Guidance

Childminders: report new adults in the home

You must tell Ofsted about new people aged 16 or over who live or work in the home you look after children in within 14 days. This includes children who turn 16.

Applies to England

Ofsted have to carry out checks to make sure the children you are looking after will be safe in the home you will look after them in.

Do not use this service if you either:

  • run, or you are joining, a nursery or other daycare
  • work with 3 or more other adults at the same time to provide childcare in someone’s home (known as childcare on domestic)

You should instead read the separate guide Apply to join a nursery or other daycare organisation (EY2).

You should still read the guidance on what counts as a ‘new adult’ in the home if you are a childcare on domestic provider.

Until they have received their enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate with barred lists (a specific type of criminal record check), anyone who counts as a new adult in the home you look after children in cannot be left unsupervised with those children.

Do not wait for the new adult’s DBS to arrive to tell us about them.

What you must do

As a childminder, you must tell us about new adults in the home you look after children in. If you are working with a maximum of 2 other adults at the same time, you will do this through the service on this page.

This service:

  • replaces the EY2 and EY3 you would have had to do previously
  • will meet your legal requirements as a childminder to notify Ofsted about new adults in the home

Number of adults caring for the children

If a new adult means that there will be 4 or more adults providing childcare at the same time in someone’s home, you will need to apply to register as a childcare on domestic provider.

If there will not be more than 3 adults working together in this way at any time, you can stay as a childminder and still use this service to tell Ofsted about new adults in the home where childcare takes place.

New adults in the home

New adults are the following people aged 16 or over:

  • new household members who start to live in the home
  • people already living in the home who turn 16
  • new people who work regularly during childcare hours, such as a cleaner
  • new childminders or assistants

You must also tell us if any of these people move out or stop working in these roles.

Ofsted can take action against you if you do not tell us about these people within 14 days.

The first of the 14 days is the day the new adult, begins living in the home, starts working there or turns 16.

Household members and visitors

We need to check adults even if they only live in the home for some of the time. For example, if they’re away studying but come back during the holidays.

However, Ofsted does not need to check adults if they:

  • are a regular visitor (for example, a relative or friend who comes round for lunch once a week)
  • stay overnight with you only occasionally
  • are doing building work or repairs in the home
  • work in the home outside childcare hours (for example, cleaning in the evenings or at weekends)

You are responsible for these people during this time.

What the new adults on your childcare premises must do

All new adults must:

  • have a specific type of DBS check – they should carefully read the guidance below on what DBS check they need
  • answer a few questions about their health, other names they have had, where they have lived for the last 5 years and circumstances that might affect their suitability to be in contact with children – we will contact them directly about this

Type of DBS

They will need an enhanced DBS check with barred lists.

If they live in the home childcare is taking place in, they must make sure to select ‘yes’ on question x66 to say they are going to be in a home-based role.

DBS Update Service

Ofsted recommends new adults then join the DBS Update Service to keep their details up to date.

Lived abroad

Tell us about new adults in the home you look after children in

Only use this service if you are a registered childminder with no more than 2 other adults helping you at the same time.

Tell Ofsted about new adults

What happens next

Ofsted will carry out suitability checks on new adults with council social services.

We will contact the new adults directly for more information.

Childminder assistants

We will send childminder assistants a suitability letter once we have finished our checks.

Do not include them in the ratios, or leave them alone with the children until they get this letter.

Published 19 February 2020
Last updated 17 January 2023 + show all updates
  1. Clarified that, in line with the EYFS, assistants should not be included in the ratios until they have been deemed suitable.

  2. Clarified the information that will be sought by Ofsted when an adult is added to a childminder's registration.

  3. First published.