareHome servicesHospitality and foodLaw and legalManagerialManufacturingRetail and salesScience and researchSocial careSports and leisureTeaching and educationTransportTravel and tourism
You can get into this job by:registering with Ofsted; registering with a Childminder Agency
Other Routes
You can attend an introductory childminding briefing that covers everything you need to prepare to register as a childminder. Your local council can give you information on where to find one.
The aim is to make sure that you understand what is involved before making a decision about whether it's the right career for you.
More Information
Registrations
If you want to care for children under 8 for more than 2 hours a day, you have to register with one of the following:Ofsted, a Childminder Agency (CMA)
For this, you'll usually need to complete:a home-based childcare course that covers the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, a paediatric first aid course, child protection training - safeguarding, a food safety qualification
You may have to do a basic skills test to show that you have the minimum standard of English and maths needed to support the educational development of children in your care. You'll also need to pass an assessment of your home and any equipment you will use.
Local councils, CMAs and professional bodies can provide pre-registration training to become a childminder. They also have information on registering and further training once you are working as a childminder.
Your first step is to check out Ofsted's pre-registration briefing on becoming a childminder.
Career Tips
It's a good idea to do some research to find out if there's a demand for childminders in your local area.
As you'll be self-employed, you might find it useful to learn about setting up your own business and your responsibilities for tax and insurance.
Further Information
You can find out more about working as a childminder at Early Years Careers.
You can contact professional bodies for advice on how to become a childminder, training courses and registration:Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years, Early Years Alliance, Foundation Years, Organisation for Childminder Agencies
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
Sensitivity and understanding
The ability to work well with others
Patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
To be flexible and open to change
The ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
Excellent verbal communication skills
A desire to help people
The ability to understand people’s reactions
Digital Skills Level
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Related Restrictions
pass a medical check
Day to day tasks
As a childminder, you will
provide inspirational learning activities, offer safe play activities, both indoors and outside, plan, prepare and serve meals, change nappies and make up bottles for babies, take older children to and from playgroup or school, record accidents and report child safety concerns, speak to parents and carers about their child's day
provide inspirational learning activities, offer safe play activities, both indoors and outside, plan, prepare and serve meals, change nappies and make up bottles for babies, take older children to and from playgroup or school, record accidents and report child safety concerns, speak to parents and carers about their child's day
Working environment
You could work from home.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and outdoors some of the time.
Once registered, you could take further training, like a free online course covering child development during early years.
With experience you could expand your business and take on a childcare assistant or become a network co-ordinator, supporting other local childminders.
You might also
move into nursery work, become an early years teaching assistant, train to be a tutor on childminding courses
move into nursery work, become an early years teaching assistant, train to be a tutor on childminding courses
Job profile data provided by The National Careers Service.
Help & Support
Support Knowledge Base & FAQs